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AEW All Out pay-per-view is officially in the history books, but Malakai Black's crushing loss at the marquee event has been a hard pill to swallow for some wrestling fans.
The House of Black went up against Sting, Darby Allin, and Miro in a barnburner trios contest.
The Dutch star got a taste of his own medicine in the end when The Icon spat contagious black mist into his opponent's eye, thus allowing Allin to pin their rival last night.
Black's shocking defeat left many baffled as it ensued amid wild rumors of him getting denied for his alleged release request.
In the post-show media scrum, Tony Khan refused to comment on the rampant assumptions, thus alluding there's some truth to the story.
With the Dutch Destroyer's imminent future apparently up in the air, let's dive into five reasons why he lost at All Out pay-per-view.
#5. Malakai Black is leaving AEW; the door is wide open for WWE return
Following The House of Black's devastating loss, Malakai Black seemingly bid farewell to the Chicago crowd, which fueled the rumors of him leaving AEW very soon.
The former NXT Champion was spotted hugging it out with his stablemates (Brody King, Buddy Mathews, and Julia Hart), blowing a kiss to the fans, and bowing on his way out of the building.
His gesture might imply that The House of Black wrestled their final match in the promotion last night.
With recent reports suggesting that WWE has reached out to multiple AEW stars for a potential return, Black could be one of them willing to jump ship.
The word making the rounds is that the Dutch Destroyer has been unhappy with his booking and character portrayal. And why not? The 37-year-old has suffered back-to-back pinfall losses in recent weeks.
But his most recent defeat could be the company's way of reprimanding him for trying to get himself out of his five-year contract.
If he's indeed leaving AEW for WWE, then Mr. Khan practically buried him on his way out of the company.
#4. Malakai Black takes early retirement from pro wrestling
Malakai Black recently divulged that he was dealing with a serious back injury a few months ago, which almost drove him into early retirement.
PWInsider even reported that the former WWE Superstar has chewed on taking a long, perhaps permanent' break from pro wrestling. The report also stated that the veteran's poor booking has also affected his mental peace.
All things considered, even though the talks between AEW and Black have smoothened over in recent days, the latter may want to walk away from the pro wrestling business entirely.
Sting using Black's signature mist against him could be a way of slaying this mystical persona once and for all.
The company can use this angle to write him off AEW TV for the foreseeable future until Black decides to resurrect his gimmick in the future.
#3. AEW couldn't afford to make Sting lose his first match
Sting has so far been undefeated in AEW (in both the tag team and trios competition) since joining the promotion in late 2020.
The company might not have wanted The Icon to take a defeat last night, especially not in multi-man matchups.
While this still doesn't justify why Black had to be the guy to take the pinfall loss, the WCW legend winning streak could have come into play while booking the match finish.
#2. Malakai Black vs. Sting
From a storyline perspective, Sting cost Malakai Black probably the most embarrassing loss of his AEW career.
The story writes itself, and the company might have planted seeds for a buzzworthy clash between two of the most sadistic individuals in pro wrestling today.
The Icon at 63 is still going strong, but he may not have enough time left in the ring.
The company could be preparing him for one last hurrah, and what better way to do it than by booking him in a dream clash against Black down the road?
The WWE Hall of Famer is a passing of the torch moment for the Dutch star's career. It's apparent that whoever hands Sting his first AEW loss will get a rub from the wrestling stalwart.
Malakai Black could be fortunate enough to do the honors and exact his revenge down the road.
#1. A subtle way of putting Darby Allin over
On paper, Darby Allin pinned Malakai Black with a roll-up victory, thanks to Sting for providing a distraction.
AEW killed two birds with one stone with this match finish. Not only did it add credibility to Allin's personality, but it also protected Black from taking a clean finish.
The former TNT Champion is one of the four pillars of AEW, and he needed to be elevated last night by scoring a win over a prominent name like Black.
Allin is the only star who hasn't gotten black misted in a feud against The House of Black. The company can build an angle from here and may try to recruit him similarly to how they lured Julia Hart into joining the faction.
But these are mere speculations at the moment. Only time will tell what the future holds for The Dutch Destroyer.
Do you think these reasons explain Malakai Black's shocking loss at All Out? Sound off in the comments section below.
Also, watch: 10 WWE Superstars who once lived together | Brock Lesnar, Rhea Ripley, Drew McIntyre
