Aleister Black Addresses Rumor He Didn't Like Wrestling In AEW

Aleister Black debuted in WWE back in 2017 and would quickly become a top name in the black and gold era of NXT, even capturing the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: New Orleans. He'd eventually move to the main roster before being released in June of 2021.

During that absence from the WWE, Black was one of many former WWE stars to join All Elite Wrestling. He formed the House of Black faction alongside Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and later Julia Hart, with the team seeing success in the trios division.

There has been a long-running rumor among fans that Black either didn't enjoy his time in AEW or often refused to be the one taking a loss in matches. Aleister got the chance to speak with the Ringer Wrestling Show and finally put an end to some of this talk.

"Tony (Khan) was very adamant about us being in six-mans, which is fine, it’s his company. If he wants me to wear a clown suit, then that’s what we’ll do. I think people really like to run with the narrative and I don’t know why. I think it’s partially, ‘this is not the role we want him to be in, so we’re going to give a narrative that makes us have an understanding as to why he’s not being put in singles competition."
Aleister Black [h/t Fightful]

Black continued:

"It’s the same way, ‘He didn’t want to lay down for people.’ If you really think that I have so much pull in the company that I can say who I’m not going up against or lay down against, you think I’m not going to vouch for myself or put myself in the main events? You think I’m going to politic, ‘I’m not going to lay down for this person.’ It doesn’t make sense."
Aleister Black [h/t Fightful]

Enjoying His Time In AEW

During the interview, Black goes on to talk about the things he did enjoy about his time in AEW. One being the matches he had alongside Buddy and Brody as the House of Black and how the two former WWE stars would let Brody get more attention, since not as many fans knew about him.

Adam Copeland and Malakai Black at Double or Nothing in a barbed wire steel cage match | AEW

He also puts over the match he had with Adam Copeland over the TNT Championship at Double or Nothing 2024 saying, "My match with Adam Copeland was one of the funnest things I’ve done in wrestling."

At the end of his run with AEW, Black says he looked at how things would be with both companies and the fact that his wife, Zelina Vega, was in the WWE. Those decisions led him to coming back with the WWE as he believes he has a lot left to do there.

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