Since returning to WWE in April, Aleister Black has adopted a patient mindset regarding his position on Friday Night SmackDown. While some fans may wish to see him in a more prominent role, Black noted that he finds reward in the “sweat equity” he believes will lead to accomplishing his career goals.
Speaking to The Takedown on SI, Black addressed the fan desire for a quicker ascent, cautioning against the dangers of “instant gratification.”
“That’s the only way to do it,” Black said. “I obviously very much appreciate that fans want this process to be sped up. We live in a society where it’s instant gratification, and the second you start doing instant gratification is the second you’re gonna lose a lot. And people often don’t realize that subconsciously they love the struggle.”
Black added that while fans may not always enjoy the “finish line,” the “emotional connection earned along that long road to the destination is paramount for a journey’s success.”
The responsibility for Aleister Black’s creative direction falls to WWE Chief Content Officer Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, with whom Black has a long-standing working relationship from their time in NXT.
“Hunter and I have always had a good working relationship. NXT Aleister Black was a cooperation between him and me, where I would pitch an idea and he would kind of flesh it out better,” Black said. “Right now, that is just happening on a grand scale, and it’s been very rewarding.”
Black explained that while Levesque is open to his ideas, he also has his own vision and that trust in the process is key.
“Sometimes he’ll have something in his head, and as with everything I’ve done with him, you have to trust the process. Just because you’re not immediately there at the end of the road doesn’t mean that the road we’re taken is the wrong one. We’re gonna get there and that’s something that I had to learn back in the day. Now that I’m back, it’s just getting back on that bicycle and trusting the process along the way.”
Black also commented on the week-to-week nature of WWE creative and the difficulty fans may have in understanding it.
“You have broad brush strokes as to where we’re trying to get, but that doesn’t always mean that the painting is as fine line and finished as people sometimes wanna believe,” Black said. “It’s a very difficult process and it takes a lot of due diligence and patience and reevaluating the route you’re taking. Criticizing yourself and then asking yourself, are we doing the right thing right now? And that has always been a difficult process, I think, for fans to understand.”
Black has his sights set on major events as he moves forward with his career.
“That’s the goal. And then the goal is to be on every pay-per-view. And then the goal is to go to championship one and championship two. And I think if you don’t realistically put yourself there mentally, then you need to find a way to put yourself there mentally.”
Black reflected on his win over Damian Priest in a Last Man Standing Match in Perth, Australia, which was also the night his wife, Zelina Vega, aligned with him. He recalled a conversation with Triple H after that main event.
“It makes you rethink everything that you’re doing and every choice. And it makes you feel very grateful for being able to get these opportunities,” Black said. “I’m 40 years-old and I got re-signed when I was 39, but here we are in better shape, better mindset, better attitude, and doing, slowly but surely, bigger and better things than [I’ve] ever done before.”