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Malakai Black requested his release from AEW amid mental health concerns and was granted a conditional one after participating in a Trios match at All Out 2022. After House of Black suffered a loss to Darby Allin, Sting, and Miro, Black hugged Brody King and Buddy Matthews before bowing to the live Chicago crowd as he bade goodbye.
Now photos have resurfaced of The Dutchman on holiday with his wife and WWE Superstar Zelina Vega, who has been spending time away from wrestling due to an unknown injury post-WrestleMania.
Vega recently took to Twitter to share some images of her holiday with her husband, which showed the couple in high spirits. The duo is one of the most recognizable wrestling couples in the business and is in a unique position to be employed by rival wrestling companies.
Here are five things you probably didn't know about their relationship.
#5. Malakai Black and Zelina Vega first met in WWE NXT
Fans will be surprised to learn that Black and Zelina never crossed paths until they met in NXT. They started their careers in separate places, with Vega debuting under the ring name Rosita in IMPACT wrestling while Black was known as Tommy End in the European independent circuit.
Vega was dating former WWE Cruiserweight Superstar and IMPACT wrestler Austin Aries at that time. He was on the WWE roster when Vega signed, but their relationship ended before they ever worked together on NXT or the main roster.
Vega and Black trained at the WWE Performance Center around the same time in 2017, and that is when love probably blossomed between the two.
#4. Malakai Black and Zelina Vega share a love for tattoos
Malakai Black and Zelina Vega made the news in 2020 after getting tattoos together, with the latter posting several photos highlighting hers on Instagram. The couple got the tattoos from renowned artist Daniel Selleck in Orlando, Florida.
Selleck posted a photo on his official Instagram handle displaying his tattoo work on Black. Vega, on the other hand, added a few new tattoos that were smaller, including one dedicated to her mother. Black visibly boasts an impressive list of body art, and it's clear his love for ink is shared by his spouse.
#3. Malakai Black and Zelina Vega were storyline rivals in NXT
One fun fact about Malakai Black and Zelina Vega is that they have never appeared on-screen as a couple despite being married. Instead, they were storyline rivals during their time in NXT.
In 2018, Vega started appearing as a manager for Andrade and helped him become NXT Champion. During this time, the star feuded with Vega's real-life husband, Aleister Black.
Their incredible match at TakeOver: New Orleans in 2018 saw Aleister Black win the NXT Championship from Andrade, despite Vega's multiple interferences at ringside.
#2. Malakai Black and Zelina Vega got married in 2018
Zelina Vega and Malakai Black tied the knot in late 2018, just a year into their relationship. Their wedding was an intimate affair. Only a few photos have circulated from the event, with a small group of friends and family invited.
It was indeed a departure from the high-profile weddings of Daniel Bryan & Brie Bella, Miro & Lana, and even Corey Graves and Carmella, where the updates splashed all over WWE social media. It's clear that Vega and Black are a private couple even though they make no secret of their relationship online.
#1. Malakai Black and Zelina Vega once trained with CM Punk
CM Punk might be at the center of the controversy engulfing AEW, but he does have friends in the locker room. One of them is Malakai Black, it seems. When Punk first joined AEW in 2021, he took some time to train in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, ahead of a Dynamite show there.
The Straight Edge Superstar was spotted at Roufusport Kickboxing, owned and operated by Duke Roufus, who once trained Punk for his UFC career. He took a group picture with Roufus plus Black and his wife, WWE Superstar Zelina Vega.
ESPN writer Marc Raimondi commented on the training session at the time:
"Duke Roufus tells me he’ll be at #AEWDynamite tonight in Milwaukee with Bellator bantamweight champ Sergio Pettis to support “incredible friend” CM Punk. Also, per Roufus, Malakai Black is pretty darn good at kickboxing."
Punk is known for using Muay Thai kicks in his wrestling arsenal, which he has in common with Black, a great kickboxer in his own right. It's possible that The Second City Saint also had a conversation with Vega about their shared admiration for Eddie Guerrero.
