Malakai Black didn’t wait until September to make his return to the ring after all. Months after his WWE release, Black quietly wrestled his first match on August 22—and did it at his own wrestling school.
Black stepped back between the ropes at the Dark Arts Gym, where he squared off against J. Villa. It marked his first match since leaving WWE in April and gave fans an early look at what Black can still do before his previously announced return for PROGRESS Wrestling.
There didn’t seem to be much ring rust either. Black worked through his familiar offense against Villa and pulled out several of his signature moves during the match, looking comfortable despite spending the past several months away from competition. Black ultimately picked up the win, officially putting his first post-WWE match in the books.
That changes what was originally expected to be his comeback. PROGRESS Wrestling had announced Black vs. Donovan Dijak for September 4 in Edinburgh, which was set to mark Black’s first match since his WWE departure. Instead, Black got an earlier return under his belt at Dark Arts before heading overseas.
Bottom line: Black won’t be walking into Edinburgh after nearly five months without a match anymore. He already got back inside the ring, ran through the offense fans know him for and walked away with a win—and there didn’t appear to be much rust to shake off in the first place.
What did you make of Malakai Black’s first match since leaving WWE? Let us know in the comments below.
