Malakai Black is set to become a free agent before WrestleMania 41 from Los Angeles according to latest reports.
There have been lots of rumors about the former NXT Champion's future amid his AEW hiatus and many believed that he might already be done with Tony Khan's promotion.
PWinsider recently provided an update on his situation however, noting that as of now, Black is still technically under an AEW deal. Though people within the company believe that he will not be returning to AEW programming and they expect him to become a free agent sometime in February or March.
Malakai Black was last seen on TV during the Full Gear PPV in November 2024. He teamed with Brody King for a fatal four-way tag team championship match but the duo were unsuccessful in their quest to win the title.
AEW hinted at Black's faction member Buddy Matthews breaking away from the group and going on a singles run in 2025 during the most recent episode of Dynamite. The storyline only further suggests that the company is not factoring the former WWE star in their plans for the new year.
Known as Aleister Black in WWE, the 39-year-old was featured prominently in NXT under Triple H. Now that the game is running main roster creative, Black returning to the Endeavor-owned promotion seems like the most natural course of action if he does leave AEW.
