Jim Ross has criticised the booking of Malakai Black in AEW.
Black became All Elite in 2021 when he made his shock debut by attacking Cody Rhodes. In the months following his high-profile debut, Balck formed his own faction, The House of Black, with Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and later Julia Hart. While the group have had success in AEW, Black’s run has widely been viewed unfavourably by fans, particularly since the star has rarely featured in singles matches over the past few years.
Addressing Black’s run on the latest episode of Grilling JR, AEW Announcer Jim Ross criticised the lack of consistency in his booking, saying he could have been better woven into the company’s storylines.
“You didn’t get enough consistency. He could have been more deeply woven into the story lines over time. He’s one of my favorite characters. He’s a smart guy. He’s a hell of a worker. He can be a babyface or a heel. Wherever he’s going to go, he’s going to make money and he’s going to be an asset to any company that he works for.”
JR went on to recall speaking to Black recently and getting the impression the star was “disenchanted.”
“I talked to him a couple of pay-per-views ago, and he didn’t tell me this, but you could tell he was a little disenchanted. I mean, God Almighty. Think about this. They work a day a week. They wrestle a day a week for AEW, maybe two if they get booked on both the Saturday show and the Wednesday show, but that didn’t happen that much. If it did, you’d be working two days a week. I think his future is always going to be bright. He’s a creative guy.”
Malakai Black Hits Out At AEW Departure Speculation
Following a heartfelt moment with Adam Cole on Dynamite, Malakai Black has pushed back on speculation he is leaving AEW. The star made it clear that he has no intentions of retiring and he is not leaving the company. He also noted that he has not been injured since his back issues over three years ago.
H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the above transcription.