“Zelina Vega is more of a game changer than him”, “Never understood the hype” – Fans lash out at former WWE Superstar's disappointing AEW run

Many WWE Superstars have jumped over to AEW in recent years. While some, like Jon Moxley and Bryan Danielson, have continued to steer their careers on an upward trajectory, others have not been quite as successful.

Two years ago, Bleacher Report's Chris Roling published an article detailing why AEW's acquisition of Malakai Black was "WWE's worst nightmare." While the House of Black member has not had the worst run in Tony Khan's promotion, he has certainly not lived up to this label.

The current AEW Trios Champion finds himself circulating around the mid-card and has not even come close to being presented as one of the company's top assets. This has prompted many fans to recall Roling's article and scoff at the exaggerated sentiments it maintains:

Certain Twitter users have gone about somewhat defending Malakai Black, instead placing the blame on Tony Khan for his disappointing spell in the promotion:

While hindsight is always 20/20, it's fair to say that Black has not reached the heights many believed he would once joining AEW. At the very least, this can serve as a reminder to always let new signings play out before jumping to any conclusions.

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Malakai Black heaps praise on several WWE stars

Despite no longer working in WWE, Malakai Black used his recent appearance on Bobby Fish's Undisputed Podcast to say some kind words about his former colleagues.

He was not shy to share his admiration for top stars like Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and Randy Orton. When speaking about The Viper, Black said the following:

"I cannot express how it is to be in there with Randy Orton who is just — he is a step above being a ring general. He just knows everything and the slightest body movement and every body — it’s insane how crazy good Randy is." (H/T POST Wrestling)

Randy Orton has been absent from WWE programming since last year due to injuries. However, some reports have speculated that he could be on his way back to the ring imminently.

If Malakai Black's words are anything to go by, Orton's return will be nothing but positive for WWE. Not only have fans sorely missed the 14-time world champion, but there is also a wide host of young talent that stand to learn a lot from the accomplished veteran.

Only time will tell when The Apex Predator makes his way onto television again, but many in the wrestling world will be hoping that his comeback is sooner rather than later.