After making it known that he is definitively back at the creative reigns, Paul “Triple H” Levesque made his triumphant return to WWE TV on Friday Night SmackDown. After welcoming the fans to the season premiere, Levesque addressed Adam Pierce’s time as the authority figure for both Raw and SmackDown. He conceded it was a thankless task and that he had been doing the role of two men. After being interrupted by Dominik Mysterio, Levesque dropped the bomb that SmackDown now has its own general manager for wrestlers to take their grievances to, Nick Aldis. Pierce will remain the general manager for Monday Night Raw.
The announcements did not stop there, as Aldis took the microphone and revealed that Kevin Owens was the newest member of the SmackDown roster. Owens was traded to the brand as part of a deal Cody Rhodes made to bring Jey Uso to Raw. Immediately following his SmackDown return, Owens entered the ring and laid out Mysterio with a stunner, to the delight of everyone. Aldis was later seen backstage introducing Charlotte Flair to WWE’s latest big-name signing, Jade Cargill.
Fightful reports that Aldis has officially signed with WWE and is no longer a free agent. His signing comes after a trial run as a backstage producer this summer. He was not listed on the list of producers for Friday night’s show, so it is unclear whether he will continue as a producer or remain solely an on-air character. Pierce has worked as an on-screen character and backstage producer for years now, so it would not be unusual if Aldis continued to work with talents to put together their matches.
The consensus in the WWE locker room seems to be that Aldis has been easy to work with and is making the most of his opportunity. It was noted he was eager to get any chance WWE would give him. Like Pierce, Aldis is also a former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion. His reign is likely most known for his matches against Cody Rhodes, including their bout at the first All In event, which led to the creation of All Elite Wrestling.
Haus of Wrestling has partnered with Inside The Ropes to present An Afternoon With Kevin Nash And Sean Waltman on November 25 at Joe’s Live in Rosemont, IL, ten minutes from the All-State Arena. Tickets are now available at JoesLiveRosemont.com.