Update On Nigel McGuinness' In-Ring Future In AEW And ROH

A recent report has indicated AEW's Nigel McGuinness could continue to wrestle sporadic matches. McGuinness has become better known for his role as a commentator in wrestling, returning to ROH after his 2011 retirement from the ring before later going to WWE until his 2022 departure and emergence in AEW a year later.

2024 marked an unprecedented return to action for McGuinness at All In, a surprise entrant in the AEW World Championship Contenders Gauntlet, before singles matches with Bryan Danielson at "AEW Dynamite: Grand Slam" and Lee Moriarty as an open challenger to the ROH Pure Championship earlier this month. 

Reporting on whether he would be continuing to wrestle under Tony Khan, Fightful Select indicated that his ROH bout was not expected to be his last, though there were no details to disclose as it pertains to future creative, and he's expected to continue commentary. It had been reported around the time and McGuinness has since been open with it, but he was initially planned to return for a potential bout with Danielson at All In 2023. That match never went ahead, with Danielson not medically cleared for the event. When they did eventually face off in September, it was while Danielson was the reigning AEW World Champion, but even still the bout was not for the title — with the idea that it wasn't known whether Danielson would even make the match — and McGuinness lost via submission following 18 minutes of action. McGuinness has yet to win in any of his three comeback matches.