Is the SmackDown General Manager Competing at WrestleMania?
As the road to WrestleMania continues, more and more matches are being confirmed for the biggest show on WWE’s calendar. On the SmackDown side of things, the WWE Championship has found its two main eventers: Cody Rhodes and Randy Orton. However, one superstar feels he has been left out of this match due to constant interference and the general manager's lack of accountability. His annoyance at not being taken seriously as a contender and the deteriorating relationship with the general manager might lead him to do something he might not like: challenging his own boss to a match at WrestleMania.
For months, Drew McIntyre put Rhodes and other superstars through the wringer, with the goal of becoming the WWE Champion no matter what. After constantly interfering in ‘The American Nightmare’s’ matches, McIntyre was finally handed the opportunity to dethrone Rhodes for the WWE title. On the second SmackDown of 2026, McIntyre defeated Rhodes in a Three Stages of Hell match to win the world title after interference from Jacob Fatu allowed McIntyre to escape the steel cage. After the win, McIntyre made sure to add a stipulation that Rhodes could no longer challenge for the world title unless he won the Rumble or the Elimination Chamber match. ‘The Scottish Warrior’ played a huge role in preventing Rhodes from winning any of those matches, interfering and attacking Rhodes to cost him both matches. After weeks and weeks of staying out of the ongoing situation, SmackDown general manager Nick Aldis couldn’t take it anymore.
Since McIntyre went back on his word that he would not interfere with Rhodes in any way, Aldis was going back on his word that Rhodes would not receive a world title opportunity. McIntyre had to defend his WWE Championship against Rhodes on the SmackDown after Elimination Chamber. Despite his best efforts, Rhodes would pick up the win and regain the WWE Championship after Fatu interfered and prevented McIntyre from using a steel chair. With Fatu’s interference playing a role in McIntyre winning and losing the title, it would make sense that WWE would book them for a match at WrestleMania. However, WWE decided that their one-on-one encounter would be scheduled for an episode of SmackDown instead. Now that a possible WrestleMania match between both men looks to be off the table, the next logical match that makes sense is McIntyre going after Aldis, the man McIntyre claims is truly to blame for all his misfortunes.
Aldis had to endure McIntyre constantly interrupting shows and interfering in matches that had world title implications. When Aldis gave in to McIntyre’s demands, he thought that all the interference and complaining would stop. Instead, McIntyre winning the title enabled him to continue his onslaught of preventing anyone from getting close to his title, especially Rhodes. When Aldis finally had enough of McIntyre’s antics, he believed he made the right choice in giving Rhodes another crack at the gold. This angered McIntyre even more, and after losing the world title, it only made him believe even more that Aldis had it out for him. McIntyre has already proven over the past few months that nothing is off limits, and if that means that he has to attack his very own boss, he will do so in order to prove a point. Aldis had also been rumored to make a return to the ring, and what better opponent to have in his in-ring return than a man who is out for revenge.
WWE could have already decided that McIntyre’s WrestleMania match is ‘The Samoan Werewolf,’ but a match between a top superstar and a top WWE official sounds more intriguing. This gives WWE the opportunity to introduce the crowd to Aldis as a credible competitor and not just a general manager. With only a few weeks away from WWE hosting their biggest show of the year in Las Vegas, they have a huge task in making sure that McIntyre is booked in a proper match. Whoever his opponent is, McIntyre will make sure that this person pays for everything wrong that happened to him.
