When WWE threw out the former general manager system that featured Paul Heyman and Eric Bischoff overseeing RAW and SmackDown – sure, technically, they were called “executive directors,” but same difference – Adam Pearce was left with the unenviable position of having to helm both brands, which needless to say, made for some Kayfabe strangeness.

How, you may ask, can a promotion have a draft if the same man is deciding the picks for both brands in a draft? Did Pearce take a hands-off approach, giving the picks to creative in order to maximize storyline potential? Or was this a fantasy bookings situation, where he and Paul “Triple H” Levesque played gods with people's real schedules without any creative posturing?

Well, fortunately for Pearce, he doesn't have to worry any longer, as he now has just one brand, RAW, to oversee, and he's going to use that to his advantage to enter into something of a competitive rivalry with the man across the proverbial hall in Titan Tower on SmackDown, Nick Aldis; an opportunity Pearce relishes, as he explained to Megan Morant, Matt Camp, and company on The Bump.

“That's the part I'm most excited about because here now, let's face facts. The last three and a half, four years, it's very hard to plan two broadcasts and try to make them as good as possible, realizing that they're direct connection with each other,” Adam Pearce said via 411 Mania. “So now, I'm not competing with myself anymore. I have somebody else to look at. We can play that chess game, we can see who in fact will make their broadcast the number one sports entertainment broadcast on the planet. I'm betting on me, and I got a headstart.”

Will WWE actually embrace the battle between RAW and SmackDown heading into Survivor Series in November? Maybe yes, maybe no, but with Aldis already stealing Kevin Owens away from the Red Brand, it's clear the potential is there for things to blow up in a huge way.

Adam Pearce has nothing but respect for Nick Aldis heading into their brand feud.

Elsewhere in his appearance on The Bump, Adam Pearce commented on Nick Aldis, who actually followed a pretty similar path from the indies to WWE almost a decade ago.

Though it would be understandable if Pearce decided to take a shot or two at Aldis, as they are competitors now, “Scrap Daddy” took the high road, complementing the “National Treasure” for his pedigree before celebrating the spirit of competition.

“Listen, now it's go time, right? The rubber meets the road now, and I have no doubt that he is prepared for this and is eager to prove himself on a worldwide stage at a level he hasn't been able to up to now, And I can't think of anybody better for the role, frankly,” Pearce said on The Bump via WrestleTalk.

“The thing that jumps out to me about Nick, and a lot of people may or may not be aware of this, our career paths are pretty parallel. He's the same age coming into WWE that I was when I joined WWE in 2015. And I made a post on what used to be called Twitter about Nick and I and how we have achieved what we've achieved and gotten to where we are today.

“And the thing that has always stood out to me about Nick Aldis is his respect for legacy. And SmackDown now, we share that legacy like we have in the past, we've shared former legacies and honors. In that respect, made it very easy for me to kind of relinquish and turn the plate over – a very full plate by the way – to Nick.

“And we'll see what happens, Friday's a big, big day for him. It's probably the biggest day of his career, and we'll see if he's ready.”

Can Aldis rise to the same level as Pearce in terms of internal success within WWE? Can he take being bashed on social media like Pearce has from fans who don't quite understand the concept of Kayfabe, all the while helping to craft compelling television as both a behind-the-scenes and on-screen talent? Only time will tell, but much like Pearce, who wrestled all over the world and was a multi-time NWA Champion too, it's clear that game respects game, and the two general managers are going to be just as supportive of one another behind the scenes as they could prove to be argumentative on screen should their competition get more and more fierce in the future.