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Tag: Nigel McGuinness

  • Nigel McGuinness & Partner Expecting First Child: Our Crumpet is Toasting!

    Nigel McGuinness is thriving both in and out of AEW, and now the British star has shared some major personal news. On Instagram, McGuinness’ partner, Kaori Takee, revealed that the couple is expecting a child. Alongside photos of the two together—featuring a visibly pregnant Takee—she wrote that “something magical has happened” and playfully referenced Nigel’s English roots by adding, “our crumpet is toasting.”

    The announcement was quickly met with an outpouring of congratulations from fans and colleagues across the wrestling world. WWE’s Natalya shared her best wishes, while AEW’s Taya Valkyrie expressed her excitement. Dustin Rhodes, PROGRESS Wrestling, and Jimmy Jacobs were among others who also sent messages of support.

    McGuinness and Takee are the latest to join wrestling’s wave of baby announcements in 2025. Pete Dunne and his partner Demi welcomed another child in May, Roman Reigns became a father for the sixth time in July, Naomi stepped away from her WWE Women’s World Title reign due to pregnancy, and Mark Briscoe celebrated the arrival of a baby boy in August.

    This is a joyful new chapter for McGuinness and Takee as they prepare for parenthood. Everyone at SEScoops sends their congratulations and best wishes to the couple at this exciting time.

    Couple Names Baby After Joe Hendry

  • Ex-WWE GM Appears At AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door

    AEWxNJPW Forbidden Door has seen the two promotions collide for an epic show emenating from the O2 Arena in London, England. Not only has the shown seen the very best of both companies, but a former WWE General Manager has also made his presence felt.

    In a video package, Nigel McGuinness is seen roaming the streets of London ahead of his title match against Zack Sabre. Jr. McGuinness meets up with former WWE NXT UK General Manager Johnny Saint and the pair discuss strategy over a game of chess.

    Saint is a smart choice for McGuinness to take pointers from. Considered one of the greatest wrestlers in British wrestling history, Saint held the World Lightweight Championship a record ten times. A former British and European Lightweight champion, Saint was inducted into the Wrestling Observer Newsletter\’s Hall of Fame last year.

    From 2018-2022, Saint served as the WWE NXT UK GM, a brand that McGuinness also was a part of. Whether Saint\’s appearance was a one-off for the crowd in London, or perhaps the start of something more, his Forbidden Door role was a treat for fans of the British icon.

  • Nigel McGuinness Calls In-Ring Return A \”Hollywood Movie\” Moment

    An AEW star has reflected on his in-ring return last year at All In 2024, after over a decade away from the ring. The August 25, 2024, Casino Gauntlet match saw Nigel McGuinness make a surprise return to the ring, wrestling for the first time since 2011.

    Speaking on the Heel S#!t podcast, McGuinness noted that this moment felt like it was from a Hollywood movie to him. Feeling it was odd when he lost “that sense of grandeur” surrounding his comeback, he said:

    “It’s one of those moments I’ve said to people, it was so surreal and you just couldn’t believe it. It’s just, it’s like a Hollywood movie. After all those years of not wrestling as well, I mean, giving up on the dream of ever possibly doing anything like that to then walk out there on that stage, get that kind of reaction. It was just incredible.\”

    McGuinness also offered a dose of reality, explaining that while the moment was amazing, it didn\’t magically solve life\’s problems.

    “There’s an odd thing with it as well. You lose that sense of grandeur after the fact becomes, I don’t want to say normal, but it’s not the life changing moment that you think it will be. So it’s just something you’re very appreciative of,\” he said. \”It was an amazing moment, and I’ll always be grateful for Tony Khan for giving me the opportunity to do it. But it doesn’t, it doesn’t solve anything. Any (of) lifes problems, if that makes sense. In a movie, at the end of the movie, your hero gets to do what he wants to do and then off he goes into the sunset and lives happily ever after. I guess that’s what I’m trying to get at.”

  • Nigel McGuinness In-Ring Return Set for AEW Double or Nothing

    AEW Double or Nothing 2025 just got even bigger with a tag-team match being added to the pay-per-view card. During the the May 17 episode of AEW Collision, it was revealed that Nigel McGuinness and Daniel Garcia will team up to face FTR.

    This will be McGuinness\’ fourth match since returning to action last year following a 13-year retirement. McGuinness, who also serves as a commentator in AEW, made his return at All In: London, earning a huge ovation from his native crowd.

    Updated AEW Double or Nothing 2025 Lineup:

    • AEW Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Mina Shirakawa
    • Men’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Finals: Will Ospreay vs. Hangman Page
    • Women’s Owen Hart Foundation Tournament Finals: Mercedes Moné vs. Jamie Hayter
    • AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Hurt Syndicate (c) vs. Dustin Rhodes & Sammy Guevara
    • Anarchy in the Arena: Jon Moxley, Gabe Kidd, The Young Bucks, Marina Shafir, and The Death Riders vs. Samoa Joe, Swerve Strickland, Powerhouse Hobbs, Willow Nightingale, Kenny Omega, and The Opps
    • Stretcher Match: Mark Briscoe vs. Ricochet
    • Tag Match: Nigel McGuinness & Daniel Garcia vs. FTR

    This unexpected pairing has sparked widespread buzz ahead of the highly anticipated pay-per-view, set for May 25 at the Desert Diamond Arena in Glendale, Arizona. Stay tuned to SEScoops for the latest from Double or Nothing.

  • Nigel McGuinness Returns to ROH Ring After 15 Years at Final Battle

    Fifteen years after his last match for Ring of Honor (ROH), Nigel McGuinness made a dramatic in-ring return at this week\’s Final Battle pay-per-view. McGuinness stepped up to answer Lee Moriarty’s open challenge for the Pure Championship. Despite a valiant effort, McGuinness fell short, with Moriarty securing the submission victory under Pure Rules.

    McGuinness\’ last ROH match took place in 2009 as part of the Final Countdown tour, where he faced Roderick Strong. This return also marked his first match since 2009 at the Hammerstein Ballroom, a venue where McGuinness had been undefeated until this week.

    McGuinness initially retired from wrestling in 2011 due to health issues. However, he made his in-ring return in August 2024 at AEW All In: London. The following month, he squared off against Bryan Danielson during the Grand Slam edition of AEW Dynamite.

    Nigel McGuinness Opens Up About Crowd Reaction For His All In Return

    While McGuinness’ next steps in the ring remain uncertain, fans were ecstatic to witness his ROH comeback. Stay tuned to SEScoops for updates on the British wrestler\’s future endeavors inside and outside the squared circle.

  • Nigel McGuinness Opens Up About Crowd Reaction For His All In Return

    Nigel McGuinness is just looking to prove that he\’s the better wrestler when he faces Bryan Danielson at this Wednesday\’s Gram Slam special of AEW Dynamite.

    The wrestling veteran had an interview with Battleground podcast to promote the upcoming AEW special. He talked about things such as when he first decided to make an in-ring return, what his journey to get back into ring shape has been like, and more.

    When asked what is the thing he is looking forward to the most this Wednesday, apart from defeating Danielson, McGuinness noted that he is excited to be in front of a live crowd again:

    \”I just think the experience of being in front of those people again. It\’s something that I arguably took for granted when I was a wrestler. I suppose I still am a wrestler to that extent. But when I walked out at Wembley Stadium and got that reaction, it was just incredible. So heartwarming to be remembered that way and respected that way.\”

    You Just Need People To Care: Nigel McGuinness

    The former ROH Champion knows that the reaction in New York\’s Arthur Ashe Stadium will not be the same as his home country, but Nigel McGuinness feels that any kind of reaction from the crowd is a good reaction:

    \”So I know it\’s not going to be the same reaction. There\’s going to be plenty of people in New York that don\’t like me. But I\’ve always said, when people ask me about getting in the job, \’What do you need?\’ \’You just need people to care about you.\’

    It was always the case with me—people either loved me or hated me—but as long as they had an opinion, that was all that mattered. I think there\’s going to be a lot of that, hopefully.

    A lot of those people who followed our careers since Ring of Honor are going to come out and really want to see who can prove that today they are the better wrestler. That\’s all I\’m trying to do. I\’m just trying to show that all this success he\’s had should have, could have, and would have been mine in a different universe.\”

    Apart from the match between McGuinness and the AEW World Champion, the show will also feature bouts such as Jon Moxley vs. Darby Allin, The Young Bucks vs. Kyle Fletcher & Will Ospreay and more.

  • Nigel McGuinness Reveals Real Reason Behind His 2011 Wrestling Retirement

    Nigel McGuinness has revealed the real reason he retired from pro wrestling back in 2011 and it once again emphasizes the importance a company like AEW has for the betterment of pro wrestling.

    The AEW star spoke to TV Insider for a new interview following his long-anticipated in-ring return after 13 years at the All In 2024 event. He wrestled in the Gauntlet match at the show. Competing against the top talent of the company, Nigel showed why he was considered one of the best back in the day.

    During the talk, McGuinness was asked about his return to the ring and if he was thinking about his previous injuries while taking a bump again. The 48-year-old claimed that he didn\’t think much of it before mentioning how there is a lot of misinformation on why he was forced to retire:

    \”There is a lot of confusion and misinformation. The truth of the matter is when I stepped away from wrestling, it was purely because I couldn’t make a living as a wrestler anymore. I could have gone back to Ring of Honor and wrestled that style, but I wouldn’t have made enough money to even afford health insurance, let alone save for the rest of my life.\”

    Little Did I Know: Nigel McGuinness

    Nigel McGuinness recalled how WWE had passed on signing him because of an old injury and he didn\’t want to go back to TNA because of past differences. Without the presence of an alternative like AEW, he had no other option to make a sustainable living in wrestling.

    The former World Champion revealed that he agreed to the 2013 The Last of McGuinness documentary partially because he was hoping that it would catch on and someone would tell the rest of his story. Little did he know that it would be over a decade before it happened:

    \”Little did I know it would take until now with Tony Khan and AEW. I didn’t step away because of concussions. I didn’t step away because of hepatitis. I was perfectly okay to wrestle. So it’s all not a factor going in.\”

    Apart from this Nigel McGuinness also said that he has been training for an in-ring return for over 18 months, ever since he found out about the first AEW All In event from Wembley Stadium in 2023.

    Nigel has challenged Bryan Danielson for a match at the upcoming Grand Slam special of Dynamite on September 25. The match has not been confirmed yet as the AEW World Champion is not cleared for action.

  • Nigel McGuinness vs Bryan Danielson Feud Explained

    The rivalry between Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson is one of the most storied and intense feuds in professional wrestling history. Spanning nearly two decades, their conflict has evolved from in-ring battles to a war of words, captivating fans across multiple promotions. This article delves into the origins, key moments, and current state of this legendary feud.

    Origins in Ring of Honor

    Early Encounters

    Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson first crossed paths in Ring of Honor (ROH) during the mid-2000s. Their initial matches were characterized by technical prowess and a mutual respect for each other\’s abilities. As both wrestlers rose through the ranks of ROH, their rivalry intensified, leading to several high-profile encounters.

    Title Unification Matches

    The feud reached new heights when McGuinness and Danielson held the ROH Pure Championship and ROH World Championship, respectively. Their attempts to unify these titles produced some of the most memorable matches in ROH history. The pure wrestling rules added an extra layer of strategy and intensity to their encounters, showcasing both men\’s unreal technical skills.

    Unified: The Pinnacle

    The culmination of their ROH rivalry came at the aptly named \”Unified\” event. This match, fought under pure wrestling rules with additional stipulations, is widely regarded as one of the greatest matches in ROH history. The bout exemplified the chemistry between McGuinness and Danielson, solidifying their status as two of the best wrestlers in the world.

    Diverging Paths

    WWE Signing and Fallout

    In 2009, both McGuinness and Danielson were set to sign with WWE. However, only Danielson passed the medical screening, mainly because he was able to conceal his long-running history of concussions, whereas Nigel\’s injuries were more obviously apparent to WWE staff.

    Career Trajectories

    While Danielson went on to achieve great success in WWE as Daniel Bryan, McGuinness\’s career took a different path. He continued wrestling on the independent circuit and even TNA before retiring in 2011 due to health issues. This stark contrast in their fortunes added a layer of real-life tension to their rivalry.

    List of Notable Matches

    Here\’s a bullet point list of some of the most significant matches between Nigel McGuinness and Bryan Danielson:

    • Weekend of Champions Night 2 (April 29, 2006) – McGuinness won by countout
    • Generation Now (July 29, 2006) – Danielson won by pinfall
    • ROH Unified (August 12, 2006) – Danielson won by referee\’s decision (Title Unification Match)
    • Driven (June 23, 2007) – 60-minute draw
    • 6th Anniversary Show (February 23, 2008) – McGuinness won by pinfall
    • Rising Above (November 22, 2008) – McGuinness won by pinfall

    AEW Revival

    Commentary Rivalry

    The feud found new life in All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where McGuinness of course serves as a commentator. He frequently takes verbal jabs at Danielson.

    Rumors had been circulated about a potential in-ring confrontation between McGuinness and Danielson in AEW. While McGuinness had previously downplayed the possibility, stating that Danielson is \”afraid\” of him, fans continued to speculate about a dream match.

    The match would finally be confirmed for AEW Grand Slam, with Danielson set to defend his AEW Championship against his bitter rival.

  • Nigel McGuinness To Face Bryan Danielson At AEW Grand Slam

    Bryan Danielson will not be battling Darby Allin as originally planned at AEW Grand Slam, but will instead be taking on longtime rival Nigel McGuinness.

    The fallout after AEW All Out were a little rocky after Danielson was choked out by a plastic bag courtesy of Jon Moxley and it appeared Danielson was going to be unable to compete against Allin at Grand Slam. Instead on AEW Dynamite Moxley challenged Allin to put his title shot on the line at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Allin accepted so it appeared that Danielson would indeed be unable to compete and Mox would headline against Darby.

    Not so fast. Nigel McGuinness had different plans as in a backstage segment expressed his desire to speak to Tony Khan. Later on in the evening, we see Nigel standing in the ring with a piece of paper in hand. He comments on Danielson\’s hatred toward him and then says the World Champion should compete at Grand Slam. He reveals that he has a contract for a match against Danielson at the event if Bryan has the guts to compete. Later on the match is confirmed with the caveat the Bryan is able to wrestle.

    McGuinness may arguably be Danielson\’s greatest rival of all time due to the memorable matches they had while both in Ring Of Honor. Injuries plagued Nigel\’s career in the ring and made the decision to retire from in-ring action. However, McGuiness made the exception when he came out during the Casino Royale Gauntlet at ALL IN. McGuiness came out to Oasis in Wembley to a massive crowd reaction and had a great showing in the match before it was Christian Cage who captured the contract.

  • Nigel McGuinness Makes In-Ring Return At AEW All In London 2024

    Nigel McGuinness shocked fans by making his return to the ring by competing at AEW All In: London 2024 inside Wembley Stadium.

    McGuinness returned to action as part of the Casino Gauntlet Match. The bout marks McGuinness\’ first official wrestling match since November of 2011. McGuinness\’ in-ring career was cut short due to a diagnosis of Hepatitis B.

    AEW All In: London 2024

    There are a number of massive matches set to take place from the Wembley Stadium in London, England and they are as follows:

    • Pre-Show Match: Kris Statlander and Stokely Hathaway vs. Willow Nightingale and Tomohiro Ishii
    • AEW American Championship: MJF (c) vs. Will Ospreay
    • Casino Gauntlet for future AEW world championship match
    • AEW Women’s Championship: Toni Storm (c) vs. Mariah May
    • Coffin Match for AEW TNT Championship: Jack Perry (c) vs. Darby Allin
    • Last Chance Match for FTW Championship: Chris Jericho (c) vs. Hook
    • AEW TBS Championship: Mercedes Moné (c) vs. Britt Baker
    • Four-Way Ladder Match for AEW World Trios Championship: The Patriarchy (Christian Cage, Killswitch and Nick Wayne) (c) vs. The Bang Bang Gang (Juice Robinson, Austin Gunn and Colten Gunn) vs. House of Black (Malakai Black, Brody King and Buddy Matthews) vs. Pac and Blackpool Combat Club (Claudio Castagnoli and Wheeler Yuta)
    • Three-Way Tag Match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship: The Young Bucks (Matthew and Nicholas Jackson) (c) vs. The Acclaimed (Anthony Bowens and Max Caster) vs. FTR (Dax Harwood and Cash Wheeler)
    • AEW World Championship: Swerve Strickland (c) vs. Bryan Danielson

    We’ll be covering all of the events from tonight’s PPV event, so make sure that you keep checking back to SEScoops for the latest on AEW All In.

  • Daily Drop (3/27): Internal WWE Policy Leak, AEW Changing Pay-Per-View Platform

    Welcome the Daily Drop, your daily roundup of wrestling news and rumors for Wednesday, March 27. WWE NXT added a big triple threat title match to their Stand & Deliver event last night, and there\’s a lot more to get into.

    Days Until WrestleMania 40: 10

    WWE:

    – WWE RAW Ratings: RAW averaged 1.729 million viewers for their 3/25 episode from Chicago. This number is up from last week, when RAW averaged 1.687 million viewers. They also garnered a .57 rating in the coveted 18 to 49 demographic this week.

    – Punk\’s Warning For Rock: CM Punk commented on The Rock recently, and he is confident that they will cross paths at this point.

    – Indefinite Hiatus: Ridge Holland announced during WWE NXT this week that he is stepping away from the ring. It was later confirmed by Sean Ross Sapp that this is all a work and not really a retirement of any kind.

    – Superstars Spotted In Public: Also, CM Punk, Jackie Redman, and Jey Uso were recently spotted at a Chicago Blackhawks game.

    – Man Against The World: Becky Lynch has a nice new t-shirt on the WWE Shop. You may click here to see what they have to offer.

    – Internal Leak: WWE\’s policy on consensual workplace relationships leaked, and it\’s worth a read. This document was updated in 2023, and it says that superiors are not allowed to date people under them in the company.

    – NXT Stand & Deliver Card: You can check out the latest Stand & Deliver card below.

    • Host: Meta-Four
    • Ilja Dragunov (c) vs. Tony D\’Angelo: Singles match for the NXT Championship
    • Baron Corbin and Bron Breakker (c) vs. Tournament Winners: Tag team match for the NXT Tag Team Championship
    • Trick Williams vs. Carmelo Hayes: Singles match
    • Lyra Valkyria (c) vs. Roxanne Perez: Singles match for the NXT Women\’s Championship
    • Oba Femi (c) vs. Dijak vs. Josh Briggs – Triple Threat match for the NXT North American Title

    AEW:

    – PPV Move: Starting with AEW Dynasty on April 21, all AEW pay-per-views will be on Triller in the United States, not B/R Live.

    – Good To Wrestle: AEW\’s Nigel McGuinness said that he felt fine getting back in the ring.

    – AEW x WWE Friendship: AEW star Konosuke Takeshita was recently spotted with Shinsuke Nakamura. The King of Strong Style posted a photo of the two on his Twitter/X account. It appears that they had a good meeting.

    – AEW Dynamite Card: You may find the card for the March 27 edition of Dynamite below.

    • Will Ospreay vs. Katsuyori Shibata
    • Swerve Strickland vs. Konosuke Takeshita
    • AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal: The Young Bucks vs. Private Party
    • AEW World Tag Team Championship Tournament Quarterfinal: Best Friends vs. Undisputed Kingdom
    • Winner Earns TBS Title Shot: Anna Jay vs. Willow Nightingale vs. Kris Statlander vs. Skye Blue

    Upcoming Major Pro Wrestling Events

    Looking ahead, here are some of the major upcoming shows that we have in the pipeline:

    April 6: NXT Stand & Deliver and WrestleMania XL Saturday from Philadelphia, PA.

    April 7: WrestleMania XL Sunday from Philadelphia, PA.

    April 21: All Elite Wrestling presents AEW Dynasty live on pay-per-view from St. Louis, Missouri at the Chaifetz Arena.

    May 4: WWE Backlash France from Décines-Charpieu, France at the LDLC Arena.

  • AEW\’s Nigel McGuiness Felt \”Perfectly Okay\” When He Recently Got Back in the Ring

    Nigel McGuiness has made quite the name for himself as a broadcaster in wrestling, but could the former ROH World Champion be gearing up for an in-ring return? 

    It was a Hepatitis B diagnosis that derailed McGuinness\’ career in 2011 and led to his retiring from the ring. During an episode of AEW Unrestricted last year, McGuinness explained that WWE had opted not to sign him because of the diagnosis, and he did not wish to return to TNA Wrestling. 

    Back in the Ring

    Speaking to the Wrestling Weekly with Les Thatcher & Victor Sosa, McGuinness was asked about a potential return to action. The British broadcaster then revealed that he recently felt fine when he got in the ring.

    \”I can still wrestle today, you know? I got in the ring last week and just felt perfectly okay. Sometimes, people say it’s a lot easier if you choose yourself to quit and I don’t think that it’s the case.”

    Returns from Retirement

    If McGuinness was to wrestle again, he would not be the first wrestler to come back from retirement. Saraya, Adam Copeland, and Bryan Danielson were all once told their in-ring careers were over but all three now wrestle for AEW. 

    Over in WWE, injuries forced Corey Graves to retire from the ring, which resulted in him becoming a commentator. Graves has since been cleared to compete again, though he\’s yet to have an official match. 

    Plans For a Match? 

    McGuinness has said in the past that he would\’ve relished the opportunity to face Bryan Danielson at last year\’s AEW All In event inside Wembley Stadium. With AEW set to return to the UK this August, it seems more possible than ever that a match could finally happen. 

    H/T – POST Wrestling

  • Nigel McGuinness Departs WWE Amid Announcer Shakeup

    Nigel McGuinness (Steven Haworth) is no longer with WWE. He was released earlier this week amid a shakeup to the commentary teams of Raw, SmackDown and NXT. The news was first reported by PWInsider.

    The 46-year-old from London, England signed with WWE in 2016. He was hired at the recommendation of Michael Cole. He made his WWE commentary debut (alongside Cole) at the United Kingdom Championship Tournament in January 2017.

    During his time with the company, McGuinness did color commentary for NXT, 205 Live, Main Event, NXT UK and NXT Level Up.

    His departure comes at a time when WWE is applying a fresh coat of paint to its cable television shows for the new fall season. Earlier this week, WWE announced a major shakeup to the commentary teams of Raw, SmackDown and NXT. Amid this reshuffling, McGuinness and former Raw lead announcer Jimmy Smith found themselves on the outs.

    Jimmy Smith Learned about Losing Raw Commentary Role by Accident

    What\’s Next for Nigel McGuinness?

    McGuinness is former Ring of Honor World Champion, so he\’d be a natural fit to join the ROH broadcast team, if Tony Khan is able to secure a TV deal for his recent purchase.