Former NWA World Champion Nick Aldis made his WWE debut last week on SmackDown, where he is portraying a new authority figure going forward. The former NWA/TNA star has been shadowing to become a producer for the company for the last few months.
This marks his first run in WWE after years working in the NWA and Impact Wrestling. However, he could’ve gone to AEW, a promotion that launched in 2019.
Speaking with TV Insider to promote Saturday’s Impact Bound for Glory, Mickie James, the wife of Aldis and a former WWE star herself, noted that Aldis had the chance to go to AEW in the past but decided to turn it down in favor of their small child and being around more while she was working in WWE.
“It’s really interesting when I was back at WWE there was an opportunity for Nick to go to AEW,” James stated. “He turned it down because it was too much on our family for him to be on the road full-time along with me. Our son Donovan was three or four. I think about it now, and it has shifted. Nick has deserved this opportunity for a long time. A lot of people don’t realize he has been at this for almost 20 years I’d say …The way our careers have gone.”
James continued, “It’s weird not really being in the same place for long, but I think it’s by design. We have to do our best for our son first. That means someone has to have a lighter schedule. Business picked up for the Aldis family. In the wrestling world, if people don’t know who Nick Aldis is, they will. He is an incredible talent.”
