3 Reasons why Nick Aldis stepped down as WWE SmackDown General Manager

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Moreover, after Nick Aldis gave up his General Manager’s position, Adam Pearce was crowned the new General Manager of Friday Night SmackDown, making him GM in charge of both the blue and red brands.

Aldis being removed as Friday Night SmackDown’s General Manager to compete as an in-ring superstar at SummerSlam 2026 wasn’t a move fans and experts saw coming. However, this added extra stakes to their grudge match at the Biggest Party of the Summer.

After signing the contracts and relinquishing his General Manager position, Aldis and Gunther got into a fist fight, and Nick was gaining momentum initially, but all thanks to Adam Pearce, he got distracted, and taking advantage of this, The Ring General connected a boot straight low-blow on him and powerbombed him on the table in the middle of the ring, giving a glimpse to now former GM what he signed up for this Summer.

In this listicle, we will take a look at three potential reasons why Nick Aldis stepped down as WWE SmackDown General Manager:

#3. To exact revenge on Gunther

Nick Aldis had suffered significantly as the blue brand’s General Manager. Over the years, he has tussled with multiple superstars such as Randy Orton, Drew McIntyre, Cody Rhodes, and, most recently, Gunther.

Aldis tried to keep the growing tensions between him and Gunther under control, but the breaking point came for him after their shoving contest at Night of Champions. On July 10, SmackDown. The Career Killer crossed all lines by putting the SmackDown General Manager in his signature sleeper hold multiple times

As a result, Nick cost Gunther and Sami Zayn their high-stakes tag team matches against Cody Rhodes and CM Punk at Saturday Night’s Main Event, which ultimately compelled their match to be booked by Triple H at the SummerSlam kick-off show.

That said, Aldis is locked to get his revenge on Gunther for making his job tough, and now he wants to make sure he makes his job tough.

#2. It’s time for him to return to in-ring competition

For those unaware, Nick had an impressive professional wrestling career before he landed in WWE as Friday Night SmackDown’s General Manager, wearing suits and becoming a corporate guy. Aldis was known for his chaotic wrestling.

To give a better context to his pro-wrestling abilities, he captured the TNA World Heavyweight Championship in 2013, beating WWE icon Jeff Hardy, which made him the first-ever Englishman to hold any major strap in the company.

He has also held the NWA Championship twice, with his second reign lasting for 1000 days, making him one of the most decorated champions.

One thing in common between Aldis and Gunther is that they were both AJ Styles’s final opponents, but at different times and in different companies. Nick, then known as Magnus, was AJ’s final TNA opponent in 2014, and he finished his iconic TNA stint at that time.

Meanwhile, The Ring General was Styles’s final opponent in WWE, who ended his pro-wrestling career.

#1. His WWE General Manager role ran its course

Another interesting fact about Nick Aldis is that he is still in his wrestling prime; he is currently 39 years old, which makes him younger than all four main-eventers at SummerSlam 2026.

Hence, he still has a lot in his gas tank. Also, he has been acting as General Manager since his arrival, and his General Manager role has run its course; now WWE may use him as a performer, adding more value to its roster and a new perspective.

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