After announcing that Paul “Triple H” Levesque was going to appear on the season-premier of SmackDown with a big announcement that would shake the WWE Universe forever, it got fans hyped for the future of WWE.

Sure, fans had a pretty good idea of what the move was going to be, as someone from RAW still needed to be traded to SmackDown after Cody Rhodes spearheaded the decision to have Jey Uso jump from the Blue to the Red Brand, but who would be moved, and who would be making the move was far less clear, at least until Levesque made it all crystal clear.

“Not only did he have an incredibly successful career as an in-ring performer, but Adam Pierce, over the last three years, has done an incredible job doing a very thankless job: He has managed the SuperStars of RAW, of SmackDown, he has overseen both shows, and he has done an incredible job. And for that, Adam, I say thank you,” Paul “Triple H” Levesque told the SmackDown crowd.

“And with that in mind, that job is incredibly difficult and is a job that no one should do alone. So with that, I am a very happy to tell you that you will no longer be alone. And also, I am happy to tell you that, as of this moment, you, Adam, are getting a promotion. As of right now, Adam Pearce is now the new General Manager of Monday Night RAW. Which leads me to who will be the General Manager of SmackDown.”

After Dominik Mysterio came out to voice his displeasure with how Judgment Day was treated at Fastlane, Levesque made his announcement, bringing out none other than Nick Aldis of Impact Wrestling/NWA fame, who will now serve as the leader of the Blue Brand and you'd best believe he made one heck of an impression right out of the gate.

“First of all, I'd like to thank WWE for the opportunity of a lifetime: To be the general manager of the number one sports entertainment brand in the world today, SmackDown. And Adam, I look forward to some healthy competition between our two brands,” Nick Aldis announced.

“And Dom, good to meet you, I'm a big fan… of your dad. I'm gonna cut right to the chase, as many of you know about a month ago, Cody Rhodes was instrumental in a deal that took Jay Uso to Monday Night RAW. And in exchange, a RAW Superstar must now come to SmackDown. So, as my first official act, with Triple H's blessing, I'd like to introduce SmackDown's newest Superstar, right now.”

And with a few seconds of guitar riffin', it all became officially clear: Kevin Owens is controversially the newest member of SmackDown, and you'd best believe he is going to make an impact, as he immediately hit “Dirty” Dom with a stunner and re-introduced himself to Fox fans in the process. How will this affect WWE moving forward, specifically KO's relationship with his now-former – I guess – tag team partner Sami Zayn? Only time will tell, but needless to say, it's certainly going to play a part in the story being told on both brands moving forward.

Adam Pearce welcomes Nick Aldis and thanks Triple H.

After a whirlwind segment that saw him gain a new title and have his responsibilities streamlined, Adam Pearce took to social media to thank everyone who has helped him out along the way.

“For the last ~4 years I've been honored to lead the governance of #SmackDown. Without question, it's one of the great blessings in my professional life. But for everything, there is a season… With great yet bittersweet pride, I now turn her reins over to Nick Aldis,” Adam Pearce shared on social media.

“I know that Nick will treat this shared legacy with the same respect he's given to our past shared honors, and I'm excited to see what path he sets the blue brand on going forward. As for me, 100% of my passion now goes to the flagship, RAW.

“Here's to new beginnings, renewed passion for the tasks at hand, and to gratitude for all that have crossed my blue path for the last 4 trips around the sun. See ya at the #WWEDraft, Nick! It is official.”

Is Aldis, like Pearce, officially putting his wrestling career on the back burner after transitioning from a WWE producer-in-training to the new authority figure on SmackDown? Maybe yes, maybe no, as, at 36, Mickie James' husband still has plenty of gas left in the tank and a score to settle with Cody Rhodes following their back-and-forth battle around the original All In, but until that happens, fans will have to get to know WWE's new authority figure and hopefully like him better than some of the past few shot callers.