Why WWE SmackDown GM Nick Aldis Thinks His Handling Of The Bloodline 'Made A Statement'

Newly-appointed "WWE SmackDown" General Manager Nick Aldis has already taken it upon himself to enforce some stiff consequences for the lawless Bloodline faction. On a recent episode of "SmackDown," Jey Uso, who is now a member of the "WWE Raw" roster, made a surprise appearance to attack his brother, Jimmy, before he was swiftly dragged away by security. As a result of these actions, Aldis issued Jey a $10,000 fine in addition to his escort out of the building. Speaking on WWE's "After The Bell" podcast, Aldis laid out the justification for his decision. 

"I've been observing how things have been going — The Bloodline running roughshod over WWE and certainly, all sorts of nefarious characters are having their input into that. Look, as an executive, there's give and take," Aldis said. The former NWA Worlds Heavyweight Champion believes that –no matter the popularity of a name-brand talent– he needs to set clearly defined boundaries as the newly-minted GM. 

"I thought the best thing to do at this point is to make a statement that these shenanigans, they're only going to keep getting worse until somebody takes a stand and puts their foot down, so that's what I did," Aldis explained.

Aldis recognizes that he might have overstepped in this situation, as he simultaneously ejected "Raw" General Manager Adam Pearce from the venue, but on a grander scale, Aldis believes it is imperative to set an example of how he plans to run the "SmackDown" brand, which, according to him, is the number one brand in the entirety of sports entertainment.

If you use quotes in this article, please credit "WWE After The Bell" and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.