Nigel McGuinness has made it clear he won’t be returning to a full-time wrestling schedule. The former ROH World Champion, now best known as a commentator alongside Tony Schiavone on AEW Collision, said he’ll stick to occasional matches when the timing feels right.
Speaking on The Wombreezy Wrestling Podcast, McGuinness explained his stance. “I don’t think there’s any benefit to me wrestling a full-time schedule,” he said. “The sort of part-time schedule that I’m currently on, you know, if an opportunity presents itself and it makes sense from a storyline perspective, then I’ll do it. I love doing it. But, yeah, not full-time. There’s too many guys on the roster anyway, younger guys, who deserve more of those spots than me.”
The 49-year-old credited AEW president Tony Khan for making his recent return possible. “My full years of wrestling are long, long gone,” McGuinness admitted. “Truthfully, without AEW and specifically Tony Khan, I never would have got this opportunity again.”
McGuinness retired in 2011 due to health issues and stayed away from the ring for nearly 13 years while working as a commentator. He came back at All In in 2024 at Wembley Stadium, and later challenged Zack Sabre Jr. for the IWGP World Heavyweight Championship at Forbidden Door, though he fell short.
Outside the ring, McGuinness recently shared personal news: he and his partner, Kaori Takee, are expecting their first child.