SmackDown star claims he felt betrayed after blockbuster match with Cody Rhodes
A current WWE SmackDown personality has recalled his show-stealing match against Cody Rhodes in 2018 and how he felt betrayed despite delivering a great performance.
The name being discussed is Nick Aldis. He surprised everyone by making his WWE debut last year when he was announced as the new general manager of SmackDown. At the 2018 All In pay-per-view, The National Treasure locked horns with Cody Rhodes in a stellar match for the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Title.
During a recent interview with Inside The Ropes, Nick Aldis reminisced about his excellent match with Rhodes and disclosed feeling betrayed since he wasn't informed about AEW's inception.
"I think in this business, if you start playing the comparison game, you can really go down a rabbit hole of bitterness and resentment very quickly. I felt a little betrayed when I found out that they were all familiar; they were all aware of Tony Khan, and they'd been sort of plotting this thing [AEW]."
Aldis further discussed the overall impact of his match against The American Nightmare:
"As we progressed a couple of months forward, it was clear it was a done deal. So, in that respect, I guess I felt I could have been informed of that sooner. But I just looked at it from the perspective of that piece of business, meaning Cody and I at All In did nothing but good things for all of everyone involved. It wasn't like people looked at me as if I were finished." [H/T: Inside The Ropes]
Nick Aldis revealed how his match with Cody Rhodes landed him a great deal
During the same chat, Nick Aldis mentioned that his bout against Cody Rhodes at All In 2018 was the actual main event of the show.
The SmackDown personality added that he was able to secure a six-figure deal and launch a new show following his stellar showdown against the 2024 Men's Royal Rumble winner.
"We tore the house down and we had the match that everybody remembers, the real main event of that show. That built my credibility, and off the back of that, we were able to launch an entire show that, at that time, had a strong, sustainable audience. I landed a six-figure contract off the back of that also. Cody obviously had the pipeline to a billionaire. I only had a millionaire, but whatever, it's all just part of the tapestry of your career." [H/T: Inside The Ropes]
Rhodes and Aldis are currently signed to WWE in two entirely different roles. It will be interesting to see if the stars lock horns again.
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