Nick Aldis Explains How He Joined WWE In Non-Wrestling Role
Nick Aldis has discussed how he was eventually signed by WWE after being rejected by the company previously.
Aldis signed with WWE in 2023, but it wasn't for an in-ring role, despite being an active wrestler. Instead, he initially joined in a behind-the-scenes role before becoming an on-screen figure as the "WWE SmackDown" GM. Ahead of his WWE in-ring debut against GUNTHER at SummerSlam, Aldis spoke on "Insight" about how he didn't have anyone in WWE advocating for him, as some other wrestlers have.
"Then this other thing comes along because WWE is not interested, right? Because again, unlike Walter, I didn't have guys like Regal, you know, pulling for me and saying, 'Oh, this guy's fantastic, you know, you want to give this guy a look, right?' Like, I had the opposite, actually," said Aldis.
The "SmackDown" GM said that his journey to WWE had several moments of validation that confirmed he was on the right path. Aldis said that his previous conversations with WWE didn't go the way he wanted, but on the advice of Diamond Dallas Page, who encouraged him to speak directly with Triple H, he finally fulfilled his dream of signing with WWE.
"I finally get to reach out, you know, thanks to DDP, bless him, who just said to me, 'Just call Hunter directly. Stop trying to go through these gatekeepers and stuff. Just reach out to him directly.' And I thought that this could really backfire. But what do I have to lose? Turns out it actually worked," he said. "Did it work exactly how I would have wanted? Of course not. Then nothing happens for a while, then Bruce [Prichard] calls me and goes, 'Do you want to work behind the scenes?' Hey, I'll take what I can get. You know, maybe there's enough sort of consternation that I'm not being used on television. So then they go, 'You can be the GM.' And now we're here."
Aldis returned to the ring for his WWE in-ring debut at SummerSlam, but it could be some time before he wrestles again, with reports suggesting he may return to the ring in 2027.