Malakai Black opens up on why he chose WWE over major promotion

AEW star Malakai Black recently opened up about choosing WWE over New Japan Pro-Wrestling in 2016.

The House of Black leader had a great run in WWE NXT. However, his booking on the main roster was often questionable. He ruled the former black-and-gold brand after capturing the NXT Title in 2018 before losing it to Tommaso Ciampa. Black was released from the Stamford-based promotion in 2021 and signed with All Elite Wrestling a few months later.

On the Developmentally Speaking podcast, the former AEW World Trios Champion revealed his thoughts on receiving offers from NXT and New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

"At the time, New Japan just started [talking] to wXw about possibly bringing me in," Black said. "At the same time, I had NXT offers as well. So I was kind of like, 'What am I going to do?' I thought to myself, 'Okay, so your NXT contract is three to five years guaranteed. New Japan might get you over and go well. That was a fun three weeks. See you.'"

Black further revealed that he chose to join WWE to be financially stable and become a bigger star in professional wrestling.

"I was like, 'If I'm 30 now, I sign with WWE. I have a three- maybe five-year run, and hopefully, it's pretty decent. But at least whatever happens, I will have better financial stability, and I will be a bigger star than I am now. It will help me in every asset, and who knows what can come with it?' So, for me, it was the logical choice." [H/T: WrestlingInc]

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Malakai Black never intended to sign with WWE

AEW star Malakai Black recently revealed that he initially never intended to be a part of WWE.

During the same chat, the former NXT Champion explained how he passed on signing with New Japan Pro-Wrestling after seeing former independent wrestlers Sami Zayn and Finn Balor becoming top stars in the developmental brand.

"Here's the funny part: I never really wanted to be part of WWE. My goal was never WWE. My goal was [to be in] Japan for the longest time. And I did Japan, and it was around the time, you know, where NXT had developed itself as this like really cool entity where a lot of the people that I used to like [to] wrestle myself on the independent scene were like making waves there. They were becoming stars, you know, Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, all these." [19:59 - 20:23]

Malakai Black is currently a part of All Elite Wrestling. However, many have questioned his booking in the Jacksonville-based promotion and have made assumptions that he may head back to WWE after his contract expires.

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