Nigel McGuinness experienced a true surreal moment over the weekend.
The U.K. wrestling legend and AEW commentator made a surprise in-ring return inside legendary Wembley Stadium in London, England at AEW All In: London 2024 on August 25, and after the show, he stuck around to talk about the memorable moment.
After AEW All In: London 2024 wrapped up, the AEW commentator spoke in a digital exclusive backstage interview with Alicia Atout about his surprise appearance as a competitor in the Casino Gauntlet match.
McGuinness was asked when he was a kid in Wembley Stadium watching WWE SummerSlam 1992 if he ever thought he would have his moment in the iconic U.K. venue.
“I did then. Not now,” he said. “What you saw tonight was a long time coming. It had been 13 years since I was in the ring and 32 years since I was in this stadium and I first had that dream and epiphany that I was going to somehow become a professional wrestler. There was a good portion of life, after I retired 13 years ago, where I had to put that to bed. You get some things and you have to look at the positives.”
He added, “When I first found out that we were coming to Wembley and that was a possibility….what you saw tonight was only a short part of it. It’s been a year and a half that I’ve been thinking about that moment of walking out in front of my home crowd. It was surreal. I can’t believe it really happened. Show is over now. I shot my shot, it didn’t pay off, but I will take that memory for the rest of my life. You never know how life is going to work out. If anything it proves that there is always hope.”
(H/T to Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes.)