Nigel McGuinness praises Michael Cole.
Before coming to AEW/ROH in 2023, Nigel McGuinness spent five years in WWE, primarily commentating on episodes of NXT. McGuinness also spent some time commentating 205 Live and Main Event during his time with the company.
While speaking to Chris Jericho on the latest edition of Talk Is Jericho, McGuinness recalled WWE telling him that they wanted him as a commentator and absolutely nothing else.
“I got a call from Michael Cole in WWE, that would’ve been late 2017, late 2016, I don’t exactly remember the year. They wanted me to come in and be a commentator there based on what I’d done in Ring Of Honor. When I went to WWE, and they made it clear from day one, if you have any interest in being a wrestler, then don’t come here. We want you as a commentator as that’s absolutely it. I was perfectly fine with that. For me, that ship had sailed. I was still a little bitter of how things had turned out, bitter at fate as much as anything else. But, super happy to be finally working for the company that I dreamt of working for since I was at Wembley Stadium in 1992. The five or six years I spent in WWE were incredible and fantastic, don’t have a bad word to say about them.”
McGuinness went on to praise Michael Cole, saying he learned a lot from him during his time in WWE.
“I was doing [NXT Level Up] when I finally got let go, which to be honest with you, wasn’t a shocker. I could see it coming a long way away. Six fantastic years learning under Michael Cole and Tom Phillips. If I know 100 things about commentary in pro wrestling, probably 99 of them come from Michael Cole, so I’ll forever be grateful for him. Now, that I’m here in AEW, I don’t know how you feel about it but I feel like I can take everything I learned there and keep the good stuff and the stuff that I don’t necessarily need to keep, I can let that go. I’ve got much more freedom now to really push the boat out. I don’t know whether or not that’s changed a lot given the hierarchy in WWE, but certainly, this is the best gig I’ve ever had.”
Elsewhere in the interview, McGuinness talked about the possibility of wrestling again. Learn more by clicking here.
Check out the lineup for Friday's AEW Rampage by clicking here.
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