Former WWE superstar Aleister Black is set for his first wrestling match since leaving WWE.
Black’s first run in WWE started in NXT, where he first took on the moniker of “Aleister Black.”
His run was made up of major feuds with the likes of Johnny Gargano, Velveteen Dream and current AEW stars Adam Cole and Andrade.
During his time on the black and gold brand, Black won the NXT Championship once and won the Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic alongside partner Ricochet.
Aleister Black also won the Male Competitor of the Year, Breakout Star of the Year, and Rivalry of the Year awards in 2017, with the latter being for his rivalry with Velveteen Dream.
Soon after, he was called up to the main roster.
His time on the main roster wasn’t as successful, however, as he held no championships during his run and his most notable moments were feuds with the likes of Cesaro, AJ Styles, and Kevin Owens.
Aleister Black was subsequently released from WWE on June 2nd 2021.
He would then go on to join All Elite Wrestling, where he would have a new name, this time being Malakai Black.
Malakai was the leader of the House of Black faction, but left AEW in 2025 to rejoin WWE.
Despite a return to much fanfare, he was released for a second time by the promotion in April this year.
Since then, many have wondered what’s next for the Amsterdam native.
After rumblings over the weekend and Black having spoken to Major League Wrestling a few months ago, Aleister has been announced for PROGRESS Wrestling next month.
PROGRESS announced today that Black, returning to his AEW name Malakai Black, will face off against Donovan Dijak at the promotion’s Friday, September 4th event in Edinburgh, Scotland.
This is the first of three dates Black is working on the PROGRESS tour.
His opponents for September 5th in Leeds, England, and September 6th in Manchester have not been revealed as of yet.
This means that Aleister Black’s first matches after leaving WWE will be in the United Kingdom.
Black will be joining his wife, Zelina Vega, in working for a new company.
🚨 Edinburgh Match Announcement 🚨
Malakai Black vs Dijak
🏴 First Time Ever Match In Europe 🏴
Malakai Black has his first opponent and it’s a familiar face…
Two of the biggest names in professional wrestling worldwide collide in Edinburgh! Dijak the 6 foot 7 behemoth from… pic.twitter.com/ilkS7KQCwf
— PROGRESS Wrestling (@ThisIs_Progress) August 17, 2026
