Aleister Black

[6.0] "I liked him a lot more in 2017-2019, tbh. I know he's got injuries and whatnot but I feel like his AEW run and 2nd WWE run have been kind of underwhelming. His NXT run is top tier though, I will say that. But he just seems SO checked out at times these days."

[8.0] "Aleister Black is a unique talent. He stands out with his look and presentation. His striking-based offense is very different. You can tell he has real martial arts training. His promos are ok. Most of them are pre-taped so I don't know how they would go in the ring."

[8.0] "He's a great in-ring performer, no doubt. Incredible striker and makes the action look and feel real. Can build the animosity in a rivalry as a vicious heel, looks the part as well - great aura. But he's kind of lacking on the mic game. Nowadays, he's doing great with Vega as a sidekick. Would love to see him win a singles title with good booking."

[7.0] "Satanism is pure cringe but as a gimmick it's money. Tommy is great in the ring and has a killer look but he's never reached his full potential. Assuming he doesn't have some crazy late career revival - which doesn't seem likely - he's gonna go down as a What If story."

[5.0] "He has a good look and he's charismatic, but he can't connect with a crowd well and isn't the greatest in ring performer. He was good at NXT as World Champion as the character was booked and presented magnificently but has failed literally everywhere else. He's not bad, just average. Not a fan."

[5.0] "[5.5] I feel like black has a cool style but it is very one sided. He just does a bunch of strikes and a random moonsault every now and then. I honestly have no idea is can even talk because he spends most of the time just starring at his opponent. He's got a great aura don't get me wrong, but he does nothing with it. His time on wee main roster was a waist. He did not have one match above okay. I always thought h he was great in next. It took me awhile to see that all his great matches there was because he was facing phenomenal opps like Ricochet and Adam Cole. He also looked like he half assed 90% of his time in aew. Now he is back in WWEs overcrowded roster and I don't see him doing much."

[5.0] "Aleister Black was once an exceptional wrestler, showcasing impressive striking ability, high-flying maneuvers, and a well-rounded skill set. In recent years, however, his in-ring performance has declined significantly, becoming deeply disappointing. If he is genuinely struggling with mental health issues, he should prioritize seeking long-term treatment rather than continuing to deliver subpar matches. I still care about him and hope he prioritizes his well-being to return stronger."

[9.0] "I wish he won a major title in WWE, I really thought that he would become a universal champion, he fights like a world champion"

[7.0] "I like the dark/brooding/edgy/whatever you wanna call it personas. Which is a shame, because I don't feel that positive for Malakai's anymore. Still, that doesn't make it bad, just a tad bland in my eyes. And in the ring he is downright brilliant."

[6.0] "Eh, very one-dimensional. He has a great look, but what has he done in wrestling? I don't mean like what promotions he has been in, but more so, in those promotions, what has he done? Nothing memorable, at least in my opinion. He's very generic and the only thing that really stands out are his tats. In-ring, you can find a bunch of him. His mic work isn't great. I just really don't see the hype around this guy at all. Mid at best."

[7.0] "Malakai is an interesting and unique character who suffers from getting lost in the mid-card. He's good in the ring, but his aesthetic is what allows him to stand out from others. He would greatly benefit from having more important storylines where he can show off his character-work."

[7.0] "I am consistently intrigued by Malakai, but despite the House of Black existing for a couple years I feel like I'm still waiting for the faction to move beyond generic spookiness into something interesting. Good to great in the ring, top tier ring presence in particular, but overall not quite enough to stand out. I understand that his health might be limiting his opportunities, which would be a real shame."

[10.0] "Certainly one of the most complete, original, charismatic and precise wrestlers in existence. His lack of recognition is one of the most frustrating of recent years. His character is unique, his aura and charisma overflowing, his punches are of rare precision and impact, he's fast and agile, capable of stunning feats and has a presence that should benefit any company. He can express anything without a word and tell wonderful stories just in the ring. It's a shame this man isn't a multiple champion."

[8.0] "Really good wrestler with probably my favorite dark/twisted villain gimmick. His "House of Black" faction is great and I eventually hope he gets a singles push for a mid-card title. His AEW career was also amazing."

[7.0] "This guy is very talented, characters like him are rare these days, which makes him very unique, and I really like the dark gimmick. It's a shame that in AEW he couldn't perform like you expect from a hyped man like him, and I don't know who's fault it is, but he had very few singles matches and couldn't do anything interesting."

[5.0] "A guy who would be considerably better if he accepted his natural level of talent. He would be perfectly good as mid card heel that works as a road block to a babyface moving up the card but it would appear he holds himself in slightly too high a regard. Spooky boy gimmicks have a certain ceiling that means he is never going to be top guy. In a way, this AEW run is really helping him as it keeps off TV enough that his major flaws are not quite as exposed as they would be if he turned up for work every week."

[7.0] "Black looks to have heaps of potential if he can ever just find a company that will give him a serious push. He's got some fantastic kickboxing-based offence, wonderfully agile movements, absolutely flawless technique, and a very engaging look and aura about him. His insistence in creating his own standalone wrestling 'lore' filled with all these "dark" concepts and visuals is pretty hit and miss, since it often just feels like he talks in obscurities and flowery language for the sake of showing how "deep" and "serious" he can be, and it definitely feels goofy at times. At the same time though, it can't be denied that he does well with his acting during all those promos, backstage segments, and vignettes, having great conviction in his delivery to ensure that even if I don't necessarily care about what he's saying or implying, I can at least tell that *he* cares and is very serious about what he's saying or implying. He's one of those wrestlers who I could easily imagine doing pretty well as a villain or anti-hero in some indie horror/thriller film. Him bringing in some friends to form the 'House of Black' stable bodes well for his odds of progressing up the card. I just hope we don't have to sit through much more of him simply destroying jobbers or being held back in tag matches, since he's clearly capable of wrestling at a World Title level if only AEW bothered to give him a chance. EDIT: 31.08.2023 Hey look, another guy who has all the major skills required to be pushed as a top star, but who AEW continues to saddle in a ceiling unit and with a series of underwhelming feuds. To be fair, Black is such a nerd that he probably loves getting to hang out with his mates Brody and Buddy week after week and further explore the 'dark lore' behind their House of Black unit, so his lack of a singles push is possibly his own doing as much as AEW's, but it's still a massive shame to have him essentially hidden away in tag/trios matches instead of flourishing in singles matches like we all know he can. Surely at this point in his AEW run he can say: "Okay, I've done everything I can in these tag and trios matches with Buddy and King as the House of Black. It's time for me to move on to a singles run". He's nearly 40, after all, so I'd like to see him explore some dream singles matches in AEW *some time* before he retires. I'd begrudgingly even accept if instead he and Buddy had a run with the tag titles, since it's more King that I don't care much for from their unit anyways, and a tag match would automatically allow Black to have more TV-time compared to a trios match. So yeah, either AEW or Black himself need to get with the program so that Black can start being properly utilised as the star he's meant to be."

[9.0] "I like how Malakai-Aleister has always known how to create characters that far from looking to be charismatic is more something sinister and he's pretty good at it, his fighting style I like and he's good at it."

[8.0] "Black is someone who's in-ring abilities, unique look and good character. have gotten him over on the indies and on NXT but on the bigger levels falls into the background. In the ring he can go with just about anyone. On the mic he has a way of feeling ominous. His presence in the ring is perfect. He just have not shown his potential on the highest level yet and I can not figure out why."

[4.0] "Another casualty of AEW who went from being a hyped prospect to getting exposed for all his flaws, the House of Black stuff is goofy and he went from having a unique aura to him, to now just feeling like another guy on the roster. His NXT run is worth 8 points but his AEW run is the most recent I've seen him so I've got to rate him lower."

[4.0] "I really dont like this dude. I think he is genuinely bad. Goofy MMA wrestler, GOD AWFUL lore promos & terrible spooky gimmick. Free Brody King from this guy. If Malakai wasnt part of prime NXT then he wouldnt get overrated the way he does, people would instead realize he isnt good"

[8.0] "In entertainment, being cool and standing out counts for a lot, and Malakai definitely stands out. It's hard to rate how good he's been in his AEW run, as he's been the victim of start/stop booking, injuries (both to himself and people he's been feuding with), and some personal issues. But when he's been onscreen, he's electric."

[6.0] "I want to like Black a lot more than I do. He's got a unique gimmick with a dark charisma that gets you interested. He has a few vicious moves which look good but it never seems to come together. I don't know if it's national promotion booking that doesn't suit him because back in his Tommy End days and even in NXT his matches were a lot better."

[8.0] "Say what you will about Malakai Black, but he always does his best to stand out. One of the best strikers and creative minds in the business, it s a shame AEW doesn't seem to know what to do with him and his crew, as he has been a great talent everywhere he has been so far in his career."

[8.0] "easily one of my favourite wrestlers today. he has the look, great mic skills, and has a sick moveset, a complete package. he's insanely creative but his momentum has died down. it's a shame he's wasting away in AEW."

[9.0] "Great to watch in the ring, love his strikes. Fitting look, good delivery on everything but suffers from AEW's stop-start-booking. If they push him to be a main event player, he will thrive for sure."

[7.0] "Possibly one of my favorite wrestlers. He was the first indy wrestler I ever saw. However, I feel that in AEW he's not being valued, and House Of Black is nothing more than a cheap copy of The Legion. I'm not asking for him to win a title, but I am asking for him to have more relevance. Since his disastrous feud with Cody, he hasn't done much else."

[5.0] "His AEW run has been a bust so far, marred by terrible gimmicks ruining matches and aimless feuds. Occasionally has promise but it's never developed."

"He is just phenomenal. He was my favorite wrestler when I first saw him at the fed. He had great matches in nxt and it was a shame he wasn't utilized properly in the main roster. It's great to see him I'm aew doing his badass thing. I also adore his style, the kicks and the striking. He executes these things with great accuracy and aggressiveness."

[9.0] "An underrated wrestler, it's hard to find a wrestler with the ability to fit in as a dark character and Malakai Black goes unnoticed in that regard. Apart from the fact that his varieties of kicks are incredible, beyond that he is not a person who stands out for his physique or strength."

[9.0] "The biggest waste of talent in AEW. From road to being a main eventer, down to mid-card and no any meaning feuds. He's had a incredible momentum after his debut, could and should have been already one of the faces of the company. I also don't like House of Black thing, he doesn't need any faction, he should be a dominant solo fighting heel."

[10.0] "This guy may be my absolute favorite wrestler, but I'm still a but frustrated by how things are going on for him in AEW. I was so hyped up when he arrived, beating Cody Rhodes with an awesome entrance theme. But since then, he wrestled almost only midcarders and he didn't use his sick music for a long time. I also love Buddy Matthews so I like their pairing and with Brody King they have a cool stable. I hope that big things are coming for them and especially for Malakai."

[7.0] "The Black Mass is one of my favourite finishers in wrestling. It looks legitimate and he can hit it from many positions. As a big martial arts and MMA fan, I know how difficult it is to make that move look good and he does it well. He's always had a really original character and look and I remember him standing out when I saw him on the independent scene many years back. His run in NXT was very good and he seems to have a flair for character work. However, I think he might just be working in a big of an unoriginal space. "Dark creepy evil and mysterious" is the easiest and most commonly portrayed character, and it holds him back because I want to compare him to all the others, like Raven or Bray Wyatt, and it holds him back a bit. A good example is how Edge has played this character in the past, and is returning to it as I post this, but also had a whole bunch of other character work in the middle that allow you to give him a higher rating due to versatility."

[9.0] "The evolution of Malakai Black is fascinating. His character had shown signs of potential in WWE, but I never felt like he was truly allowed the creative freedom. Now in AEW, his storytelling is phenomenal. I love that he keeps kayfabe by referencing his eye injury and his whole thing is that he is out for vengeance against the industry entirely. His mic work has always been impressive, coming off as grim and intimidating. His in ring work is to be commended as well. I love the Black Mass and he has a good variety of strikes and moves alike. I genuinely see him becoming World Champion one day, but as of now, I am really enjoying his run on AEW."

[9.0] "I don't understand the occult, but I can't deny he's got the skills. Great character work, look, promo game and I enjoy watching him pro-wrestle."

[10.0] "I love his in-ring work and his mic skills, he is a genius with storytelling and building his characters."

[7.0] "He is a pretty good talent. His strikes are impressive and look impactful. He is a solid talker, and has a great menacing voice that works for face or heel. He once had one of the best, most impactful-looking finishers in wrestling. I say had, because this far in AEW, it has looked like shit. He doesn't twist with as much force, and it looks like it misses completely. Not necessarily his fault, but a minor quibble. Pretty good overall, but I have much prefered his WWE work over his AEW work thus far."

[9.0] "So far in AEW he's only done short squash matches, but in those couple of minutes he looks absolutely killer. When he finally gets a big match I think he's going to be considered one of the best. His presentation and everything right now is top notch. Can't wait for more."

[9.0] "Tommy is a wrestler with a style that all the territories have chased since Martial Arts have captured the American and European interest and since Japan's pro wrestling started: a wrestler who mostly relies on kicks and strikes and does not come off as a weak compromise between wrestling and martial arts. Glacier, Jerry Flynn, Tank Abbott... Even Maeda and Sayama have all tried to incorporate the stiff striking of full contact striking in their wrestling with mixed results. Tommy, a dutch kickboxer trained by ACTUALLY by RINGS shootfighter and wrestler "DIRTY" Bob Schreiber is IMO the only one to bring those skills to the ring and make it work."

[9.0] "Since joining AEW a little over a month ago, the man now known as Malakai Black has finally become the wrestler he was always meant to be. With time, he could soon become a 10."

[4.0] "Cool tattoos, cool kicks but that's about it with Aleister Black. He is bad at promos. He can't convey emotion convincingly so he is stuck playing an Iceman Occultist. He probably is the worst NXT Champion ever and his WWE main roster run is atrocious, given that being good inside the ring is supposed to be his strong suit but even then he never managed to have a great match. He had fairly long and competitive matches against AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, Kevin Owens and Cesaro and all fell flat. Only 2 matches with Murphy were very good in the last 3 years. He basically is still coasting on his matches with Hero and the coolness of the Sumerian Death Squad for the last 6 years."

[6.0] "Amazing look, a cool move set and decent 'edgy' promos. Has the potential to do a whole lot more than he is currently."

[8.0] "Good wrestler but I think he is somewhat flat in other respects, not if one day his gimmick really works on SmackDown or RAW."

[6.0] "Pretty overrated. His gimmick is just edgelord material personified: lots of dark imagery but no real substance. Has good intensity but his need to spam kicks for the whole match brings his quality way down, and his opponents look like mugs for not trying to counter his consistent kick spamming. Lacks strong storytelling in his matches, mostly focusing on him being fairly stiff but without the urgency or realism that makes stiff style wrestlers fun to watch. A lack of charisma and pretty dire promos doesn't help things either. That being said, if he's put in there with a guy who can slow things down and drag out some of his more positive elements, he can have pretty good matches. Definitely needs improvement, but I'm not sure if WWE is the place for that."

[8.0] "A cool persona and a monster finishing kick, if they can find a way to rekindle that fire they had when he was NXT champion, ths you have one of the next big stars knocking at your door"

[6.0] "Tommy End is not a favorite wrestler. He does a good job in the ring. But he doesn't have a character or charisma. His victories on wrestlers whose level of professionalism is higher (Styles, Cesaro, Andrade, Rollins, Murphy, Gargano, KENTA, Cole) cause me resentment and contradictions."

[5.0] "I quite liked him in NXT despite not being fond of his gimmick, but he has been really poor since his call up. Hanging around in a dark room cutting awful promos, waiting for someone to "pick a fight" for months on end seriously destroyed my enjoyment of him. After that he was doing a ton of boring jobber matches where he gets his kick finisher "out of nowhere", and I have no clue what he is meant to be doing today. With that said, His matches with Murphy were solid and the only redeeming thing he has done on the main roster."

[9.0] "Aleister Black is a very good wrestler, he does an incredible job with his character, his promos are usually very good, and he is very good at ringing, and at NXT he reached his peak, making several incredible matchs, now on Main Roster he seems to be meeting, and I hope the WWE will invest in him as he can be a star."

[9.0] "He has the IT factor of a main eventer. He has an cool character and a great moveset which fits him and his striking background. I expect great things in the future if the booking dont drop the ball with him."

[9.0] "In-ring wise, he's pretty good. Has the look of a potential main eventer. Was pretty great in NXT, but unfortunately, the main roster creative team aren't doing him any favors and he's pretty much just winning a lot of matches while accomplishing nothing."