Add as a preferred source on Google Nick Aldis may be closer to wrestling for WWE than at any point since taking over as SmackDown General Manager.
The situation gained momentum after Night of Champions, when Gunther confronted Aldis backstage after losing to Sami Zayn in a Triple Threat Match that also included Cody Rhodes. Things turned physical, leading WWE to remove both men from programming, with Adam Pearce temporarily taking control of both brands.
According to WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, WWE has already had significant discussions about a program between Aldis and Gunther.
“There have been significant internal discussions about an in-ring program between [Nick] Aldis and Gunther. A source shared that the idea of Aldis returning to the ring has been floated around on multiple occasions, one of those being in 2025 when there was a proposed program with Solo Sikoa that gained traction internally.”
The idea of Nick Aldis returning to the ring has been floated on multiple occasions.
— PW Chronicle (@_PWChronicle) July 2, 2026
The idea dates back more than a year when a program between Aldis and Solo Sikoa was proposed and had gained considerable traction internally.
– per @WrestleVotes Radio (via @FightfulSelect) pic.twitter.com/LZTYSK5R77
The idea, then, did not start now. Aldis returning to the ring has been floated on several occasions, including a possible rivalry with Solo Sikoa that gained traction internally before being dropped.
The key point is that if the rivalry with Gunther moves forward, the expectation is that Aldis would not choose another wrestler to represent him. In other words, the path being discussed would actually involve the SmackDown General Manager wrestling himself.
Aldis has yet to wrestle a match for WWE. His last match took place in November 2023, in a Fatal 5-Way Match for the ACW Championship, shortly before his on-screen role as an authority figure on the blue brand gained momentum.
Even so, his in-ring résumé is not small. Before arriving in WWE, Aldis was a world champion in TNA and a two-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, building much of his reputation outside the Stamford-based company.