Former AEW star lists match against Cody Rhodes as his favorite

A former AEW talent was recently asked about his favorite matches from his time in the Jacksonville-based promotion, and the star named a match with Cody Rhodes. The talent in question is Aleister Black, who performed under the name of Malakai Black during his time with Tony Khan's promotion.

The 40-year-old joined AEW in 2021 and enjoyed a four-year stint before rejoining WWE in 2025. Black is best known for being part of The House of Black faction with Buddy Matthews and Brody King. The group rose to prominence in early 2023 when they captured the Trios Championship at Revolution. As of now, Black is signed with WWE and performs on its SmackDown brand.

In a recent interview with Denise Salcedo, Black weighed in on his time with All Elite Wrestling. Later on, he was asked to name his favorite matches in the promotion. The former NXT Champion ranked one of his earlier encounters with Cody Rhodes at the number 1 spot.

“I think if I have to go in line, it’s my blow off match with Cody in Orlando," said Black. [From 03:41 to 03:47]

What happens when wrestlers get too selfish? - Watch Here!

Check out the interview below:

Aleister Black shuts down rumors about never wanting to be in AEW

Aleister Black was recently subject to a false narrative about his All Elite tenure, and he completely shut it down.

Speaking on The Masked Man Show, Black refuted allegations that he did not want to be part of All Elite Wrestling.

“It becomes this thing where people want to desperately have a narrative. ‘He never wanted to be in AEW.’ That’s completely false. That’s absolutely not true. I had a great time in AEW. I had a lot of fun. Did I do everything that I wanted to do? No, but that’s okay. At the end of the day, that’s not my company and I don’t have any say,” said Black [H/T: WrestlePurists on X]

Later in the podcast, Black also refutes speculations about him refusing to take losses.

While using any quotes from this article, please credit the sources and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling.

About the author

Karan Raj is a senior writer in Sportskeeda's AEW division. He holds an engineering degree from Manipal University, but his passion for sports motivated him to pursue an MSc in Sports Business from the University of Liverpool. Karan has been in the sports marketing industry for the past seven years.

As a lifelong WWE fan and enthusiast of wrestling entertainment, he has always been drawn to the industry's unique blend of sports and storytelling. Karan was introduced to the business by his elder sister when he was 10 years old.

Before assuming his current role at Sportskeeda, Karan worked for several reputable organizations, such as Ting Works LLP and Sportz Interactive, wearing different hats. He also wrote the anthem of UP Rudras, a hockey team that played in the Hockey India League. Karan conducts thorough research while writing articles and only relies on credible sources for information.

Karan's favorite pro wrestler is Seth Rollins. He admires The Visionary's versatility as a performer and his ability to play both heel and babyface characters to perfection. Besides Rollins, Karan looks up to Roman Reigns for his storytelling skills and ability to captivate audiences.

In AEW, he enjoys watching Will Ospreay compete inside the ring. Karan loves The Aerial Assassin's technical in-ring ability and athleticism. If Karan could go back to the Attitude Era, he would combine forces with Jericho and promise to elevate his career to the same level as The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin.When not writing about pro wrestling, Karan loves to play and watch football. It is a huge part of his life.

He is also a massive fan of tennis and is learning to play the sport. Apart from sports, he also knows how to play the ukulele.

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Edited by Gurjyot Singh Dadial