World title ambitions; new alliance at play? - 4 reasons why Buddy Matthews needs to ditch House of Black in 2025

Even outside of its regular main event scene, AEW boasts some of the best in-ring workers in the world today on its active roster, and Buddy Matthews sits relatively high up on that list. The Best Kept Secret joined the Tony Khan-led promotion in 2022 after establishing himself internationally through his eight-year stint in WWE.

Matthews has been booked primarily as a tag team and trio competitor in All Elite Wrestling alongside his stablemates, Malakai Black and Brody King of The House of Black. However, the 36-year-old is arguably due for a singles push, and teases about that purpose were seemingly dropped this week on AEW Dynamite after his match with Will Ospreay.

As such, let us examine four compelling reasons AEW should consider splitting Buddy Matthews from The House of Black this year.

#1: A New United Empire - Buddy Matthews joins up with Will Ospreay

The January 8, 2025, episode of Dynamite opened with an explosive singles match between Buddy Matthews and Will Ospreay. The two men had never faced off before and put on a clinic in Clarksville, TN, with The Aerial Assassin coming out on top. After the match, Ospreay acknowledged Matthews' credibility as a singles performer, arguing that he, like Brody King, needs no leader. He vowed to be in Buddy's corner if he wanted him there in the future.

Later in the same episode, The Commonwealth Kingpin also made the save for the returning Kenny Omega, rescuing him from being beaten down by his former running buddies, The Don Callis Family. Ospreay has been feuding with members of the heel faction for some time now, and he could create a stable of his own to decisively take down The Invisible Hand's goons.

This could lead to Ospreay launching a new iteration of The United Empire in AEW. Such an angle could see The Billy Goat team up with Omega, Mark Davis, and Buddy Matthews to take on Konosuke Takeshita, Kyle Fletcher, Brian Cage, and Lance Archer in a star-studded multi-person match that could end with the babyfaces picking up the victory. While Matthews does not have to be a permanent part of this new stable, his involvement could build on his split from The House of Black.

#2: Buddy Matthews challenges for the International Championship

While Buddy Matthews is undoubtedly a tag team and trio specialist, he is also a highly qualified singles competitor. He has held singles gold across several promotions in the Australian independent circuit and reigned as the WWE Cruiserweight Champion while in the sports entertainment juggernaut.

So far in AEW, Matthews has unsuccessfully challenged for both the TNT and International Titles. If the Jacksonville-based promotion wants to establish Buddy as a credible solo name, it could build him up as a contender for Konosuke Takeshita's International Championship for Grand Slam Australia next month. Matthews dethroning The Alpha in his home country to win his first singles title in the company would be an unforgettable moment for the star and his fans.

Alternatively, Matthews could pursue the TNT Championship instead, rekindling his rivalry with Daniel Garcia from last year to get his win back on The Red Death in the Land Down Under on February 15.

#3: Buddy Matthews goes after the AEW World Championship

The AEW World Championship is in the iron grasp of Jon Moxley, who has been carrying the belt around in a briefcase for months now, believing that most of his challengers are not worth even looking at it. The One True King and his soldiers, The Death Riders, have been waging war on the AEW roster, bringing them into conflict with top stars like Orange Cassidy, Jay White, Hangman Page, FTR, and Adam Copeland, among many others.

Jon Moxley and The Death Riders [Image credits: AEW's YouTube channel]

While Moxley is already in the cross-hairs of several All Elite performers, Buddy Matthews could also toss his name into the mix and go after the title held by The Purveyor of Violence. After all, the champion's ally, Claudio Castagnoli, defeated Brody King in last year's Continental Classic courtesy of a low blow. The Disciple could try to avenge his team-mate's loss by battling The Death Riders and eventually squaring off against Moxley in a hard-hitting World Championship match. This bout would greatly elevate his stock as a solo name.

#4: Buddy Matthews in the 2025 Continental Classic

Since its inaugural edition in 2023, the Continental Classic has emerged as one of AEW's most exciting yearly presentations. The round-robin tournament has staged numerous top-tier matches over the past few years, allowing its participants to prove their caliber as high-level singles talent.

Consider, for example, how Daniel Garcia and Brody King impressed fans with their showings in the C2 in 2023, which possibly played a massive part in the duo returning to the tournament last year. AEW will indeed look to feature fresh faces in the 2025 Continental Classic, and few wrestlers are up to the task of standing out in the tournament this year, as Buddy Matthews may be able to.

While Matthews is unlikely to win it all to become Continental Champion, his work in the C2 could go a long way towards legitimizing his singles run, especially if he decides to leave The House of Black behind.