Aleister Black is in active negotiations with All Elite Wrestling, SEScoops reported, citing a source with direct knowledge of the discussions. Per the SEScoops report, terms have not been finalized and no agreement is in place.
Black, real name Tom Budgen, was among roughly 25 talents released by WWE on April 24, 2026, in a sweeping post-WWE WrestleMania 42 roster reduction. The cuts also took out his wife Zelina Vega, the entire Wyatt Sicks faction including Bo Dallas, Joe Gacy, Nikki Cross, Dexter Lumis, and Erick Rowan, plus Kairi Sane, the Motor City Machine Guns, and Apollo Crews.
Several AEW figures publicly cooled on the idea of Black’s return in the days after his WWE release. AEW talent coordinator Shawn Dean answered “No” on social media when a fan floated reuniting the House of Black with Zelina Vega added to the lineup. Jim Ross, speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, said Black’s “chances are running out” and questioned his reliability outside the ring.
If a deal closes, it would be Black’s third direct jump between WWE and AEW since 2021. He left WWE for AEW in June 2021, returned to WWE on the April 25, 2025 episode of WWE SmackDown after WWE WrestleMania 41, and would now head back to AEW barely a year later. Black led the House of Black during his prior AEW run, holding the AEW World Trios Championship with Brody King and Buddy Matthews.
Black, born May 19, 1985 in Amsterdam, is a former NXT Champion. He performed under the ring name Malakai Black during his first AEW run. He and Zelina Vega, real name Thea Trinidad, have been married since November 23, 2018.
