Kurt Angle: Nigel McGuinness Could Have Been WWE Champion

During the 2000s and early 2010s, Nigel McGuinness was regarded as one of the best wrestlers in the world, particularly rising to prominence during his 545-day reign as ROH World Champion from October 2007 until April 2009. 

McGuinness was held in such high regard that WWE offered him a contract in 2009 that the now-45-year-old agreed to, pending a medical. McGuinness would fail the medical, though, and the WWE deal fell through as the company felt an old biceps injury would require surgery. 

McGuinness opted to sign with TNA as a result and he would go on to have a trilogy of matches with Kurt Angle during his time with the promotion. 

Speaking about his matches with McGuinness on his podcast, Kurt Angle admitted the former ROH World Champion was "incredible" and would have become WWE Champion if he hadn't tested positive for Hepatitis B in 2011.

"Nigel was incredible. We had an awesome match... our three matches were unbelievable. It was one of my favourite programmes that I worked in TNA, or even WWE. I wish my match with him would've been on the biggest stage at WrestleMania. That's how Nigel McGuinness was. I have a lot of respect for the kid and I think that his future, if he didn't have that disease, he would've went on to become WWE Champion," Angle said.

"He had all the tools - he could talk, cut promos, he had a great character, his in-ring skills were phenomenal, I absolutely loved the kid."

McGuinness would sign with WWE in 2016 as an announcer and he is currently a commentator on NXT UK and 205 Live. 

H/T to Sportskeeda