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Aleister Black's talent is without question. The former WWE NXT Champion is one of the best in-ring workers under a WWE contract right now. However, it would appear that Black is likely to fall into the category of WWE Superstars who were unable to transfer their success from NXT to either WWE RAW or SmackDown.
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Recent reports suggest that Aleister Black could depart from WWE once his contract expires. Black has not appeared on WWE television since the WWE Draft in October 2020, when the former NXT Champion was drafted to SmackDown from Monday Night RAW.
Since then, Black hasn't appeared at all on WWE television. During this time, his wife Zelina Vega was released from her WWE contract after she clashed with officials over the company's new edict, which prohibits talent from working with third-party platforms such as YouTube, Twitch, Cameo, etc.
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Many within the WWE Universe are baffled that the promotion can't find a spot on their television programs for a significantly talented star like Aleister Black.
Nevertheless, due to his immense talent, Black will no doubt have a plethora of options available to him if and when his WWE career comes to a close.
Let's take a look at five directions for Aleister Black once his WWE contract expires.
#5 Aleister Black signs with All Elite Wrestling
Arguably the most likely destination for Aleister Black once his WWE contract expires is All Elite Wrestling. One could even argue that the only reason Black hasn't yet been released by WWE is to prevent the former NXT Champion from becoming "All Elite."
There is no doubt AEW President Tony Khan and the various Executive Vice Presidents of All Elite Wrestling would certainly have a great amount of interest in acquiring a talented wrestler like Black.
He could follow the same career path as former WWE Superstars like Christian Cage, Paul Wight, Matt Hardy, Miro, and Sting who, once their WWE contract expired, jumped to AEW.
The aforementioned stars found themselves revitalized and enjoying the art of professional wrestling once more in AEW, something that had been lost during the latter days of their respective WWE careers. Should Black sign with AEW, he could likely find himself with a new lease of life in professional wrestling once more.
Furthermore, a move to AEW opens up the possibility of him wrestling with some world-class opponents. Potential match-ups could include the former NXT Champion squaring off against the likes of Kenny Omega, Darby Allin, Sting, Cody Rhodes, Brian Cage, and more. Those matches alone are enough of a reason for Aleister Black to consider AEW as a viable option once his WWE contract expires.
#4 Aleister Black continues Twitch streaming with Zelina Vega
Once Aleister Black is free from the shackles of WWE, it looks increasingly likely that his Twitch presence will become more frequent.
It was reported in 2020 that WWE Chairman Vince McMahon had personally announced a brand new, company-wide edict regarding WWE Superstars' use of third-party platforms. The WWE Chairman had become increasingly concerned about his talent's use of platforms such as Twitch, Cameo, YouTube, and more as a means to generate extra income.
Due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, live events came to a halt, and there were no live crowds in attendance at television tapings of RAW and SmackDown due to health and safety restrictions. This caused a substantial decrease in WWE Superstars' live event bonuses and fees, meaning that several talents were significantly out of pocket.
To combat this, many WWE Superstars started their own Twitch and YouTube channels, as well as Cameo accounts to interact with fans and make extra money. In the eyes of Vince McMahon, this was unacceptable.
The WWE Chairman ordered that talent close down their third-party platform accounts or risk ramifications such as fines, suspensions, and even termination from their WWE contract.
Aleister Black and his wife, fellow WWE Superstar Zelina Vega, were among those affected by this new edict. Black and Vega had been conducting regular streams on their Twitch channel. While the couple was amongst several talents who wanted Vince McMahon to reverse the edict, they initially ceased streaming.
However, Vega opened an OnlyFans account soon after, which caused WWE to terminate her contract. Since her release, Vega has continued to stream on Twitch and resumed her activities on third-party platforms as well. It must be noted that Black hasn't appeared on WWE television since his wife's departure from the promotion.
Once Aleister Black's WWE contract expires, it is highly likely that the former NXT Champion will once again resume streaming on Twitch with his wife, just as they had done before WWE's new third-party ban.
#3 Aleister Black signs with IMPACT Wrestling
Aleister Black's talent is so vast that there will be a plethora of options available to him once his WWE contract expires. Whilst many professional wrestling fans expect Black to sign with AEW, other alternative promotions would be more than happy to have the former NXT Champion on their roster. One such company is IMPACT Wrestling.
Some fans on social media who do not watch IMPACT Wrestling regularly may argue that Aleister Black is "too big" for a promotion such as IMPACT Wrestling. IMPACT had its peak during the days of Spike TV in the late 2000s with talent such as Kurt Angle, AJ Styles, Sting, Hulk Hogan, Bobby Roode, Samoa Joe, Gail Kim, and more. However, the promotion failed to present itself as a true alternative to WWE before the money of then-owners Panda Energy ran out and the company was on the verge of bankruptcy.
The Spike TV deal expired and IMPACT bounced around from small cable networks as many expected the promotion to eventually go into liquidation and disappear.
However, in 2017, Anthem Sports & Entertainment purchased IMPACT Wrestling and have slowly done an excellent job in re-building the promotion. Under the leadership of Executive Vice Presidents Scott D'Amore and Don Callis, IMPACT has become a fun, smaller promotion with a cult fanbase.
IMPACT now has working relationships with AEW, NJPW, and AAA, leading to the likes of AEW World Champion Kenny Omega, Matt Hardy, Juice Robinson, and David Finlay making appearances on their weekly AXS TV show in recent months.
While Aleister Black would be performing for a smaller audience on AXS TV, there would be a plethora of talent for Black to face off against on the IMPACT Wrestling roster. Names such as Chris Bey, Ace Austin, Rich Swann, Moose, and Josh Alexander would all serve as excellent opponents for the former NXT Champion.
Perhaps a short run at IMPACT Wrestling is just what Aleister Black needs once his WWE contract expires.
#2 Aleister Black signs with Ring of Honor
Aleister Black in Ring of Honor would certainly be an interesting scenario. While other promotions such as AEW or IMPACT Wrestling may seem a more likely destination for the former NXT Champion, ROH could be the perfect fit for Black.
After going on hiatus during the early stages of the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020, Ring of Honor has since returned and made headlines with attractions such as the ROH Pure Championship and the signings of former WWE Superstars such as EC3 and Mike Bennett.
Should Ring of Honor be able to convince Black to sign with the promotion once his WWE contract expires, it would no doubt be a monumental signing for ROH and a real statement of intent.
The former NXT Champion facing off against wrestlers such as Jay Lethal, PCO, The Briscoes, Kenny King, Jonathan Gresham, and Rush without a doubt are matches that fans of Ring of Honor and professional wrestling would like to see.
Former WWE Superstars such as Matt Cardona and EC3 have been slightly hesitant to commit to long-term contracts with promotions immediately after departing WWE. Instead, they have opted to sign short-term deals with various companies to ensure wherever they land is the "right fit" for them.
Perhaps Aleister Black could follow suit and do something similar once his WWE contract expires. A short-term deal in Ring of Honor would certainly be beneficial for both parties. Black will once again find his passion for professional wrestling, while ROH will gain an immense talent for a short period of time.
#1 Aleister Black signs with New Japan Pro Wrestling
Aleister Black and New Japan Pro Wrestling would appear to be a match made in professional wrestling heaven. Black's hard-hitting, strong style-based offense with a variety of kicks and strikes is tailor-made for NJPW.
Aleister Black would fit in perfectly with the likes of Minoru Suzuki in participating in brutal matches with extreme storytelling told through heightened physicality. Furthermore, potential bouts against the likes of Kazuchika Okada, Kota Ibushi, Tetsuya Naito, and Jay White would certainly be matches that professional wrestling fans on social media could only dream about.
However, due to the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic, traveling to Japan to compete for New Japan Pro Wrestling can prove to be difficult. But it's not impossible, therefore there is a chance we could see Black compete in a New Japan event in the Tokyo Dome once his WWE contract expires.
Should the former NXT Champion sign with NJPW, Black could always appear on the New Japan Strong show based in the United States until travel restrictions associated with the COVID-19 pandemic subside.
Without a doubt, Aleister Black's potential move to New Japan Pro Wrestling would certainly excite a lot of professional wrestling fans around the world.
The former NXT Champion's ability is so immense that one could absolutely see Black headlining a major event such as the Wrestle Kingdom inside the Tokyo Dome.
