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.”