WWE.com recently spoke with Nigel McGuinness, who will be calling the upcoming WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament kicking off on January 14th. Below are some interview highlights:
WWE.COM: How does it feel to be a part of WWE?
NIGEL MCGUINNESS: Everybody keeps asking me that – “How does it feel?” It’s surreal. I remember when I stood out there for the press conference, it felt like [I] was somebody else. I could hear the words coming out of my mouth, but it didn’t feel like it was me. This has been such a whirlwind, from getting the call from Michael Cole, to being here now. It still feels a little otherworldly.
This was always my childhood dream, to work for WWE. I’m happy to be here and really excited for the future.
WWE.COM: What was it like for you to transition from being an in-ring competitor to an announcer?
MCGUINNESS: It was very difficult at first. Often times, you’ll watch announcers and it will seem easy, because they’re so good at it. They’re so seamless in the way they talk and string everything together, and keep things succinct. But when I was put in the booth, it was a baptism by fire, so to speak. It was tough for me to find my voice.
I often say to younger wrestlers that once you get in the ring, you have to find your voice, your brand. The same applies to announcers. It took me a while to understand … what my value was, which was the fact that I’d been in the ring myself and understood what was going on. I had a lot of help in Ring of Honor – Jim Cornette was there, and Kevin Kelly was very instrumental in easing me in and feeding me the right spots. I was lucky to have those people around to support me.
WWE.COM: What should the WWE Universe expect from the United Kingdom Championship Tournament?
MCGUINNESS: I think they’re going to see a lot of passion. The thing about the U.K. is that it has always been a wonderful breeding ground for WWE fans. They’ve always been passionate about the product and supported it. I did when I was 14, spending my pocket money on posters, figures and Lord knows what else, which explains my difficulty getting a girlfriend at that age. [Laughs]
Nick was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan, and lived there until the age of 18, when he decided to pack his flack jacket and move to New York City.
