Nick Aldis has been placed on administrative leave, and Adam Pearce now holds General Manager power over both Raw and SmackDown following the fallout from Night of Champions. The shake-up reshapes WWE’s on-screen authority structure across both brands.
The decision came after Gunther’s heated confrontation with Aldis on the Night of Champions post-show. On Raw, Michael Cole confirmed both Gunther and Aldis were sent home as a result of the altercation, with Aldis additionally placed on leave.
That leaves Pearce overseeing matchmaking and authority for the entire roster, a notable power vacuum created by a single backstage incident.
What Sparked The Gunther-Aldis Confrontation
Following his loss at Night of Champions, Gunther angrily confronted Aldis, blaming the SmackDown GM for the defeat. He accused Aldis of being jealous and labeled him a “failed wrestler.”
Gunther poked Aldis in the chest, which escalated into a shoving match before security quickly separated the two.
The bad blood stems from Gunther’s repeated struggles to capture the Undisputed WWE Championship from Cody Rhodes, along with his reliance on lawyers to engineer favorable outcomes. Gunther first lost at Clash in Italy despite his foot being on the rope.
Aldis granted him a rematch with a stipulation of his choice, allowing Gunther to pick Sami Zayn as a special guest referee. After those plans went awry due to Zayn’s actions, Rhodes ultimately suggested a triple threat match for Night of Champions.
How Night of Champions Played Out
The main event saw Sami Zayn defeat defending champion Cody Rhodes and Gunther to win the Undisputed WWE Championship. Zayn took the title by rolling up Gunther for the pin.
That outcome left Gunther without the championship he has chased throughout 2026, and his frustration boiled over directly onto Aldis in the post-show. The personal nature of the exchange has now triggered real consequences for SmackDown’s authority figure.
With Pearce now running both shows, the storyline sets up a power dynamic that touches every match on Raw and SmackDown going forward.