Swerve Strickland has shared his thoughts on the future of Aleister Black following Black’s surprising WWE release last month, amid ongoing rumors about a potential AEW return.
Black was officially released by WWE as part of the company’s post-WrestleMania roster cuts. The release shocked many fans. Black’s release raised eyebrows, considering he had only returned to WWE in 2025 after leaving AEW. In AEW he competed under the name Malakai Black as the leader of the House of Black faction.
Swerve Strickland praises Aleister Black while discussing recent speculation about AEW move persists
During a recent appearance on the Bootleg Kev podcast, Strickland was asked directly about the rumors linking Black to a possible AEW comeback once his 90-day non-compete clause expires later this summer.
Rather than dismissing the idea entirely, Strickland said that he hopes Black and his wife, Zelina Vega, can achieve whatever they wish for in the next chapter of their careers.
“They (Black and Vega) are both very talented, incredible people. Incredible talents in itself. I just hope they find something that gives them the type of…I don’t know what it is that he’s really…whatever it is, I hope they find some place that gives them that,” Strickland said.
Swerve Strickland also revealed how Black played a significant role in helping him develop his understanding of wrestling psychology and character work during his independent wrestling days.
“He has so many great ideas. He’s one of the guys that got me into NXT. Like, him talking with Terry Taylor and he’s like, ‘This is the guy you gotta watch out for.’ I did tape studies with him in 2017. My last indie run, he was the guy I was going to. He really helped my mind a lot at that stage in my career. So I just hope, like, he finds the place that gives him whatever it is that can fulfill him in the industry again,” Strickland added.
Black’s latest WWE departure reportedly came amid several internal creative changes within the company. Multiple talents were released, including darker and supernatural-themed acts such as the Wyatt Sicks faction.
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