Nick Aldis Was Told To Stay Ready For WWE In-Ring Debut By Randy Orton And Mickie James

The SmackDown GM had to be prepared for his upcoming match with GUNTHER at Summerslam.

Although Nick Aldis came into WWE in an on-screen authority role as general manager of SmackDown, fans often wondered how long it would take for the Brit to step into the ring, especially given his legacy in TNA and NWA. This weekend, just under three years after he came into the company, Aldis lace up his boots for a WWE match as he faces GUNTHER on the first night of SummerSlam this Saturday. Now, it turns out that thanks to some sage advice, Aldis has been prepared for to wrestle since first joining the company.

Speaking with Chris Van Vliet, Aldis revealed advice his wife, Mickie James, and Randy Orton gave him upon starting his GM role:

“There were two people when there were other moments where it looked like that might be on the cards. Two people that said to me, ‘You have to stay somewhat ready because they’re not gonna give you three months’ notice. You’re gonna get like a couple weeks.’ One was Mickie [James], and one was Randy [Orton]. Because last year at WrestleMania, a lot of people felt like maybe that was a possibility. Was never discussed with me, you know, and even Randy even kind of leaned toward it on TV. But like I said, I try to make a point to stay out of it in that respect. I didn’t lobby for anything. But I remember Randy talking to me at WrestleMania and kind of saying, you know, you need to stay ready, because it’s gonna happen, and they’re gonna do it like that. It’s gonna come out of nowhere.”

-Nick Aldis

Aldis has a pedigree outside of WWE, being a former TNA World Heavyweight Champion and a two-time NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion, reinvigorating the “10 pounds of gold” across his combined 1,309 days as champion. Aldis has the sixth most combined days with the historic title, notably defending it against Cody Rhodes at the inaugural All In event.

Elsewhere in the interview, the SmackDown GM revealed his biggest concern heading into his in-ring return. You can read more about that here.

As always, we will keep you updated on the latest news regarding Nick Aldis and WWE as soon as we hear more.