Nick Aldis‘ removal from WWE television could be laying the groundwork for an in-ring return, with a new report claiming he is set to face Gunther at SummerSlam.
On this week’s episode of Raw, WWE confirmed Nick Aldis had been placed on administrative leave following his backstage confrontation with Gunther at Night of Champions. As a result, Adam Pearce has temporarily assumed responsibility for both Raw and SmackDown.
However, according to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, Aldis’ absence from television is expected to lead to a match with Gunther at SummerSlam.
“They’re going to wrestle at SummerSlam, yeah,” Meltzer said. “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.'”
Meltzer added that while he enjoys Aldis in his current role as SmackDown General Manager, he understands the appeal of having him return to the ring for a one-off match.
“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.”
Nick Aldis’ Administrative Leave Gives WWE A Storyline Explanation For Why He Can Compete At SummerSlam
Bryan Alvarez also noted that WWE has already established a storyline explanation for Nick Aldis competing, as his administrative leave temporarily removes him from his duties as an authority figure.
“Well, the easy story is they put me on administrative leave for six weeks. That means I’m able to do wrestling.”
While WWE has yet to officially announce a match between Aldis and Gunther, the reported SummerSlam bout would provide a payoff to the physical confrontation between the pair following Night of Champions.
