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Malakai Black's debut at the Road Rager edition of AEW Dynamite was a shock to the wrestling world.
AEW Road Rager took place in Miami, Florida, as AEW welcomed back fans on their tour for the first time in nearly a year and a half. The show was stacked from top to bottom, but AEW somehow managed to take it up a notch.
From the beginning of the show, there were electricity blackouts in the arena for a few seconds that the commentators dismissed as 'production glitches due to bad weather'. However, during Arn Anderson's promo, the light came back and the crowd went nuts as Tommy End was standing in the ring.
He took Arn out with a Black Mass, before inflicting the same pain on Cody Rhodes. The live crowd and the internet were absolutely thrilled at the prospect of seeing the Dutch superstar in AEW. The possibilities with this signing seem to be endless.
The former Aleister Black was released from WWE earlier this year. Now in AEW, it's time to look at some of the most mouthwatering feuds we could witness Malakai in.
#5. Malakai Black vs Cody Rhodes
Let's start with what will most likely end up being Malakai Black's first feud. As stated before, he laid out not just Cody Rhodes, but his coach and wrestling legend Arn Anderson. Cody will definitely address the attack sooner rather than later, and we should hear Malakai's motives behind attacking the Nightmare Family as well.
What we know for sure is that the match will be one to watch. Both Malakai and Cody are masters of storytelling. Look no further than Cody Rhodes vs Dustin Rhodes at AEW Double or Nothing 2019 to see Cody's ability to tell an impeccable story and rally the crowd behind him.
Malakai Black, on the other hand, is a hard-hitting and methodical worker with an impeccable attention to detail which elevates any program he's part of.
Most other big names in AEW are occupied with big storylines, making Cody the biggest name Malakai could take down to immediately become one of the top stars in AEW. Cody can afford to take a loss in order to legitimize another star. Whatever the result, us fans will be the real winners.
#4. Jon Moxley vs Malakai Black
Jon Moxley, like Malakai Black, made an exhilirating debut for AEW back in 2019. Mox faced the same issues that Malakai Black did in WWE; being handicapped creatively. While Moxley did enjoy a lot of success in terms of titles, Black never got the chance to reach those heights. With AEW not afraid of letting their wrestlers acknowledge their past, this could be the story fuelling this feud.
Moxley has been rejuvenated in his new role in AEW as the anti-hero on AEW. Malakai Black will be hoping for a similar resurgence as his character definitely stands out from everyone else.
Interestingly, the Dutch Destroyer had teased a match over a month ago that could be the spark for the feud. Replying to a fan who speculated Black would take the Jon Moxley route post-WWE, Black tweeted:
"Well, I mean.. yeah. Speaking of Mox.."
Their wrestling styles are very contrasting. Malakai Black is a highly polished and hard-hitting striker, whereas Moxley is a brawler. Moxley isn't a slouch when it comes to technical wrestling, as his time in Japan showed. Also, with Eddie Kingston being a close friend of Mox, should he get involved, the promo wars would be sensational. This is a feud that needs to happen.
#3. Malakai Black vs PAC
The history between Tommy End, now known as Malakai Black, and Neville (PAC in AEW) is well documented. The pair squared off in 2017 at WWE NXT UK. Both wrestlers went on to amaze fans on NXT and the WWE main roster, but neither got the push their talents deserved.
The story for this match is easy to write. Neither man could fulfill their potential in their former company, both are top stars in their current company and now want to determine who's grown to be the better man since their first encounter in 2017.
If we're being honest, a match involving two outrageously talented athletes like Malakai Black and PAC needs no story. Put them in the ring, give them 20 minutes, and watch the magic unfold.
That we have a backstory makes a potential feud even more enticing. AEW often does multi-man tag matches before the blowoff singles match, which could see Black clashing against other members of the Death Triangle.
The mere thought of Ray Fenix or Penta El Zero Miedo and Malakai Black going at each other is fascinating.
#2. Kenny Omega vs Malakai Black
All AEW needs to do to sell out a stadium is prepare a cool looking graphic for Malakai Black vs Kenny Omega and post it on their social media. No promos. No build. No feud. Five-star match, guaranteed.
That might be a slight exaggeration, but the thought of Malakai Black and Kenny Omega battling for any one of the 3 championships that Omega holds induces goosebumps.
As mentioned previously, Black is an incredible striker with a unique moveset that is often imitated, but never duplicated. Omega is one of the greatest technical wrestlers in history. While Black may hit harder, Omega is slightly better when it comes to all-round ability. Both are storytelling experts.
Kenny Omega rose to superstardom in New Japan and his series of matches with Kazuchika Okada are nothing short of legendary. So, we know that Omega against hard-hitting, technical storytellers is gold.
Add to that the story of Black chasing Omega and The Elite to snatch one of his championships, preferably the AEW World Championship, and we will have a feud for the ages. One that will be an iconic moment in AEW history.
#1. Malakai Black vs Darby Allin (w/ Sting)
Much like Malakai Black in WWE, Darby Allin is a dark and unique character in AEW. Allin is an often misunderstood person, who doesn't display much emotion and uses his body as a weapon.
He has a troubled past and tattoos signify his fears and beliefs while physical pain never seems to deter him. Often the underdog, but still a top star in AEW, Allin has seen his stock skyrocket since signing with the company in 2019.
While we do not know much about Malakai Black, if his Instagram video and first look at AEW are anything to go by, Allin could be facing a tough character to challenge his position in the company.
Black is a calculated and methodical person whose every move is carefully thought out, while Allin is chaotic, unforgiving and reckless. Both possess deep characters and it could be argued they're opposite sides of the same coin.
Add Sting to the whole thing, and the imagery, promos and build-up will be legendary. A mere staredown between The Icon and Malakai Black would be bone-chilling. The feud between Allin and Black is truly the embodiment of a dream feud.
