Aleister Black Shuts Down Rumor His Tattoos Led to Royal Rumble Absence

Aleister Black is finally clearing up the rumors about why he didn’t appear in the Royal Rumble — and according to him, the real reason had nothing to do with Saudi Arabia or his tattoos.

While speaking to The Stunner on March 5, 2026, Black addressed speculation that he had traveled to Saudi Arabia for the event but was removed because his tattoos were considered too controversial. Black quickly shut that idea down.

“No, that’s not true. I was supposed to be in the Rumble, but they were planning to start a story between me and Randy.”

Instead, Black explained that the plan involved a storyline with Randy Orton, but he felt launching that feud inside the chaos of the Royal Rumble wouldn’t have done the angle justice.

“I felt like if we started that in the Rumble, it would get lost in everything going on. We didn’t want it to be something where we’re just two guys getting thrown out and the story goes to waste. So we decided it would be better to save it for the weeks to come.”

Black believes the tattoo rumor likely resurfaced because of a real conversation that happened years ago when WWE first started running shows in Saudi Arabia. He explained that at the time, there were questions about how his heavily tattooed appearance might be received in that environment, and he even discussed the issue with Vince McMahon.

“When the Saudi Arabia shows first began years ago, my tattoos did come up in conversation. That’s a fact. At that time there was concern about how people there might react. That was about five years ago, and it was something I talked about with Vince.”

However, Black says that concern hasn’t been an issue for a long time — something he pointed to by referencing his recent WWE television appearance. According to Black, the misunderstanding likely came from fans assuming the old issue was still relevant today.

“But that’s not really an issue anymore. The last time I was on TV with R-Truth, even though the segment was small, I was still shown clearly on television. My arms were exposed, the side of my head was visible, and you could see my tattoos. So I think people just assumed the old concern was still the reason now, but that wasn’t the case.”

Bottom line: Black says he was originally scheduled for the Royal Rumble — but the creative team chose to hold off so his storyline with Randy Orton could start in a more meaningful way.

Do you think WWE should have started the Aleister Black vs Randy Orton story inside the Royal Rumble, or was saving it the right move? Let us know your thoughts.

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