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8 clusters · 21 sources · 49 days · First seen · Last updated

Malakai Black professional wrestling career status

Overview

Following his release from WWE in April, professional wrestler Malakai Black has been navigating his status as a free agent. While reports indicate he held preliminary discussions with Major League Wrestling (MLW) shortly after his departure, those talks did not progress significantly. Rumors regarding a return to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) have been denied by the promotion. Black officially returned to the ring on August 22 at his own wrestling school, Dark Arts Gym, where he defeated J. Villa. This return preceded his scheduled appearances with the UK-based PROGRESS Wrestling as part of ‘The Odyssey Tour’ in September. Black achieved significant success in the United Kingdom, winning the PROGRESS World Championship by defeating Cara Noir in Manchester, ending Noir’s 126-day reign. However, his championship reign was short-lived. At PROGRESS Chapter 198 in London, Cara Noir defeated Black to reclaim the PROGRESS Men’s World Championship, ending Black’s 21-day reign. Following the loss, the Dutch wrestler announced he is abandoning the Malakai Black persona to return to his original ring name, Tommy End. Addressing the crowd, he noted his deep connection to the promotion, stating that PROGRESS helped facilitate his previous opportunities in WWE and AEW. He expressed his intention to remain with the company long-term, citing support from leadership figures Big Damo and Nikki Storm. This name change marks a return to the identity used prior to his 2017 WWE debut as Aleister Black and his subsequent tenure in AEW. Reflecting on his tenure with WWE, Black previously described his year with the company as a “dud” that failed to meet initial expectations, expressing frustration that creative direction did not align with the “mountain” of promises made to him.

Entities

Malakai Black · WWE · Progress Wrestling · Cara Noir · Big Damo

Claims

What the coverage asserts, and how many sources carry each claim.

Timeline

  1. [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Malakai Black announced for House of Glory Salvation

    Former WWE and AEW star Malakai Black is set to return to the independent wrestling scene at House of Glory Wrestling's Salvation event on October 9 in New York.

  2. [SPORTS] 6 sources
    Cara Noir wins PROGRESS World Title; Malakai Black returns to Tommy End

    Cara Noir reclaimed the PROGRESS Men’s World Championship from Malakai Black in London. Following the loss, the wrestler announced he is reverting to his original ring name, Tommy End.

  3. [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Malakai Black criticizes WWE over unfulfilled creative promises

    Wrestler Malakai Black claims WWE failed to deliver on creative promises, prompting mixed reactions from industry veterans Eric Bischoff and Jim Ross.

  4. [SPORTS] 7 sources
    Malakai Black discusses scrapped WWE WrestleMania plans

    Malakai Black has criticized his recent WWE run as a disappointment, revealing that a planned WrestleMania match against Randy Orton was scrapped and that the creative direction failed to meet initial promises.

  5. [SPORTS] 5 sources
    Malakai Black wins PROGRESS World Championship

    Malakai Black defeated Cara Noir at the PROGRESS Odyssey Tour to win the PROGRESS World Championship, marking his first match since leaving WWE in April.

  6. [SPORTS] 2 sources
    Malakai Black returns to the ring following WWE departure

    Malakai Black returned to the ring on August 22, defeating J. Villa at the Dark Arts Gym, ahead of his scheduled PROGRESS Wrestling appearance on September 4.

  7. [SPORTS] 6 sources
    Malakai Black held preliminary talks with MLW following WWE release

    Malakai Black had preliminary discussions with Major League Wrestling following his WWE release, though the talks did not advance. He remains a free agent and is scheduled for upcoming PROGRESS Wrestling dates.

  8. [SPORTS] 4 sources
    Malakai Black announced for PROGRESS Wrestling September tour

    Malakai Black will return to the independent wrestling scene this September, competing in three PROGRESS Wrestling shows across Edinburgh, Leeds, and Manchester.

Sources

cagesideseats.com · f4wonline.com · fightful.com · fmarion.edu · prwrestling.com · pwmania.com · ringsidenews.com · si.com · solowrestling.com · spaziowrestling.it · sportskeeda.com · superluchas.com · tuttowrestling.com · wrestlepurists.com · wrestlezone.com · wrestlingheadlines.com · wrestlingInc.com · wrestlinginc.com · wrestlingnews.co · wrestlingnewsreport.com · zonawrestling.net

This summary has been updated 6 times: see revision history