Aleister Black Says WWE Return “Felt Like Coming Home” – Aleister Black is back in WWE, and according to the former NXT Champion, the experience has been overwhelmingly positive. After nearly four years away from the company, Black made his return on SmackDown following WrestleMania 41, ending his AEW run as Malakai Black that lasted from July 2021 to late 2024.
In a recent interview with the Atomic Drop newsletter, Black reflected on what it felt like to re-enter WWE under new leadership. Now working under Triple H and Nick Khan, he described the return as emotional, comforting, and above all, natural.
“I’ve been thinking about that a lot and I feel like it happened very organically. I think the first day that I came back, like physically being backstage, you know, walking around and talking to people and being quote-unquote reintroduced to the company and stuff like that. It’s strange, right? Because it’s like a mixed feeling of nostalgia and familiarity whilst there is something unknown… but at the same time, it’s the same people that I connected with the first time around.”
Black admitted to feeling some anxiety during his first day back, but those nerves quickly faded.
“I remember being very nervous, but then realizing that everything felt the same in the most positive sense… it was like all my anxiety just kind of dropped. And I’m like, yeah, this time around, it’s even better, you know what I mean? Because I’ve always had a good relationship with Triple H, and I get along great with Nick Khan, and the locker room is something that I’ve always preached about, how fantastic the boys are in WWE.”
He elaborated on the emotional weight of returning to a company where he spent eight years of his life, calling it a rare and genuine feeling of homecoming.
“It felt like coming home, and I know that sounds somewhat cliché, but I’ve never experienced that feeling of coming home in that sense… Nothing is like WWE, no locker room I’ve ever been in, and it just felt like this is what it’s supposed to be for me.”
Since returning, Black has competed in four matches on WWE television. Most recently, he was part of a Money in the Bank qualifier triple threat match against LA Knight and Shinsuke Nakamura. Although Black landed a Black Mass on Nakamura, LA Knight capitalized by tossing him out of the ring and scoring the win with a pinfall on Nakamura.
Aleister Black Says WWE Return “Felt Like Coming Home”
