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AEW signed Malakai Black over the summer and the company has been shrouded in ominous darkness ever since. The former NXT Champion is a man many fans pegged to become a prominent force in professional wrestling and now he’s proving it in AEW.
The Dutchman debuted in AEW after being released by WWE in June and the creativity that's Black has allowed him to showcase in his new character has instantly captured the attention of wrestling fans everywhere.
Black spoke about his AEW signing on a Twitch stream and opened up about why joining AEW was the right move for himself, his career, and his family:
"It was the right move to make for me, my family, my career, [and] the state of mind I'm in. It's just a really good company. I can't say enough good things about it. They have a bright future. There are a lot of dedicated people and I'm really glad to be part of it." said Malakai Black (H/T - Fightful)
With over half a year gone since Black's debut in AEW, let's take a closer look at his brief run with the company so far and the things they have done right or wrong.
#5 AEW's presentation of Malakai Black has been excellent
Whether it's spine-chilling music, a macabre mask, the black mist or the haunting entrance, Malakai Black's presentation has definitely struck a chord with the audience. The former Aleister Black also ensured storyline continuity for his character by obscuring his right eye with black make-up as a nod to his previous storyline in WWE. In an interview with Bleacher Report, Malakai opened up about the thought process behind his presentation:
"When I made the transition from point A to point B, I wanted to commit myself to something that was different but, at the same time, had enough recognizable traits that it was still in the same wheelhouse of what I have done before," he said.
This is the right move as it helps Malakai's WWE fans build familiarity with his new character in AEW while also expanding on his aura in an impressive manner right off the gate.
#4 Wrong - AEW putting Black in feuds against lesser talent
Last week on AEW Dynamite, Malakai surprisingly had an interaction with the Varsity Blondes tag team of Griff Garrison and Brian Pillman Jr. While they're at the top of the entrance ramp having an interview with Tony Schiavone, the lights went out. When the lights came back on, Black proceeded to blast their valet Julia Hart full on in the face with a black mist.
The problem with this segment is that it sets up a likely between Black and a bunch of, let's be honest, undercard talent at this point in time. Black's character is potentially box office and he should only be portrayed as the main eventer facing off against AEW's other top wrestlers. By letting him interact with AEW's undercard, it threatens to undermine his aura this early in his run.
Malakai has had to contend with the likes of Dante Martin and Dustin Rhodes when he should be going up against Darby Allin, CM Punk and 'Hangman' Adam Page. AEW has a chance to build his mystique and create a supernatural character on the level of The Undertaker in WWE. But the company needs to keep him in the main event picture and build better feuds.
#3 Right - AEW gives Black major creative freedom character
AEW proved an attractive destination for Malakai Black as it allowed the wrestler to unleash his creative freedom. Fans are well aware of how in-tuned Black is with his own character. Speaking in an interview with Bleacher Report, Black talked about how he approaches his AEW gimmick and how he came up with the name Malakai:
"A lot of that character is based on European tribalism and paganism from around the time of Julius Caesar. There were a lot of Celtics in the lowlands who worshipped a deity called Cernunnos, and I based the mask and a lot of the dressing off of that symbolism. I find it fascinating. I had to do some digging and research to find something that would work in a similar fashion but still be something new."
The amount of detail that goes into Malakai's character philosophy just proves why Malakai is one of the best minds in the business right now. It will be interesting for fans to see how far Black can take his character and expound on his own lore. Just this past AEW Dynamite, Black teased debuting his own faction in a haunting vignette, which seems to include Ring of Honor wrestler Brody King. In WWE, Aleister had a great run in NXT but once he got on the main roster, he badly floundered and was misused. So it's heartening to see the opportunities AEW is giving Malakai Black.
#2 AEW randomly putting Malakai Black together with Andrade El Idolo
AEW teasing the formation of the House of Black is certainly an exciting proposition. But what didn't make sense was putting Malakai Black together with Andrade El Idolo in his battles against Cody Rhodes. The random duo teamed up to face off against Rhodes and PAC in AEW Full Gear. It felt like a way to extend Rhodes vs Black by one more match but in a different itireration. Unless AEW signs Zelina Vega, who is Black's real-life wife and Andrade's former WWE valet, to justify their alliance, this association is random at best.
AEW needs to be careful not to dilute Malakai Black's mystique by having him team up with others unnecessarily. If anything, he should be presented as a standalone character who is a supernatural, ominous force of nature. It would be better for his gimmick not to require any help to vanquish his opponents. But if AEW wants to go down the faction route by creating a House of Black, the Dutchman is better served as its leader, similar to the Undertaker in the Ministry of Darkness back in the Attitude Era.
#1 Right - AEW gave Black a dominant victory over Cody Rhodes on his debut
At AEW Dynamite: Road Rager, Malakai Black stunned the live crowd on his debut by laying down Arn Anderson and Cody Rhodes with a pair of scintillating Black Masses. The stage is set to face Rhodes on his AEW in-ring debut. In an interview with talkSPORT, the Dutchman reflected on working with the American Nightmare:
“It was Tony’s idea in line with Cody. No big deal – compete against one of the best wrestlers in the world, one of the biggest names, biggest lineages in the world of pro wrestling and someone who’s in charge of a big part of that company – no pressure [laughs]. I have a tremendous amount of respect for Cody. It wasn’t about pinfalls for me, it was about how far I could push Cody."
Needless to say, Malakai made a big first impression with a hot fued to kickstart his AEW career. Dynamite: Homecoming on Aug. 4. saw the wrestler make quick work of Rhodes. The company made the right decision by giving Black a dominant debut victory right off the bat against a recognizable star.
His subsequent rivalry with Rhodes saw him win the series overall with two victories and elevate him to a star status not seen since his NXT days. Malakai has the potential to become one of the industry's biggest stars as long as AEW keeps letting the wrestler tell compelling stories and provide higher-profile opponents.
