Nick Aldis Set For In-Ring Return Against Gunther At SummerSlam

Nick Aldis is heading back into the ring for the first time in WWE, and he’s doing it against one of the toughest competitors on the roster. WWE has confirmed that Aldis will face Gunther at SummerSlam, with the match made official during the Kickoff event at Fanatics Fest in New York.

The announcement capped off a chaotic segment that started with Gunther confronting Triple H, still fuming over what happened on Saturday Night’s Main Event. During that show, Aldis blasted Gunther with a championship belt, an attack that swung momentum toward Cody Rhodes and CM Punk in their main event win over Gunther and Sami Zayn. Moments after Gunther aired his grievances to Triple H, Aldis walked out, and the two immediately got into it before officials pulled them apart.

With tensions still boiling, Triple H stepped in and settled the matter the only way WWE knows how. “This is the WWE. What do we do? We get in the ring, we settle our differences,” Triple H said. “So at SummerSlam, it will be the Ring General Gunther versus Nick Aldis. You guys will settle this once and for all at SummerSlam.”

For Aldis, it’s a significant moment. This will be his first match under the WWE banner and his first competitive bout of any kind since a 2023 appearance for Appalachian Championship Wrestling in Kentucky. His last televised in-ring appearance came on July 16, 2023, when he lost to Eric Young.

Gunther vs. Aldis now joins a stacked SummerSlam lineup that includes Roman Reigns defending the World Heavyweight Championship against Seth Rollins, CM Punk putting the Undisputed WWE Championship on the line opposite Cody Rhodes, and Brock Lesnar squaring off with Oba Femi inside Hell in a Cell. Liv Morgan is set to defend the Women’s World Championship against IYO SKY, Penta puts the Intercontinental Championship up for grabs against Chad Gable, and a six-man tag will see LA Knight, Solo Sikoa and Royce Keys take on Jacob Fatu and The Usos.

Whether Aldis can hang with a competitor of Gunther’s caliber after such a long layoff remains to be seen, but WWE clearly sees enough in this feud to give it a spotlight slot on the summer’s biggest show.