Update on Malakai Black, potential WWE return

With his AEW run rumored to be over, Malakai Black could be on his way back to WWE.

Dave Meltzer reports in the new issue of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter that there has “evidently” been talk about Black within WWE creative recently. It has not been officially confirmed that Black is gone from AEW, but no one expects him back.

Meltzer wrote:

There has been a lot of talk in the past two days about Malakai Black. The word backstage was that he was gone [from AEW], although in trying to confirm it, nobody would say anything. It’s been reported elsewhere, and one person close to the situation said they were confirming it to us but when we asked officially there was neither a confirmation nor a denial. Nobody expects him back. There was also talk from WWE that he was expected there when his contract expires. That’s been the case for a while, but evidently there has been talk in WWE creative about him of late.

Black has been signed to AEW for nearly four years, leading his House of Black faction that has consisted of Buddy Matthews, Brody King & Julia Hart.

Will Ospreay defeated Matthews on Dynamite this week and then gave a speech saying that Matthews and King don’t need a leader — they’re capable of doing things on their own. Matthews cut a post-show promo saying Ospreay’s words did not fall on deaf ears.

This Saturday, Black is set to compete at a show for Florida indie promotion Coastal Championship Wrestling. He’s facing Orion at the event.

A return to WWE would mark Black’s first time back with the company since being released in 2021. He went by the name Aleister Black during his WWE run and is a former NXT Champion. His wife Zelina Vega is a member of the WWE Raw roster.