Nick Aldis In-Ring Return Plans Have Been Talked About Within WWE

Nick Aldis might not just be sitting at home in a suit while Adam Pearce runs both brands. WWE may be clearing the runway for him to throw hands with GUNTHER.

After the tense Night of Champions post-show angle between GUNTHER and SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis, WrestleVotes on Fightful Select asked around and learned there have been significant internal discussions about an actual in-ring program between the two.

That’s the real meat here. Aldis getting placed on administrative leave might sound like some corporate WWE punishment, but it also conveniently gets him out of the GM chair long enough to wrestle.

Dave Meltzer previously talked about the direction on Wrestling Observer Radio after Bryan Alvarez brought up the obvious possibility that Aldis could finally be getting back in the ring.

“They’re going to wrestle at SummerSlam, yeah. Aldis, I guess because he’s big, with the big shoulders and all that in the suit, there’s always been that thing like, ‘Oh, he should wrestle.’”

According to WrestleVotes, the idea of Aldis returning to the ring has been floated inside WWE more than once. One of those ideas came up in 2025, when there was talk of a possible program with Solo Sikoa that gained traction internally. That never made it to television, but the idea clearly didn’t disappear. Now GUNTHER is the name attached to Aldis, and this one has a lot more smoke behind it.

WrestleVotes also noted that GUNTHER vs. Aldis has been discussed before, but not in the exact context WWE is now playing out on television. That lines up with what Meltzer said when discussing whether Aldis should leave the GM role for a match. Meltzer made it clear he likes Aldis as SmackDown GM, but said one big match on a major show makes sense.

“Hopefully it’s only a one-match thing. I like him as a General Manager, and I think if they replace him, they’re probably replacing him with someone who’s not as good. If he becomes a wrestler, I don’t think he’ll be successful at this stage of the game. But for one match on a big show? Sure.”

Alvarez then laid out the easy story WWE already built for itself. Aldis being placed on leave means he is no longer stuck playing the authority figure every week.

“Well, the easy story is they put me on administrative leave for six weeks. That means I’m able to do wrestling.”

Aldis has not wrestled since 2023, but it’s not like WWE is pulling some random office guy into the ring. He is a former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion and TNA World Heavyweight Champion, so there’s history there if WWE wants to remind fans who he was before the GM desk.

Nick Aldis may be on administrative leave, but WWE might have just given him the perfect excuse to lace up his boots again. If GUNTHER vs. Aldis happens at SummerSlam, that “suspension” suddenly looks more like a setup than a punishment.