Malakai Black: WWE Promised ‘Mountains’ Before Release

Malakai Black is airing out just how disappointing the final stretch of his second WWE run really was, and it sounds like the sting has little to do with the release itself. Speaking on his ZELVX and CHARLIE podcast, the former Aleister Black said the real frustration came from the gap between what WWE told him was coming and what actually played out before he was let go following WrestleMania 42.

Black didn’t mince words, describing the promises made to him as ‘mountains’ that never materialized, and calling the year that followed a ‘f—ing dud’ by comparison. He didn’t go into granular detail about specific plans that were pitched to him, but the message was clear: he walked away from his second WWE stint feeling like the company oversold what his run was going to look like, only to leave him spinning his wheels creatively before his exit.

This isn’t the first time Black’s WWE tenure has drawn scrutiny for its inconsistency. He first arrived as Aleister Black in 2019 with a mysterious, cult-favorite aesthetic and strong momentum out of NXT, only to see his push stall repeatedly on the main roster before he was released in 2021. He resurfaced in AEW as part of the House of Black, one of the most visually distinct and reliably entertaining factions in wrestling, before eventually making his way back to WWE for a second run. That he’s now describing the back half of that second run in such blunt terms suggests the pattern of big talk followed by underwhelming follow-through repeated itself.

For a performer with Black’s reputation — a wrestler regarded by peers and fans alike as one of the most creative in-ring storytellers of his generation — comments like these tend to resonate beyond just his own career. They feed into a broader conversation about how WWE manages talent whose strengths lean toward atmosphere, character work, and unconventional presentation rather than the more traditional main-event mold. When someone with that pedigree says he was promised significant opportunities only to watch the year fizzle out, it raises familiar questions about whether the company’s internal plans keep pace with the pitches made to talent behind the scenes.

Black hasn’t detailed what comes next for him, and nothing here confirms any specific future landing spot. But given his track record of finding a strong creative niche once he leaves WWE, his comments will likely fuel speculation about where he resurfaces next and how his standing within the industry shifts now that he’s speaking candidly about how his second WWE chapter came to a close. For now, his remarks stand as another entry in the long-running discussion about the disconnect between what WWE tells its talent and what ultimately reaches the screen.