Nigel McGuinness says it doesn’t get any bigger than AEW All In for the UK professional wrestling fanbase and that if Wembley sells out, he might even be tempted to get back inside the squared circle.
Tony Khan and co are heading to the UK’s biggest stadium for a show of epic proportions on Sunday, August 27 over 30 years since the iconic venue last witnessed a night of top-tier wrestling. Nigel, who is now part of the AEW revolution, after being unveiled as commentator for last month’s Ring of Honour Supercard of Honour, was there at Summerslam 1992 and says All In will be seismic for the wrestling scene.
The event has so far been hit with a wave of excitement since Khan’s announcement, with over 40,000 reported sign-ups for the pre-sale of tickets this week. McGuiness, who hung up his boots in 2009 in an enforced retirement, says telling the stories of what he promises will be a magical night from the commentary booth is a hugely exciting prospect.
Speaking to Glasgow Live, he said: “I’m super excited to be in AEW. It’s been a whirlwind of experience over the last couple of weeks since I first appeared on Supercard of Honour.
“I’ve had some incredible experiences already. It was a steep learning curve for me [commentary]. I just did a seminar on commentary, and you don’t realise how little is known about that art form of doing commentary for pro wrestling.
“I learnt so much in my time working under Michael Cole and Tom Hanifanan [fka Phillips]. I didn’t even think about it when I was a wrestler.
“You talk about the stories yourself in the ring and don’t realise how important the commentary is for what you’re doing in the ring.”
Nigel says the UK wrestling scene has undergone a huge change since his time in the ring. He added: “It’s changed dramatically. I remember in the early 2010s after I stepped away there were so many talent in the UK starting to make a living outside of WWE, on the independents.
“When Tony came on board and created AEW it just sky-rocketed the potential for professional wrestlers to make a living, pay for their family and travel the world.
“So the scene has changed in that regard and All In is the epitome of that change and direction in professional wrestling.”
The commentator admits he’s delighted to see so many top UK talents such as Saraya [fka as Paige in WWE] and AEW Women’s Champion Jamie Hayter.
He said: “It’s super important. There was the longest time back in the 80s and 90s that there were very few British talent. You had the British Bulldog, William Regal and it took a while before we started to see the plethora of talent who had established themselves. So many of them are now in AEW.
“The likes of Saraya, Jamie Hayter who have followed in the footsteps of me and Doug Williams, Kip Sabian, Will Ospreay, Zack Sabre Jnr – the list goes on.
“It’s not a question of who’s going to be there – it’s more who’s not going to be there [All In]. The UK has always been a phenomenal fanbase for professional wrestling, ever since I was a fan back in the early 90s.
“Speaking of Wembley, it was 31 years ago that wrestling was last there. I was there, a young Nigel McGuinness, fifty rows back from the ring. That was the moment, or one of the moments I decided to become a professional wrestler.
“To return and be part of that show it’s all coming full circle. It’s beyond words and it will be a moment that I could never have imagined. You couldn’t have written it. You wouldn’t have believed it.
“There will be a similar moment for the next Nigel McGuinness, or the next Will Ospreay or Zack Sabre Jnr who is going to be there as well. This is going to be that moment, that show of the next generation. To feel that sense of community is brilliant.
"AEW, the most watched pro wrestling brand in the UK at the moment, is going to continue to put on great shows and give a product to a hungry appetite fanbase like the UK.”
The commentator says Tony Khan’s appetite for the sport is ‘unquenchable’ and that it doesn’t get bigger than 100 years of Wembley in August. On Tony: “Tony Khan’s appetite for pro wrestling is unquenchable. He’s brilliant. The way he has created AEW and has had the opportunity to expand the brand all over the world.
“To come back here for pro wrestling on this stage is absolutely massive. It’s 100 years of Wembley Stadium and Warner Bros as well. If you want a shared century of excellence in entertainment, it’s fitting that AEW comes here to celebrate its own milestone. 100 per cent All In.
"It couldn’t be any bigger. It’s a milestone for the company and will be a great moment for everyone in the company. And who knows, if it sells out maybe I’ll come out of retirement.
Ask if he needs to shine off his boots, he said: “Yeah maybe for that clamdigger [Bryan] Danielson.”
AEW All In tickets go on general sale on Friday, May 5 at 9am. Fans can access pre-sale tickets as of Tuesday, May 2 and more information can be found here.
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