Malakai Black Announced for First Post-WWE Shows

Malakai Black, formerly known as Aleister Black, has been announced for his first in-ring appearances following his departure from WWE.

Black previously had a memorable WWE run. He won the NXT Championship and formed a tag team with Ricochet. Black later moved up to the main roster. This stint ended when he was released in 2021.

Black then signed with AEW and feuded with Cody Rhodes before forming the House of Black with Brody King. Buddy Matthews later joined the duo, and they won the trios titles. Black then left AEW and returned to WWE in 2025, but this return run ended with his release this past April.

Now, Black is returning to the ring on the independent scene, as he has been announced for multiple upcoming shows.

Malakai Black announced for PROGRESS Wrestling events

PROGRESS Wrestling announced that Black will be competing at three events on The Odyssey Tour series. The three shows will be held in Edinburgh, Leeds, and Manchester from September 4-6. His opponents were not named in the announcement.

The announcement noted that these matches will mark Black's first matches since his departure from WWE. Time will tell whether he competes for another promotion before he steps into the PROGRESS ring, though a potential AEW return seems unlikely.

⛵ THE ODYSSEY TOUR - MALAKAI BLACK WILL BE COMPETING ⛵

One of the biggest names in professional wrestling is coming to Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester for his first matches back on the independent wrestling scene!

He's held gold in every major company he's set foot in and… pic.twitter.com/fZlb9YTuL6
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) August 12, 2026

PROGRESS was recently acquired by former WWE stars Big Damo (Killian Dain) and Nikki Storm (Nikki Cross), so it seems that Black opted to work with two peers in taking the first steps of his post-WWE journey. Black is also from Amsterdam, so it's not surprising to see him venturing overseas back onto the independent scene. There is no word on whether he'll compete for American companies any time soon.

Many fans were excited about Black's return to WWE when he came back to the company. This run featured a feud with Damian Priest, where Black's real-life wife, Zelina Vega, helped him defeat Priest, and she became his manager.

He then feuded with Randy Orton, and he even defeated The Legend Keller. Orton went on to defeat Priest, and they were reportedly set to form an alliance. However, plans changed; Orton was paired up with Pat McAfee instead, and Black was released.

Black's career so far across both WWE and AEW has seen him struggle to reach the heights he seemed destined for when he reigned supreme in NXT. Now, he's beginning another chapter, and the wrestling world will have to wait and see how it unfolds.

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