48-year-old AEW star hasn't wrestled his last match yet; could make blockbuster in-ring return - Reports

Several stars have returned to AEW television this year, but for an ROH veteran, an in-ring comeback seemed like an impossible dream. However, Nigel McGuinness ultimately wrestled once again, and fans welcomed him back with open arms. A new report has shed light on the 48-year-old's status and whether he'll continue to compete.

Nigel McGuinness was a staple of ROH in the 2000s. He also spent some time in TNA before retiring from active competition in 2011. The British star later signed with WWE, where he provided commentary for NXT and 205 Live.

Few thought McGuinness would wrestle again when he joined AEW in 2023, but he surprised everyone by appearing in the Casino Gauntlet match at this year's All In. He went on to wrestle his old rival, Bryan Danielson, and he even challenged Lee Moriarty for the ROH Pure Title at Final Battle, but he was unsuccessful in both of those bouts.

According to Fightful Select, Nigel was in shape and ready to make a comeback in 2023, but Tony Khan & Co. couldn't find the right match for him to make his in-ring return. The report notes that his loss to Moriarty at Final Battle isn't expected to be his final bout, but as of now, no creative plans have surfaced for the 48-year-old, and he'll remain on AEW commentary for the time being.

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AEW's Nigel McGuinness was originally scheduled to wrestle in 2023

As noted in Fightful's report, Nigel McGuiness was in ring shape and ready to compete in 2023, but things didn't work out for him. The British veteran recently explained the reasons behind his comeback being canceled.

Nigel has a long history with Bryan Danielson, stemming from their time in ROH in the mid-2000s. McGuinness has wasted no opportunity to diss The American Dragon throughout his time on AEW's commentary team, and the 48-year-old revealed on Talk Is Jericho that they were originally supposed to face off last year:

"The first Wembley, I was ready to go, and in ring shape, but Bryan broke his arm in a match with Okada. That didn’t work, there was ideas of maybe I could be in this match or that match, but I didn’t want to be an add-on, I wanted it to really mean something. Then at Wembley this year, obviously my intention was Bryan again, but because they wanted to go in the direction of The Owen, that didn’t make sense, which I’m perfectly okay with," Nigel McGuinness said.

McGuinness went on to express his gratitude for the opportunity to return to the ring. Although he wasn't able to vanquish his old foe, the veteran seems to have managed to breathe new life into his wrestling career.