The ESSENTIALS: The Top 12 WWE Nigel McGuinness Feuds That Could Have Been

Could you imagine all this bravado with a bit more shine?

Welcome to this very unique edition of the ESSENTIALS.  Having recently watched Nigel McGuinness' self-released doc "The Last Of McGuinness", I had originally planned to write up a full review.  As I started typing however, my mind began to wonder just how the fiery Brit's career would have gone had he landed his dream job in the WWE.  Being that Nigel is one of my top 20 favorite wrestlers ever, I couldn't help but dream of the truly legendary rivalries he would've had in the big leagues.  You see where I'm going with this now?  Good.  My guess is you're as excited as I am then?  You're not even reading this intro anymore are you?  Not cool!  I had planned on overhyping the hell out of this thing.  Fine then Captain Impatient, enjoy.



William Regal - Could you imagine a grumpy old Regal getting his hands on someone like Nigel?  Regal has always been one of Nigel's supporters within the company and he has been no doubt an inspiration to him.  Just imagine all of that respect thrown right into one ferocious lariat.   I mean c'mon, Regal would have it no other way.

Ideal Match - Submission match


Chris Jericho - You could damn near stick Jericho in there with a spider monkey (hell the monkey would at least pull off a better match than Mason Ryan) and he would still knock it out of the park.  Put him in there with a skilled technician like McGuinness and it'll be pure gold.  Think Nigel's matches with Kurt Angle, but with much more pizazz.

Ideal Match - PPV Singles match


Dolph Ziggler - Ziggler is a reliable showman with a larger than life persona.  His matches with McGuinness would likely resemble the great clashes Nigel's had with another man who fits the same description, Austin Aries.  Needless to say, put these two on any card they'd steal the show.

Ideal Match - Ironman match


Kofi Kingston - If I could pick any opponent for Nigel to have made his debut against, it would have been Kofi Kingston.  Kingston's physical, yet flashy offense would bounce nicely off of Nigel's intense & theatrical persona.  This one would probably have had the best finishing stretch of any match on this list.

Ideal Match - TV Singles match


Antonio Cesaro - These two have rubbed elbows in the past, but a big time match in the WWE would be the best place to exhibit just how special their chemistry really is.  Both men have grown tremendously as performers and even though I see them both playing the heel role for a long, long time, a well built one-off contender's match could be an all time classic.

Ideal Match - PPV #1 Contender's match


John Cena - This one is hard to determine in terms of how great it would be.  One can't really be sure how their styles would mesh and if the chemistry would be there.  That being said, you haven't truly arrived in the WWE today unless you've tested your mettle against their top dog. 

Ideal Match - PPV Main Event match


Sheamus - Let these two loose on eachother with no holds barred and magic will happen.  Sheamus has become in many ways, the Nigel McGuinnes of the current WWE.  He's a brawler with a surprising technical adaptability who shines when being pushed to his physical limits.

Ideal Match - Extreme Rules match


CM Punk - C'mon....do I really need to explain to you why this would be awesome?  It's Nigel vs. Punk!!!  Let Punk play the tweener role avoiding and outsmarting the larger and more aggressive McGuinness until tempers flare and bodies start flying.

Ideal Match - 2 out of 3 Falls match


Mark Henry - As shown in his matches with Samoa Joe & Takeshi Morishima, Nigel can produce very well against much larger opponents.  I think that he and Henry could be beyond special.  In fact, Henry would be the perfect opponent for Nigel to win his first major title from.

Ideal Match - Hell In A Cell match


Randy Orton - For McGuinness' first major program, there's perhaps no better place to start then near the very top.  Orton and Nigel would no doubt have outstanding chemistry and just the mouthwatering thought of a prolonged series of epics is enough to make me want to spend the cash.
 
Ideal Matches - PPV Singles, Falls Count Anywhere, TLC, Steel Cage & Last Man Standing match


Wade Barrett - The goal here would be to first present the two as a tag team.  After a noteworthy run with the WWE Tag Team Championships, the WWE would do what they always do and more than likely split these two up just as they were getting hot.  The good news is, it'd be one hell of a fight.

Ideal Match - I Quit match


Daniel Bryan - One of the most famous rivalries in the history of the independent scene would finally get it's just do one the main stage.  If you've seen any Danielson/McGuinness match, than you know why this one would be amazing.  Let these two recreate some of the magic they did at ROH Unified with a WWE Championship main event match at Wrestlemania and they'll take the athletic bar set by Bret Hart & Shawn Michaels and shove it straight up Vince McMahon's ass.  Seriously, this would fucking rule.

Ideal Match - First Ever WWE Pure Rules match