Add as a preferred source on Google Nick Aldis will have his first match in WWE at SummerSlam against Gunther, but his in-ring debut isn’t being treated internally as the end of his time as General Manager.
During a recent Q&A session, JoeyVotes explained that nothing has been planned for Aldis beyond the event. How he performs, how the crowd reacts, and how interested Aldis himself is will be the deciding factors.
“It depends on the performance, the reaction, and how he feels about doing it. So if he walks in there and steals the show, it’s hard to say we’re not gonna do it again. If he hits a home run, he could go on a little run.”
TC emphasized that the current rivalry was booked to end at SummerSlam, without taking Aldis out of his role as General Manager.
“This opportunity is a one-and-done, but it’s not gonna close the door forever. So it’s not the start of a main roster run. It won’t mean he won’t be the GM of SmackDown. This particular program is a one-and-done, but it could open itself to additional opportunities down the road.”
WWE made the match official after a brawl at the SummerSlam Kickoff show. The rivalry had been building since Night of Champions. Gunther attacked Aldis on the July 10 episode of SmackDown, and Aldis responded on the July 18 episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event, hitting the Ring General with the Undisputed WWE Championship and preventing him and Sami Zayn from beating CM Punk and Cody Rhodes.
Aldis hasn’t wrestled since October 7, 2023, when he competed in a Five-Way Match for the ACW Bluegrass Con Championship. The record corrects information repeated by some outlets claiming his last appearance was a loss to Eric Young at TNA tapings on August 27, 2023.
In November 2024, Aldis had already told Chris Van Vliet that he’d never pushed to wrestle for WWE, but said he’d be ready if the company ever needed him.