Malakai Black’s AEW status has been a topic of intense speculation recently, with rumors swirling that his time with the company may be coming to an end. While AEW President Tony Khan had previously stated that Black was signed through 2027, there are reports suggesting that his deal could already be up, or nearing its expiration. According to Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer, the general sentiment backstage in AEW is that “nobody expects him back.” Despite efforts to confirm his status, Meltzer mentioned that there was a lot of silence from AEW officials on the matter.
This speculation has been fueled by subtle clues seen on AEW programming. For example, Julia Hart, who was once part of the House of Black, made her return from injury without any reference to the stable. Additionally, Buddy Matthews, another member of the group, participated in a match against Will Ospreay on January 8’s AEW Dynamite. During the match’s aftermath, Ospreay delivered a promo to Matthews, suggesting that both Matthews and Brody King could break away from the House of Black and stand independently.
Black’s last AEW match took place at Full Gear, where he and Brody King competed in a four-way match for the AEW World Tag Team Championship, which was ultimately won by Private Party. However, it was his match against Adam Cole on the November 6 Dynamite that set tongues wagging. At the end of the match, Black sat cross-legged in the ring and willingly accepted Cole’s finisher, even embracing him afterward in a way that seemed unusual for his character. This interaction, combined with the other backstage rumors and programming clues, has led many to believe that Black may indeed be leaving AEW soon.
WWE has reportedly shown internal interest in bringing Malakai Black back into their fold, adding another layer of intrigue to the situation.