Shortly after WrestleMania, Aleister Black continued to enjoy some prominence on WWE RAW. He competed in the Money in the Bank ladder match the next month, and while he lost the bout, he still got a spot on the card. Then, “The Striking Man from Amsterdam” started a feud with former WWE Universal Champion Seth Rollins, a man who had arguably been the face of the company throughout 2019. On paper, this program seemed it would be yet another step up for Black; he could have picked up a major win over the top heel on RAW and potentially climbed up to the next level on the red brand.
Alas, WWE had other plans. Yes, Black managed to defeat Rollins in a singles match due to the interference of Humberto Carrillo. Black then teamed up with Carrillo to wage war with Rollins and his “disciples.” But look at the timeline here; Black defeated Rollins on the June 1, 2020 episode of WWE RAW. But on June 11, Heyman was removed from his position as the Executive Director of the red brand. For months, the narrative that Black had been a “Heyman Guy” has been firmly established. (He confirmed the rumors of Heyman’s support on a Twitch stream the day of his release.) Likewise, it has been widely reported that after Bruce Prichard took Heyman’s role, the “Powers That Be” wanted to bury all of the people that the former ECW promoter had been pushing. Of course, Black was right at the top of that list.
At that point, the writing was on the wall. Black won some matches against Murphy and Rollins’ other disciple, Austin Theory. But “The Dutch Destroyer” repeatedly suffered vicious beatdowns after these victories, and these angles somewhat negated any positive momentum he gained. Black was officially written off of RAW when Rollins and his minions brutally attacked his eye and rammed it into the steel steps. Here, it felt like WWE was indirectly making a statement; fans would never again see Black reach the heights he enjoyed under Heyman’s direction.
Black returned a few weeks later, and he picked a fight with the fan-favorite Kevin Owens. With a heel turn for a fresh coat of paint and a rivalry with a former WE Universal Champion, it was easy to look past the end of his babyface run and hope he’d regain his place as a featured star on RAW. Instead, Black lost all three of his matches with Owens, a streak that destroyed any chance his new villainous character could be successful.
These two are ALL BUSINESS.#NoDQ. Here we go.#WWERaw @FightOwensFight @WWEAleister pic.twitter.com/d3Ulv6X0Sq
— WWE Universe (@WWEUniverse) October 13, 2020
Again, WWE demonstrated a clear lack of faith in Black. At best, it’s fair to argue that that his heel turn was simply a way to help Owens gain some momentum.
When Black got drafted to SmackDown after this unfortunate losing streak, many fans hoped that he’d fare better on the blue brand, as the move could have allowed him to essentially start over. Instead, Black entirely disappeared from WWE television for several months. Following the release of his wife, Thea Trinidad in November, most fans assumed Black would follow her out the door. Instead, he remained in a strange limbo where WWE simply didn’t use him. With an increasingly stale cast of characters on the main roster, many viewers clamored for the return of someone as exciting as Black, but his absence continued to stretch on and on.
Finally, on April 23, Black started to make his way back. A vignette promoting his new “Dark Father” character teased Black’s new character. Over the next few weeks, a few more promos hinted at Black’s plans for the blue brand, and he finally returned on May 21. In the main event WWE Intercontinentall Championship match, Black attacked Big E, one of the top babyfaces on SmackDown, to seemingly start a feud with him. But once again, Black suffered a cruel twist of fate. WWE didn’t follow up on this angle the following week, with the reported intention to let the storyline “breathe,” according to Mike Johnson of PWInsider.
.@WWEAleister has RETURNED to #Smackdown and just attacked @WWEBigE!
? ? ? pic.twitter.com/qU0UDZxKfu
— WWE (@WWE) May 22, 2021
Less than one week later, Black was released from WWE, so fans won’t get to see his rivalry with Big E or the progression of this “Dark Father” character on SmackDown. Naturally, this release is stunning because Black’s return seemed to suggest that WWE was finally giving him another chance. Instead, the announcement of his departure on Wednesday ended a run that was filled with missed opportunities.
Aleister Black will land on his feet. Of that, there’s no doubt. He is immensely talented, and for all the reasons he could have become a big star in WWE, another promotion will surely give him the chance to shine. Like the other stars who were released, Black will have to sit out his non-compete clause. Ironically, that’s set to expire right before the date of All Elite Wrestling’s next major show, All Out, which will be on September 5. (August 31 is 90 days from the day Black was released.)
Fans who always wanted to see Black receive the booking he deserved might be hoping “The Dutch Destroyer” makes the jump to Tony Khan’s company at that show, as his arrival would be a buzzworthy moment. Regardless, wherever Black decides to go, he will thrive and show everyone exactly what WWE lost when they let him go.
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