After a recent rumor that AEW had denied a prominent member of the roster’s request to be released from his contract, many speculated it could be about Malakai Black. Social media seemed to support the idea Black was unhappy at the company he signed with last year after being released by WWE.
Black seemed to say goodbye to the crowd at All Out on Sunday night (Sept. 4) after House of Black’s loss to Miro, Sting & Darby Allin, further fueling speculation about his future. Now, Fightful Select is reporting “numerous talent” have been told Black has either received his “highly conditional” release, or is otherwise done with the company for the foreseeable future.
It’s not known what the conditions of the release are, but some are pointing to Black pulling himself from an indie booking later this week as evidence one of them might be that he not wrestle for other companies.
The former WWE NXT champion recently shared he’s been dealing with an injury he thought might be career threatening. We’ve also had reports of pressing personal issues, all of which may be causing Black to prioritize his mental health.