AEW's Nigel McGuinness says All In Wembley show 'will inspire a new generation'
AEW's Nigel McGuinness believes the brand's long-awaited London debut will inspire an entire new generation of talent - and he should know, because thirty years ago he made the decision to begin wrestling himself watching Summerslam '92 in the stands of Wembley Stadium.
Up to 90,000 fans are expected to attend AEW: All In London at Wembley Stadium on Sunday, August 27 in what is set to be AEW's biggest ever show held anywhere in the world and the first wrestling show held at Wembley Stadium since the iconic WWE pay-per-view.
The first tickets for All In are set to go on sale via Ticketmaster on Tuesday (May 2) with fans already being warned that if they want to access the pre-sale they have to sign up before midnight on Thursday (April 27) to get the all-important code.
Read more: How UK fans can get first AEW All In London tickets as big name wrestlers hint at Wembley appearances
Speaking exclusively to The Mirror, McGuinness, who is arguably one of Britain's best ever wrestlers with a long history with Ring of Honor, Impact and numerous indie promotions across the world, said the show was set to be unmissable for fans and performers alike.
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He said: "Everybody is super excited. Everybody understands the size of the venue, not just in terms of the number of people in there but in terms of the prestige as well. Most of the guys, I don't think, have ever wrestled on that level of a stage. So it's going to be huge for everyone, a monumental, can't miss once-in-a-lifetime experience for everyone involved.
"I guess the word you'd say is 'epic'. If it's anything like the experience that I had 31 years ago, it's going to meet and exceed expectations."
For McGuinness, who watched Bret Hart vs Davey Boy Smith as a teenager from the fifteenth row, WWE's last London stadium show had a massive impact on the course of his life - and he's hopeful All In will be similarly powerful for fans in attendance.
"That was the moment where I just decided: 'Right, I'm gonna do this, I'm going to be a professional wrestler.' At the time, I was super skinny, I hadn't even started growing, I was the last person to grow at school. So the idea of being a wrestler at that point was it was impossible. But it was the spark.
"So if you're a fan of professional wrestling and, as a lot of fans do, have aspirations to get in the business, or if you have children that want to do it, this could be that moment for them. The next Nigel McGuinness or the next Jamie Hayter, or Saraya, or Will Ospreay, or Zack Sabre Jr, the next big British star is going to be there. It's going to be huge."
British wrestler-turned-commentator Nigel McGuinness is the latest big name signing to AEW (AEW)Anticipation is already high among fans of AEW, which airs in the UK on ITV4 as well as being available on Fite.tv, with more than 45,000 signing up for pre-sale access already to the mammoth shows.
Meanwhile one of the UK's best-known wrestling promotions Progress has already announced a complementary show in association with US-indie Defy in London the day before, giving fans the opportunity to enjoy an unprecedented weekend of wrestling in the capital.
With speculation that CM Punk might make a return to AEW ahead of the Wembley show and several big names currently working in NJPW hinting their interest, McGuinness is careful not to get drawn on what fans can expect from the line-up - but he can't resist dropping some tempting clues including an intriguing nod towards the previous AEW/NJPW collaboration, Forbidden Door.
"Rather than speculating about who might be there, probably the better question is 'who might not be there,' because that's really how Tony [Khan, AEW boss] has run things.
"It's not so much a forbidden door as an open door. Anyone from all over the world could show up. You think of the greatest professional wrestling stars in the world today and it's pretty much all access. Think of the most crazy, unimaginable dream matches. That's what they're going to be looking for on this show. And everybody will be gunning for those spots.
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"And who knows, if they sell their place out, maybe I'll dust off my boots."
Wait, what? Could McGuinness be tempted out of retirement to recreate his iconic rivalry with Bryan Danielson in Ring of Honor on a massive stage?
"It's a cliche to say 'Never say never.' I don't think there's anybody that steps away from the ring that doesn't have moments of pangs of desires to get back in. I think certainly more so for me who was very adamant when I retired that I hadn't achieved what I wanted, that I'd failed.
"There are so many other younger talent that deserve that spot as well. But, um, I certainly can't say no. But that's certainly not a yes either. So you'll have to see what happens."
If he did return to the squared circle it would be a fairytale moment. Despite spending six years as a commentator there following his retirement from in-ring competition in 2011, McGuinness never was able to complete his childhood dream and break through to the WWE roster as a wrestler due to various health complications and setbacks detailed in the documentary Chasing the Magic, available on the WWE Network.
But, whether he's tempted to get out from behind the announce table or not right now, magic remains a constant in his life right now, taking increasing prominence after he taught himself the basics on a whim while working in Japan.
"You have sponsors who take you out after the shows over there. And sometimes you'd be sat there for two or three hours waiting for the food to come out in between courses. And I didn't speak any Japanese at the time so it was a little awkward.
"I'd get a deck of cards and I'd taught myself a couple of tricks so I'd just do it out of out of respect for these people who were kind enough to take us out.
"It developed there from a little hobby into a real genuine passion to now something that I really want to make as more a pivotal, a significant part of my life."
Having performed his own sold out magic show in Santa Monica over Wrestlemania weekend, McGuinness is bringing his illusions to the UK in his own unique style as part of Progress' Super Strong Style Weekender in May.
Speaking of the show on May 28 he said: "It's an homage to professional wrestling. It starts telling my story about my experiences, using magic to emphasise that. And then the second half is an interview segment where I interview a couple of wrestlers and ask them their experiences, and use that to pivot into some magic effects as well.
"Normally I do a lot of close up stuff with cards. That's what I've been doing for the last 10 years, just being around the boys. But this is now more bigger illusions, psychological stuff, a little bit of Derren Brown thrown in there. It's amazing."
General sale tickets for AEW All In will go on sale on Friday, May 5 at 9am via Ticketmaster and Live Nation, but a special presale will also take place on Tuesday, May 2 from 11am.
To get hold of the first tickets for the event, fans have to pre-register by signing up at www.ticketmaster.co.uk/AEWWembley for pre-sale access before midnight on Thursday (April 27).
Tickets for both Progress' May bank holiday Super Strong Style Weekender, including Nigel McGuinness' Magic Show, and the Progress/Defy double bill on Saturday, August 28 are all available now here.
Fans unable to get to London to see the shows live can watch them all on Fite.tv
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