Nigel McGuinness says he found peace, but he wants to prove himself.
Nigel McGuinness retired from wrestling in 2011 and transitioned into commentary, but he returned to the ring at AEW All In. There, he competed in the Casino Gauntlet match. He is set to face Bryan Danielson at AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam in a match that has been years in the making.
Speaking with Scott Fishman of TV Insider, Nigel McGuinness was asked about how much unfinished business he had left to accomplish as a wrestler.
"There isn’t a lot to be honest with you. This is a long journey for me. When I retired back in 2011 and did my documentary, that gave me a sense of closure to some extent. When I was working in WWE, I had so many of my generational peers who went on to such success in terms of fame and money they made and in terms of their ability to wrestle on that stage. There was always an itch there. There was a sense of failure, not achieving my dream. But to a large extent, I found peace with that by the time Wembley came around. There only is Bryan who needs this squaring away in my head…I can’t go back or change history. It’s an odd feeling when you realize the only thing stopping you from being a wrestler is you. All I can do is try to show if I had continued, perhaps I would have the same success as other people. That’s not what it’s all about. It’s not about just the success you have but the journey you take and what you become because of it. I have so many positive things that happened after stepping out of the ring," McGuinness said.
McGuinness continued by noting that he was not looking for any kind of resolution other than showing that he was as good as Bryan Danielson. He stated that the match was not about the title. Instead, he said that he wanted to show that he would have had the same success if his career played out differently.
"There was the documentary, me becoming a color commentator, and getting to announce the largest paid pro wrestling attendance of all time at Wembley Stadium. A place where at 16 years old I dreamt of being a professional wrestler. I’m not looking for any kind of resolution other than when people call Bryan the best wrestler in the world and lord him and all those awards he has as the best technical wrestler. I think he paid for those, I’m not sure. I want to show I was as good as him and if I can beat him at Arthur Ashe, I can prove that. It’s not about the AEW title. It is prestigious but I’m not coming back to win the title, but coming back to show I was as good as Bryan Danielson. That if fortune had given me the right hand, I would have had the same success," McGuinness said.
During the interview, McGuinness commented on his return to the ring. Click here to see what he had to say.
McGuinness also clarified why he stepped away from wrestling in 2011. Check out his comments here.
