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Following the announcement of the new commentator lineup for WWE's three brands, Nigel McGuinness was reportedly released from his contract. He will surely be missed since he was also a talented wrestler before working as a commentator. However, his in-ring career was cut short due to an unfortunate disease.
Born Steven Haworth, he had a stellar stint on the independent circuit and rose to stardom during his time in Ring of Honor. He held the ROH Pure Championship and the company's world title during his tenure. In 2009, he agreed to a contract with WWE but continued wrestling for ROH until the end of September.
Unfortunately, his deal with the Stamford-based promotion fell through after he failed a pre-screening physical test. Still, he continued competing at Impact Wrestling and various independent promotions before his retirement in 2011.
In his documentary The Last of McGuinness, the star revealed that during his screening for WWE, they discovered he had severe damage to his biceps. His in-ring run ultimately ended when Nigel McGuinness tested positive for Hepatitis B.
McGuinness signed with WWE in December 2016 after being recommended by Michael Cole. He commentated for 205 Live, Main Event, and NXT UK during his lengthy tenure.
Hall of Famer believes Nigel McGuinness could've been a top WWE star
The former ROH star may not have competed inside a WWE ring, but that doesn't take away from his credibility as a performer.
In a past Q&A Session, Kurt Angle noted that McGuinness could've been a champion if he had signed with the promotion during his peak. He praised the commentator and even hoped for a WrestleMania match against him.
"Nigel was incredible. We had an awesome match (...) our three matches were unbelievable. It was one of my favorite programmes that I worked in TNA, or even WWE. I wish my match with him would've been on the biggest stage at WrestleMania. That's how Nigel McGuinness was. I have a lot of respect for the kid and I think that his future, if he didn't have that disease, he would've went on to become WWE Champion," said Angle.
During his time away from the ring, Nigel continued to impress and entertain fans through his remarkable commentary. Still, his time as a wrestler has been memorable, especially to those who competed against him.
What did you think of Nigel McGuinness as a commentator? Share your thoughts below.
