Nigel McGuinness

[10.0] "Nigel McGuinness is one of the most complete and underrated professional wrestlers of his generation. Rising to prominence in Ring of Honor, he defined the company's identity in the mid-to-late 2000s with his legendary ROH World Championship reign, built on grit, realism, and relentless intensity. His rivalry with Bryan Danielson stands as one of the greatest in modern wrestling: technical, emotional, and brutally physical, setting a standard few have ever matched. In the ring, McGuinness combined European technical wrestling with vicious strikes and inventive offense. From the Tower of London and Jawbreaker Lariat to his precision mat work and stiff forearms, his moveset felt both authentic and dangerous. He could wrestle long, methodical classics or explode with sudden violence, always making everything look earned. As a character, Nigel embodied pride, resilience, and obsession. He wasn't a cartoon villain or a heroic archetype, but a driven competitor whose ego and determination pushed him to greatness and self-destruction alike. Outside the ring, he has earned immense respect as a thoughtful commentator, analyst, and mentor, bringing intelligence and passion to everything he does. Nigel McGuinness is not just a great wrestler -- he is a cornerstone of modern professional wrestling."

[10.0] "Nigel would fit in with any era of wrestling but especially the 70's and 80's. He's so smooth and fluid and his ground based offense will not always be appreciated by some fans. Luckily for the majority of us, we know good wrestling when we see it."

[0.0] "I've never liked Nigel McGuinness. Cringe old guy (like a character), bad on the mic (his disgusting low blows against MJF where he talks about sleeping with someone's wife or some similar crap, and he pulls it off terribly), very bad in the ring (awful matches that resemble gachimuchi). This isn't an insult; I really like gachi and technical wrestling. But Nigel's matches are just laying around and petting each other. He's bad shape, he doesn't have a good character. Just a guy in trunks with a messy haircut, periodically making a brow house to pretend he's serious. His feud with Bryan is the most personal thing I've seen in wrestling history. Probably only surpassed by Bryan's match with Ospreay. Basically, this wrestler is capable of spamming jabs, chops, eye pokes, and dull submission holds. There are good wrestlers who use submissions well--like Kyle O'Reilly, who's being pushed now. He manages to sell that kind of style and reverse. There was also Timothy Thatcher, who was both a cool character and really underrated. As much as I love Daniel Bryan, he looks like a god of wrestling compared to Nigel. Nigel can even compete with Zack Sabre."

[10.0] "my favorite wrestler of all time. In the conversation of being one of the greatest technical wrestlers ever his fued with Danielson is one of the greatest ever"

[10.0] "Where do I even start with my glorious king Nigel McGuinness. His epic rivalries with Bryan Danielson and Takeshi Morishima, his underrated classic with Austin Aries or his epic return at All In which I was in attendance for. Top 5 of all time, argue with a wall."

[9.0] "Huge Nigel fan as a result of his feud with Danielson. He is a special wrestler that was robbed of what would have been an incredible career. One of y favorites, but he gets a point off just because sometimes I am underwhelmed by his promo on occasion. But he is incredible in ring and he especially works ring psychology and is great at developing a match which is huge considering he often wrestles 30+ minute matches."

[8.0] "Huge fan of his commentary, not seen a great deal of his early career work but good to see him getting back into the ring here and there in the year of 2025 - loved him on NXT and seen a little bit of his AEW stuff, time to check his ROH collection i think"

[10.0] "Most people know him for his legendary rivalry with Bryan Danielson, but he can hold his own in the ring. Absolutely sensational technician who carried the ROH Pure Division on his back for a time, and had a phenomenal run as one of the best ROH World Champions of all time. He would've been amazing in TNA had Hulk Hogan not stepped in to kill his push, but he was amazing before that as well. A great commentator, glad he got into WWE one way or another, though he truly got to shine on the commentary booth in AEW where his kayfabe hatred against Danielson was unleashed for one more great match. One of my favourite wrestlers of all time, a shame his career got cut short. Never let McGuinness be forgotten about."

[10.0] "Pretty much everything you could ever want in a pro wrestler. The best wrestler out of the uk since the days of Billy Robinson, Davey Boy, Dynamite, and Johnny Saint etc."

[10.0] "Always been a fantastic color commentator but I'm glad he's finally getting his flowers on a bigger stage as a professional wrestler. Nigel has accomplished so much in his career as a commentator and a wrestler, and has such a good backlog of matches (even with a 13 year break) that anything he does in this return to the ring is just the icing on top."

[10.0] "Once you wrestle, you never lose it. Nigel proved that he can still wrestle at All In and performed better than everyone expected, a 48 year old moving like he's still in his prime is insane, this man is incredibly talented. I have also seen his early career and it was brilliant. His commentary is entertaining, Nigel has it all."

[10.0] "Terrific wrestler and probably my favorite commentator of all time. His ROH Pure title reign is an awesome reign with some great matches not to mention his crazy mic skills, oozing charisma, and his real funny commentating one liners. I really enjoyed his feud with Danielson and he always seems to be one of my favorite character in wrestling history."

[10.0] "10/10 as a wrestler and 10/10 as a commentator. As a wrestler, he was the biggest 'what if? ' in the modern era, a guy who could have been, and SHOULD have been, a top star in any major wrestling company. Not only did he regularly put on classic matches, but he also had charisma, a unique look, size, and mic skills that many on the indies lacked at that time. As a commentator, he's currently my favorite to listen to. He provides valuable insight, while also bringing levity and entertainment to the proceedings. His current heel commentary schtick reminds me so much of guys like Jesse Ventura and Bobby Heenan, and it's a style of commentary that has been sorely missed over the years."

"Not dropping a rating as I haven't seen his matches; but as a commentator, 95% of his AEW heel commentary is the most inane contrarian WWE heel commentary that's ever been at AEW and it extremely distracts and detracts from the quality of every match in which he calls and has staked his personal claim. When only Tony Schiavone is there to deal with him it is a nightmare desk rotation because Tony has no control whatsoever. Someone needs to figure out who to pair him with that will actually cool him off properly or just take him off the desk wholesale."

[10.0] "one of the greatest wrestlers in the 2000s who transitioned into one of the best commentators of the 2010s and 2020s, most of his matches were at least good to great, watch his feuds with danielson and angle specifically, along with the matches with kenta, tyler black, aries and the like, and on the commentator end, he's the best variation on the "heel commentator" since the king in my opinion, he never fails to be hilarious, analytical with his years of knowledge in the ring itself, and most of all, great at getting a heel in ring over, from christian cage and the patriarchy to timeless toni storm, he was also a great authority figure in like 2016 ring of honor"

[7.0] "Solid in ring performer with a number of memorable matches who's career was tragically cut short by unfortunate circumstances. I thought there was a cure now, so Ive wondered why he hasnt come back. Regardless he's made an incredible transition into the role of commentator, and has become one of the best in the business. One of those who potential was cut short by fate and never got to live up to his destiny."

[10.0] "Dude every time I watch Nigel work Im blown away. And every time he creeps his way up my all time list. Half his moves had the crowd cheering before he even hit it. He was over as fuck everywhere and could work anyone and get a good match. His matches of course with Bryan are stuff of legend and it's a real shame his career ended when it did because the mark he could've left on the world had the chance to be even more legendary. But a lot of people overlook his stuff with Jimmy Rave, Marufuji, and Angle. All of whom he had absolute bangers with. Truly an all time talent"

[10.0] "As a wrestler, Nigel McGuinness was one of the greats. His legacy in the ring is undeniable. As a commentator, he's one of the very best actually, dropping names, giving insight and all, that is pleasant to hear Nigel talk about the past, the present and the future of the wrestling industry."

[9.0] "Nigel McGuinness is one of those names that people think could have done a lot better in wrestling. And considering what he already did in ROH, that says a lot about his talent. One of the most supremely gifted technical wrestlers of his era, he was always a joy to see perform between those ropes, and he was a man who could go for a long, long time without feeling tiring to see. He was also pretty solid on the mic too, although I think his best work in this department came after he became a color commentator. Regardless, truly one of the greats from Great Britain."

[8.0] "Nigel was a brilliant wrestler. So technically accomplished and so smooth. I wasn't a fan of the 00's mindset of having long epic matches just for the sake of having long epic matches but Nigel was one of the very few guys that took it in his stride and made them captivating. His work with Danielson was some of the very best ever of that particular style."

[10.0] "One of the most unfortunate and underated wrestler of all time. His 500+ reign as ROH World Champion was one of the best in ROH History and his feud with Daniel Bryan was legendary. He had a tryout with WWE and because he told the truth about his injuries, he didn't get signed. He went to TNA, had a great debut and a very short but good run. Unfortunately, his run was cut short when he was diagnosed with Hepatitis B. His career ended prematurely. I would have loved to see him in WWE as a Wrestler. Also, he is my favourite color commentator of all time. Mauro is my favourite play by play commentator; Mauro, Nigel and Beth had the best chemistry and were easily the best commentary team calling the spots at the height of NXT."

"Nigel McGuinness is, and always will be, the perfect wrestler. As far as a pure "inspiration to viewer" ratio, he has to be number one. Although his work has gone unsung for the vast majority of his career. Any wrestler who cares about their craft will have seen him, and will have learnt from him. He mastered the concept of a limited moveset, basically having a chop, a headbutt, and ninety lariat variations, and somehow never seeming repetitive. To call him a pioneer is basically arbitrary. He was one of the first huge European names on the US independent scene along with Claudio Castagnoli, and helped craft the technical style that literal hundreds of wrestlers today will utilize and unknowingly copy from Nigel himself. In a week when I can rate things, he's getting a 10. And he'll stay a 10 until this account is wiped off the face of the Earth."

[9.0] "It is truly devastating that because his career was cut short right in his prime, Nigel McGuinness has been somewhat forgotten by all but only those who were lucky enough to see him during the 2000s. His matches against the likes of Austin Aries, Takeshi Morishima, Tyler Black, KENTA, Kevin Steen, and of course, Bryan Danielson helped to make Ring of Honor the bastion of brilliant wrestling in America at the time."

[9.0] "I'm convinced Nigel was one of the best in the world in the 2000's. Extremely technical in his approach but was more than capable of mixing things up with brutal blows and some of the best lariats you'd ever see out of him, as well as having a actual personality and being amazing on the mic, being able to go from crowd-popping face to a full bastard of a heel, being able to work different aspects of his gimmick (his cheap trick days as ROH Pure Champion, willing to sink to any level to win his matches). He's a guy whom you could throw with anyone on the roster and get a good to fantastic match because he sold hard for them and didn't have a ego, always making sure to make his opponents look good. The only problem he really had was that he went arguably too hard in his matches, which ruined his body to the point where he was in pieces by his early 30's. It's also unknown if he would have been successful in the PG lights of WWE or if he'd be stuck on the lower card like Bryan but regardless, he was a sensational talent that could go with anyone regardless of style. Many have tried to take his hard-hitting style for themselves but none really ever got me invested like McGuinness. Probably one of the greatest UK wrestlers of all time and a serious contender for one of the best, period."

[9.0] "Charismatic, hard hitting British wrestler. Like KENTA and Marufuji, also from his generation, plenty of wrestlers have copied Nigel McGuinness. Excellent feud with Danielson, perhaps Danielson's greatest opponent. He ended Morishima's reign of terror (in a kayfabe manner) over the ROH roster. He was so well rounded as a wrestler, and he would have made an excellent addition to WWE's roster. Injuries caught up with him in the end. He's working as a commentator and is damn good at it, but I absolutely miss seeing him wrestle."

[2.0] "This guy hardly has any hyped matches that aren't with Danielson, which is like duh of course you had good matches with the best wrestler in the world, he does weird bad looking stuff like the headstand in the corner and the always awful rebound lariat, and he injured himself into early retirement and probably gave Danielson a brain lesion or two with his insistence to always include skull rattling headbutts in their matches even after Benoit's autopsy showed how it turns your brain to old cheese. I just don't get much out of Nigel."

[10.0] "If I had to name my favorite wrestlers off the top of my head, Nigel would be way up there. Extremely charismatic & such a fantastic wrestler in his prime. When it comes to the all-time great, or my personal favorite I should say, title reigns in the business, his run w/ that ROH World Championship is one of the absolute top ones for me."

[8.0] "One of the leaders of the ROH boom period. Nigel was a huge reason why ROH ever made a mark to begin with. He's an inspiration to so many of the young talent who are working today. A shame he never made it to WWE in the capacity that he was hoping for."

[8.0] "Nigel was a really good technical wrestler, but some of his stuff, like the rebound lariat, looked so damned hokey."

[10.0] "My all-time favorite ROH wrestler. Could work any number of styles proficiently, and gave his everything every time he entered the squared circle. Not only one of the finest wrestlers to come from England; plain and simple one of the best wrestlers of the 21st century so far."

[10.0] "In my view one of the best wrestlers ever! He was able to wrestle a good to great match with literately anyone. His ROH World Title reign from 2007-2009 was one of the best ever and he's definitely one of the best in ring technicians as well."

[10.0] "Man I could go on and on about what Nigel has done for ROH, and for me as a wrestling fan personally. He was flawless in the ring, amazing promo work, amazing heel. Had an amazing 545 days run as ROH World Champion. Had some of the best matches ever against Austin Aries, KENTA, Tyler Black and than you have my favorite wrestling fued of all time with Bryan Danielson, these guys had 3 five star matches against eachother, truly amazing stuff. Nigel has truly earned his place in my top 10 wrestlers of all time. Love you and miss seeing you perform Nigel."

[10.0] "In his prime, he was the total package in wrestling. Brutal strikes combined with a technial prowess, and charisma for days. Foremer ROH World Champion and ROH Pure Champion."

[8.0] "His time in the national spotlight was brief (aside from an excellent feud with Kurt Angle in TNA, he didn't accomplish anything else there or in WWE. ) But, in Ring of Honor, this man is a legend. Not only a highly decorated competitor, but also the best representation of British wrestling in the United States since Lord Steven Regal. His career was tragically cut short due to hepatitis, but he's proven to be extremely effective in the role of color commentator (he has great chemistry with Kevin Kelly) and now on air official. (You can genuinely respect his authority and the way he lays down the law. ) He's the ideal replacement for Jim Cornette in that role, and perhaps even better, since he understood Ring of Honor better than Jim. It's always a pleasure to hear him on commentary, and he has a great Ring of Honor legacy to look back on. All in all, a great career."

[9.0] "I'ts a shame he was forced to retire, but I enjoyed his work in the US indies. I never cared about his usage of Lariats, to be honest.... His rivalry with Danielson is in the same level as other classic rivalries like Misawa vs Kawada."

[10.0] "My favourite wrestler. Is sad to think that his career ended when he was about to reach the top. Hope to see him in a ring one last time."

[10.0] "The Johnny Saint of modern Era. Amazing, awesome, perfect, and all adjectives that can give for him."

[9.0] "It's a shame his in-ring career was cut short, because if he was able to go, we would no doubt be seeing Nigel vs. Bryan Danielson on the big stage."

[9.0] "When he moved to TNA, I was really hoping to see this man succeed in that company after hearing so much about him. While he was the fantastic wrestler I was told about, I wish he was pushed more. His teaming with Magnus had a lot of potential, but no one could've predicted what happened to him. While I wish I could've seen more of him, it was right for him to of retired."

[10.0] "Nigel McGuinness can be considered the best in many respect : A great technical wrestler, maybe one of the best. A noble ambassador of UK wrestling in the US, maybe the best. A formidable opponent to Bryan Danielson, maybe his greatest rival. A great pure wrestler from this generation, maybe the best. A great world champion for ROH, maybe their best. A great legacy on the independent circuit, maybe the best. What is clear is that is career as an in-ring competitor is over, before he could be crowned as a world champion in WWe or TNA and immortalised. That is not maybe tragic, it definitively is, because Nigel has been one of the best."

[9.0] "Nigel achieved greatness. No doubt about it. 'Tis a tough pill to swallow that he wasn't properly rewarded for it."

[10.0] "One of the best British wrestlers to work in the United States over the last 10 years. He's the second longest reigning Ring Of Honor champion, tied with Bryan Danielson in having the most amount of title defences of that belt, and he was a fantastic in-ring technician. To go along with his in-ring skill, his character evolved a bit as well, originally portraying himself as being more like an english punk, and then becoming more like a Jason Statham-type of character when he went to TNA. If it wasn't for his illness, which led to an abrupt retirement, he would still be wrestling and have quite a few years left in him. An unfortunate end to a potentially even more successful career."

[9.0] "An extremely talented wrestler. It's a shame he never made it to WWE."

[9.0] "Scheint ziemlich patriotisch zu denken. Moves nach seinem Heimatort benannt und er läuft mit britischen Knee-Pads durch die Gegend. Die Frisur vor den sehr kurzen Haaren war sehr innovativ und stand ihm sehr gut. Die Matches waren teils sick, aber im positiven Sinne. Die Signature Moves zwar nicht sonderlich inoovativ, aber da steck ordentlich Pfeffer dahinter. Die lange Titelregentschaft des ROH-Titles ist verdient. Schade, dass er seine Karriere schon so früh beenden musste. Trotzdem machte er danach noch eine Abschiedstour, was eigentlich zu gefährlich war, aber das muss er selber wissen."

[10.0] "Nigel McGuinness is the one and only reason I began watching TNA's Impact Wrestling on a weekly basis a few years ago. He had two fantastic matches with Kurt Angle, and then the new regime of Hulk Hogan and Eric Bischoff came in, effectively ending Nigel's push. I still have yet to watch even 1% of Nigel's matches, but in every single one he gave 120%. Unfortunately, that 120% drastically shortened his career. Hopefully someday there will be an anthology of his storied wrestling career on DVD. Thank you for your 12 amazing years contributed to the business, Nigel. I'm sorry things didn't work out the way they should've."