Nick Aldis On What Was Going Through His Head When He Joined Triple H & Adam Pearce In The Ring

Nick Aldis may have taken a slightly different road to get to WWE than expected, with the former NWA World Heavyweight Champion trading in his wrestling boots for a suit in his new role as "WWE SmackDown" general manager. But Aldis is still very happy to find himself where he is, especially since he's rubbing shoulders with one of his idols, Triple H. On "Busted Open Radio," Aldis talked about his fandom for "The Cerebral Assassin," whose match with The Rock at Backlash 2000 helped Aldis decide to become a wrestler. And even though he's had other influences along the way, Aldis credited Triple H for being a key inspiration for him, which made them standing in the ring together for Aldis' first televised WWE appearance a dream come true.

"Hunter was the first guy that I ever sort of started realizing that I was studying, rather than just watching and enjoying," Aldis said. "He was the first guy, because Bret [Hart] was my hero, no questions about it. But I was a fan. I was just like 'I love Bret Hart.' It was only later that I went back and studied Bret."

"But because of where I was in my life, Hunter was the first guy that I really studied, Aldis continued. "So anyway, I say all that to say that even though the circumstances were not any that I would've been able to predict ever, for my first official time in a WWE ring on live television, the fact that it was in Triple H's in-ring promo/segment, is indescribable."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Busted Open Radio" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription