Nick Aldis could be on the verge of stepping back into the ring for his first WWE match since joining the company, with a new report suggesting a showdown against Gunther is in the works for SummerSlam 2026.

The storyline gained momentum on this week's episode of Raw, where WWE announced that Aldis had been placed on administrative leave following his explosive backstage confrontation with Gunther after Night of Champions. As a result, Raw General Manager Adam Pearce has temporarily assumed responsibility for both Raw and SmackDown.

According to Dave Meltzer on Wrestling Observer Radio, the current angle is designed to lead to a SummerSlam match between Aldis and Gunther.

"I think they’re going to wrestle at SummerSlam, yeah. Nick’s younger than Adam Pearce. I never heard a lot of interest in Adam Pearce wrestling, even though Adam Pearce is a character and everything. I think he’s great, but I never sensed that. Aldis, I guess because he’s big, got the big shoulders and all that in the suit, there’s always been that thing like, ‘Oh, he should wrestle.’ I’d say there’s more interest in him wrestling," Meltzer said.

Although Aldis arrived in WWE in 2023, he has exclusively appeared as SmackDown General Manager despite his decorated career as an in ring competitor before signing with the company.

Meltzer added that he hopes any return to competition remains a special attraction rather than a permanent change in direction.

"Hopefully, it’s only a one-match thing. I like him as a General Manager, and I think if they replace him, they’re probably replacing him with someone who’s not as good. If he becomes a wrestler, I don’t think he’ll be successful at this stage of the game," Meltzer said.

Bryan Alvarez also noted that the current storyline neatly removes any conflict of interest. With Aldis officially on administrative leave, he is no longer acting as SmackDown General Manager, giving him a believable reason to step into the ring.

If the reported plans come to fruition, the heated issues between Aldis and Gunther that erupted following Night of Champions could culminate on one of WWE's biggest stages at SummerSlam.