Nigel McGuinness thinks a match with Bryan Danielson could have happened at All In last year.
The English wrestling legend is long retired, having not stepped into a wrestling ring since 2011. He retired after long battles with injury and illness. A bicep injury cost Nigel McGuinness a WWE deal, while a Hepatitis B diagnosis put an end to his TNA career.
He was rumored to be coming out of retirement last year for AEW. Nigel McGuinness was said to be facing Bryan Danielson at Wembley Stadium, although a broken arm for the American Dragon put an end to that dream.
Nigel McGuinness appeared on Insight with Chris Van Vliet. He discussed the potential match with Danielson, saying it was what “really made sense” before the broken arm.
Nigel McGuinness Was Open To Wrestling At Wembley
Nigel McGuinness spoke about being open to the idea of wrestling again, but noted that Bryan Danielson was the only opponent that made sense for him.
“I was open to the suggestion, open to the idea. When I originally signed with AEW, I took a flight cross-country with Tony, and he said, ‘I’ve got to swear you to secrecy and tell you something you can’t tell another soul. We’re doing Wembley Stadium.’ I was like, ‘Oh my God.’
“Then the idea occurred to me: could you, should you? Because Wembley Stadium 1992 was an epiphany for me. That was a moment. I went there with my friend, and I sat about 50 rows back. I just remember having this strange sensation, and I talk about it during my magic show, how I had this weird feeling, this belief that somehow I knew I was going to be a professional wrestler.
“I think maybe you’ve had a similar idea yourself, but it stuck with me, certainly. So to go back to that venue and wrestle would just be off the charts. But, you know, the only thing that really made sense was Bryan.”
Nigel McGuinness on a match with Bryan Danielson
He also noted that the match is out of his control, and depends on whether or not Bryan Danielson wants the match.
“The only thing that really made sense was Bryan, and he broke his arm.” Nigel McGuinness said. “You know, because he’s got osteoporosis. A match with Bryan Danielson at All In could have happened. I don’t know. So much of it is out of my control, really.”
“I don’t know. I mean, there’s so much of it is out of my control, really is whether he wants to wrestle me. I always thought it was kind of funny. Someone asked him about that time if he’d ever wrestle me again and he said if I ever wrestled, Nigel, I’d break his neck. Then three weeks later he breaks his arm, which I thought was karma. I’ve always thought as well. Sometimes, you get couples and the girl is always jealous and blaming the guy for cheating. You’re cheating on me. You are thinking of cheating. I mean, it always turns out, she was thinking of it. So I think maybe when Bryan said, if I wrestle him I’ll break his neck, he probably remembers those lariats and thinks, doesn’t want that. Go back and watch that match at Liverpool where we had that incredible match. There was a time after he ran my head into the ring post. I rolled back in blood pouring looked him in the face and perhaps the only time I’ve ever seen true fear in his eyes. So yeah, I think he was having a flashback, PTSD from that. So I make jokes about it, don’t think he’s ever going to wrestle me to be perfectly honest.”
