Nick Aldis has pulled back the curtain on Triple H’s approach to reviving past rivalries in WWE, explaining why a potential feud with Cody Rhodes would be layered into a bigger story rather than built entirely around their NWA history.
Aldis and Rhodes crossed paths long before either arrived in WWE, feuding over the NWA Worlds Heavyweight Championship during Aldis’s run as one of the promotion’s marquee names.
On the Insight podcast, when asked whether that history could be revisited on WWE television, Aldis suggested the callback would come in subtle doses rather than as the centerpiece of an angle.
Who knows? I think that we’ve already leaned into it from time to time anyway. Again, trying not to speak on Hunter’s behalf. I think his general philosophy, when it comes to that kind of thing, is if you know, you know. So we can’t make it the whole story, but it can be part of a story, which I think has been a healthy approach to his storytelling,” Aldis said.
He compared the method to how WWE has referenced the Bullet Club, weaving in nods that reward longtime fans without alienating viewers unfamiliar with the backstory.
There’s nods to it, but you’re making it where you’re completely out of the know if you’re unfamiliar with what they’re referencing,” he explained.
Aldis On His WWE Presentation
During the same conversation, Aldis addressed the speculation around his in-ring look, shutting down the notion that he might compete in a suit. He revealed his gear branding will lean into his established persona.
I’ve been very, very flattered and humbled by, for example, when I said like gear, attire. I want Nick Aldis: The National Treasure. So there’s a little exclusive for you because I know there’s been a lot. There’s been some speculation about like, is he gonna wrestle in a suit? Stupid. Can you imagine?” Aldis said.
Aldis reflected on how WWE defined his childhood fandom, admitting that as a kid other promotions simply did not register the same way.
When I was a kid, nothing else outside WWF meant sh*t to me. I appreciated all the height of WCW and all that after the fact. At the time, I was like 10 at the peak of WCW. To me, I was like, That’s not the WWF,” he recalled.
Aldis is a former two-time NWA World Heavyweight Champion, and his rivalry with Rhodes over that title remains one of the more notable chapters from his time on the independent scene. His comments leave the door open for that shared history to resurface, just not as the whole story.
