"I just took more dates recently" - Former world champion debunks rumors of his in-ring career being over after joining WWE
A former multi-time world champion recently shed light on his deal with WWE amid rumors of his in-ring career being over.
Nick Aldis is presently working for the Stamford-based promotion as a producer. He spoke extensively about the situation while fans online were upset that The Englishman is not appearing on television.
Speaking on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Aldis disclosed that his in-ring career is far from over. The former IMPACT Wrestling star, at 36 years young, currently has a handshake deal with WWE. He has pointed out the fact that the global juggernaut has been "good" to him and "accommodating," contrary to popular belief:
"Now, where that goes, I don’t know and I’m okay with that. It’s tough with the internet and social media because people want to put this definitiveness on everything. This finality. 'Oh that’s it! He’s with WWE, that’s it. Game over,'" Aldis said. "So now people are asking 'Oh are you not wrestling anymore? Are you retired?' Even the boys are saying 'Are you done wrestling?' Just slow down."
When the host brought up the hints of a potential retirement, which included a real-life back injury Nick Aldis has sustained and pulling out of scheduled dates, the latter cleared the air about his situation:
"The timing of that I can accept and concede that [it looked like I was retiring.] And I knew that even when I did it. I knew this isn’t great, because now people are going to put two and two together and 'Oh he must be injured. He must have a back problem and can’t wrestle anymore.' Not the case. [I can still wrestle] 100%. I just took more dates recently." [H/T: Insight]
It remains to be seen if Nick Aldis will be used on WWE television as an in-ring competitor. The 36-year-old could easily be added to the current roster, and many fans think he'd make an impression immediately.
Nick Aldis on facing top WWE star at All In 2018
The Englishman might be getting tired of talking about Cody Rhodes, as time and time again, their iconic match at All In 2018 is brought up to him. Aldis nevertheless had an appropriate response this time around.
He disclosed that there were no discussions about who would win the bout as he knew for a fact that everyone wanted to see The American Nightmare win the title the late Dusty Rhodes carried: the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship.
"I was like, don’t talk to me, I know what the people want here. We had to give it to them in a way that they couldn’t predict and weren’t fully able to expect and predict. That’s your job, give the people what they want in the way that they aren’t expecting."
Cody Rhodes won the 22-minute-long match, and the bout has been pointed to as one of the high points of Cody's career during his time outside WWE. Click here to see a wrestling veteran's opinion that The Englishman should be brought into WWE as a "mirror image" of The American Nightmare.
Are you hoping to see Nick Aldis make his in-ring debut in the Stamford-based promotion? Sound off in the comments section below.