Former WWE personality reveals Tony Khan quickly accepted his idea to come out of retirement in AEW

AEW President Tony Khan is a huge wrestling fan and has a special fondness for old-school Ring of Honor. That being the case, it should come as no surprise that he was immediately on board with Nigel McGuinness coming out of retirement.

Nigel McGuinness is an ROH legend who hung up his boots back in 2011. He's remained active in the wrestling industry since then and signed on with AEW and ROH in a commentary role last year. After the inaugural All In: London was announced in 2023, the 48-year-old considered stepping into the ring again.

Speaking to Steven Muelhausen for Sports Illustrated, McGuinness revealed that Tony Khan was immediately excited over the prospect of seeing the legend return to the ring:

"I was on Tony Khan's plane flying across to make the announcement about Wembley [first All In London] when he told me about that," McGuiness proclaimed. "The idea suddenly sprung in my mind. I just said it flippantly, ‘If it sells out, maybe I'll have to dust off the old boots’. Tony sparked up and asked me, ‘Is that a possibility? Are you able to do that’? And I said, ‘Sure. The only thing stopping me wrestling is me.'"

Nigel McGuinness didn't end up wrestling at Wembley Stadium in 2023, but he did lace up his boots when the promotion returned for the 2024 edition of All In. He's now set to face his hated rival, Bryan Danielson, for the AEW World Championship at Dynamite: Grand Slam tonight.

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Nigel McGuinness urges AEW World Champion to retire

Nigel McGuinness' return to the ring was a special moment at Wembley Stadium, but his return tour doesn't seem to be over just yet. The 48-year-old is fueled by hatred for AEW World Champion Bryan Danielson, and he's intent on ending the latter's career at Dynamite: Grand Slam.

McGuinness has taken every opportunity to insult, mock, and disrespect The American Dragon throughout his tenure with All Elite Wrestling. In the same interview with Steven Muelhausen, he noted that Danielson was likely stupid enough to continue wrestling even after he undergoes surgery:

"Bryan is legitimately banged up. His neck is screwed. He's probably going to have to have surgery. I would say he's definitely going to have to have surgery. And whether he'll ever wrestle again afterward remains to be seen. I think he's stupid enough to try."

Bryan Danielson has claimed that he'll retire from full-time competition when he loses the AEW World Championship. Whether that happens at the hands of Nigel McGuiness tonight remains to be seen.