Aleister Black isn’t wasting much time now that he’s free to wrestle again. His first matches since leaving WWE are officially set—and he’s already gone back to being Malakai Black.
On August 12, PROGRESS Wrestling announced on Twitter that Black will compete on its upcoming Odyssey Tour in September, marking his first matches since his WWE release in April. PROGRESS made his return official using the name wrestling fans knew him by during his AEW run.
“THE ODYSSEY TOUR – MALAKAI BLACK WILL BE COMPETING.”
And this isn’t a one-night appearance. Black is currently advertised for three stops on the tour: Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester.
“One of the biggest names in professional wrestling is coming to Edinburgh, Leeds and Manchester for his first matches back on the independent wrestling scene!”
PROGRESS also teased that Malakai isn’t simply coming back to make an appearance. Apparently, he’s returning with something specific in mind. Exactly what that goal is remains a mystery.
“He’s held gold in every major company he’s set foot in and returns to PROGRESS with one major goal…Malakai will be competing during the tour at the following venues; @EdinburghCornEx @o2academyleeds @o2ritzmanc.”
The name change is notable after his latest WWE run. He competed as Aleister Black after returning to the company, but the moment that run ended, the Aleister name apparently went with it. For his first matches back on the independent scene, he’s Malakai Black again. The announcement also comes shortly after Black resurfaced with a cinematic video declaring: “I am the death of me.”
The footage showed him looking back at gear from his WWE and AEW careers before revealing a shaved head and throwing himself into MMA-style training. At the time, he didn’t reveal where he was going next. Now we know. Aleister Black left WWE in April. Malakai Black returns to the ring in September—and his first stop is PROGRESS.
What do you want to see from Malakai Black now that he’s back on the independent scene? Let us know in the comments.
