By James Caldwell, Torch assistant editor

WWE wrestler William Regal said in an April 2008 interview that he was trying to get people in WWE to pay attention to fellow Englishman Nigel McGuinness's work in Ring of Honor, but no one seemed to be listening to him.

Regal said over a year ago he wanted to work a program with Nigel. Apparently it wasn't until WWE executives were able to see Nigel in a national TV spotlight when ROH moved to Monday nights that they took notice.

"I've tried to get him into WWE, I've given his stuff to everybody, and I can't see why they wouldn't take him," Regal told the U.K. Sun in March 2008. "If I ever got the chance to do something with Nigel - that would be pretty impressive."

In the same interview, Regal said he was looking forward to the day he could work with Bryan Danielson as well. Danielson accompanied Regal to the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony in Houston earlier this year.

"C.M. Punk has a character that people truly love, Fergal Devitt in New Japan will be something extra special, and Bryan Danielson, as my little protégée, goes without saying," Regal said about wrestlers he saw as being future stars.

Caldwell's Analysis: I put on my fantasy booker cap earlier today when Nigel signing with WWE was announced and said the right program would be Nigel joining Regal's Ruthless Roundtable faction while Danielson joins Christian and Tommy Dreamer to oppose Regal's group on ECW. Nigel and Bryan seem like natural fits on the ECW brand to start their WWE careers with Regal being the right guy to work with them on TV, similar to how Finlay has recently been the guy to "break in" newer stars to elevate them.

Link: Read Regal's interview from April 2008 in the U.K. Sun.

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