10 Wrestlers Who Retired Way Too Early
8. Nigel McGuinness
Seeing and hearing Nigel McGuinness on NXT is a joy for a number of reasons. First of all, TNA's Desmond Wolfe is a great commentator, as he brings credibility to the analysis. Secondly (and perhaps more importantly), the in-ring career of McGuinness ended in such cruel circumstances that his post-wrestling achievements must be celebrated.
McGuinness signed with WWE in 2009, but ultimately failed to make it to the company because of injuries. He soon showed up in TNA as Desmond Wolfe. Wolfe got off to a molten-hot start, but he went on to become yet another missed opportunity in Dixieland.
McGuinness missed 14 months of in-ring action between 2010 and 2011 after testing positive for Hepatitis B. He returned to the ring briefly at the end of 2011, but the 'Nigel McGuinness Retirement Tour' was exactly that - the curtain was coming down on the career of former ROH World Champion.
Nigel McGuinness was just 35 years old when he hung up his boots. His last match was a losing effort against TJ Phillips in Clarksburg, West Virginia.