“Buried,” “Early retirement” - Fans react to Triple H’s booking of former AEW champion in WWE

A lot of stars have left WWE to join All Elite Wrestling in the past and then have again returned to the Stamford-based promotion. Among those names is the former AEW World Trios Champion Aleister Black (fka Malakai Black), who returned to WWE earlier this year.

After getting released from the entertainment juggernaut in 2021, Black made his All Elite Wrestling debut by attacking Arn Anderson and Cody Rhodes. His contract with the Jacksonville-based company ended in February 2025, and he returned to WWE on the April 25 episode of SmackDown and attacked The Miz with a Black Mass.

Since then, he has had matches with The Miz and is currently feuding with R-Truth. A fan recently asked on X (fka Twitter) what happened to Malakai Black, to which a lot of fans had different reactions, with some criticizing his current booking. It seems like a lot of fans are not happy with how Black is being booked in the company.

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"buried," a fan wrote.

"Early retirement," another fan wrote.

Check out some other fan reactions below:

Vince Russo calls Aleister Black's current feud in WWE insulting

Aleister Black is currently feuding with Damian Priest on SmackDown. The two have been going at it for months now. A lot of fans have reacted to the feud differently.

WWE Veteran Vince Russo recently shared his thoughts on the feud on the BroDown on Sportskeeda WrestleBinge. He stated that he feels like the storyline is very insulting.

"Aleister Black gets involved as a DQ here. Here's my question: What is the angle between Aleister Black and Damian Priest? And then the announcers say they're hunting each other down. Okay, bro, why are they hunting each other down? This is what I'm talking about, Mac. Guys like you, me, we're watching this show, and it's so freaking insulting. Why are these guys mad at each other? Why are they tracking each other down, hunting each other down? Did I miss something? Every single match, every single thing is this way. What's the angle, guys? What is the hook? What is the story? Why do I care?" Russo said. [From 21:05 onwards]

It will be interesting to see what's next for Aleister Black in WWE after his feud with Damian Priest under Triple H's booking.

About the author

Ishan Dubey is a pro wrestling writer for Sportskeeda, with a lifelong love for professional wrestling that began when he was 5, watching the 2011 Royal Rumble. While pursuing a BCom Hons degree at the University of Delhi, his dedication to wrestling has driven his career.
With years of freelance writing experience, Ishan reports on WWE, adhering to strict guidelines and using official sources to maintain accuracy and give readers the best stories and information. His favorite wrestlers include CM Punk, for always sticking to his beliefs, and Kenny Omega, whom he considers the "god of professional wrestling."
Outside wrestling, Ishan enjoys watching sitcoms, listening to rock and metal music, and writing poems and stories. A passionate debater, he often finds himself in front of a podium when not at his laptop.
One of his favorite moments was having a Kenny Omega poster he made reshared by Omega himself on Instagram.

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Edited by Sanchari Bhattacharya