A WWE official has finally relinquished his position after three years, just eight days before SummerSlam 2026. This is in the context of something so much bigger, and in this article, we'll give you a detailed breakdown of what happened.

Friday Night SmackDown opened with Adam Pearce hosting a contract signing segment between Gunther and Nick Aldis. For those who haven't watched WWE for the last few months, Gunther has had a serious issue with (now former) SmackDown General Manager Nick Aldis over what he perceived to be unfair treatment. Whether it was his controversial loss to Cody Rhodes at Clash in Italy or the match where Sami Zayn was the referee, The Ring General has constantly butted heads with the 2-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, even threatening to drain his financial resources through a legal battle. Ultimately, Triple H decided that everyone has a breaking point, and Aldis reached his. That's why Gunther vs Nick Aldis was made official for SummerSlam.

Adam Pearce announced to Nick Aldis that by signing a contract to compete at SummerSlam, he is effectively relinquishing his role as the SmackDown General Manager. Aldis said he didn't care at that point, and he happily signed the deal, making Adam Pearce the de facto General Manager of WWE SmackDown, although it isn't a full-time thing.

After this, Aldis was in clear control in his brawl with Gunther, but the Ring General would hit him in the nether regions to get the upper hand before sending him through the table.

It's going to be interesting to see how it all plays out in the grand scheme of things. Aldis will be coming out of an effective retirement (or hiatus) after three years to get revenge against Gunther. This is the moment that fans have been anticipating for quite a few years.

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