Nigel McGuinness has had an exceptional in-ring career, gaining recognition as one of the best wrestlers in the world during his prime. Unfortunately, due to injuries, he had to retire in 2011 after a successful tenure as the ROH Champion. Following his retirement, he transitioned to a commentator role in WWE, but his time with the company ended in 2022 when he was released. However, in April 2023, Nigel signed with AEW, marking a new chapter in his career.
In conversation with Metro, McGuinness shared a story about his time performing at Butlin’s camps, when he occasionally had to portray parody wrestlers to bring variety to the shows. On one occasion, he was given a Kane mask and gear, despite having a bad back. Wrestling as Kane for about 15 to 20 minutes became the lowest point of his career at that time. He said,
“I used to do Butlin’s camps. Every now and again to spice it up, they’d want us to do parody wrestlers. So, there was one time I got to the venue, and they gave me a Kane mask, the whole gear. I had to go out and wrestle as Kane for 15, 20 minutes – with a bad back as well. It was just absolutely the lowest point of my career, at that point at least.”
Moreover, McGuinness expressed his enjoyment in being able to showcase his versatility. He mentioned a specific match featuring Mad Man Manson, Dave Rayne, and Sam Bailey as an example. He also highlighted a bout with Delirious in ROH that took place early on in the card. According to McGuinness, these matches, although not highly publicized, were personally fulfilling as they told compelling stories, received great crowd reactions, and fulfilled their intended purpose.
“People ask me about my favorite matches and oftentimes it wasn’t the big matches that got great reviews, it was the funny little matches. It was just a funny little tag match, but it was really enjoyable. The matches I had with Delirious in Ring of Honor as well, they were great matches but early on in the card. Told a great story, got a great pop and everything they needed to be.”
