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Aleister Black has been asking for a challenge for weeks on end. The enigmatic Dutch Destroyer has been sitting, shrouded in darkness, in the backstage area, cutting passionate promos, inviting somebody, anybody to come and pick a fight with him.
And this week, in what I consider to be the highlight of SmackDown Live, we finally heard someone knock on his door, seemingly to accept his challenge. Or so I am assuming because the look of glee that followed wouldn't have necessarily happened had it been a pizza delivery boy.
So, who do you think it might have been? I personally think that it is probably one of the following five gentlemen, but you can also weigh in with your own picks in the comments below.
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I'd love to hear who you believe could potentially Black on in his first main roster singles feud.
#5 Randy Orton
Randy Orton and Aleister Black have been wrestling in Live Events. And this makes me believe that Orton could be the first opponent for Aleister Black. I don't really know if it would be the right kind of matchup because of the clash of styles, but anything 'The Viper' does is a high profile feud and will certainly get Black the eyeballs he needs.
What Aleister Black has going for him at the moment is the fact that he is a dark and mysterious character who plays mind games with his opponents. So, in addition to his ferious strikes, he can break his opponents down mentally as well. That has been the strength of The Viper for as long as he's been in the main roster.
Whether he's been the Legend Killer or the Apex Predator, Orton has excelled at breaking his opponents down. The match-up could be interesting.
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#4 Bray Wyatt
So, I'm guessing that we've seen the final episode of the Firefly Fun House on WWE Television. The big question is when and how Bray Wyatt will make his eventual WWE return. While this may not be the ideal way to do so, it would certainly be a very interesting way to make a big return.
Sure, Bray Wyatt could have come to challenge Aleister Black. But he could have also stepped up for a very interesting possibility, to recruit someone like Aleister Black in his new dark stable. While both Black and Wyatt have dissimilar gimmicks, they are both ingrained in the mystical and the magical.
And in any case, I can already see a lot of people online yearning for a feud between Black and Wyatt down the line. Maybe the best way to make it happen is to have them go at it straight away!
#3 Andrade
Andrade is going through some personal problems at the moment and his issues have been well-documented, so I will not dwell on them. I know that a feud with Apollo Crews is being teased for him, but I have a feeling that it could be one of those ideas that gets canned before it begins.
Andrade's manager Zelina Vega is married to Aleister Black in real life, and we know that the two men had a very heated feud when they were in NXT. They already have the chemistry and if they can make a case to Vince McMahon, the two men could have a really cool program in the months that follow.
I know that some had believed that he would be next in line to face Finn Balor, but Nakamura is a worthy challenger in any case. Could Andrade and Black revive their NXT magic in the main roster?
Time will tell for sure.
#2 Buddy Murphy
Did any of you happen to watch the Stomping Grounds Kickoff show? If you did, you must have noticed just how incredibly gifted the performers of 205 Live truly are. Buddy Murphy was the face of the brand until not too long ago when he was called up to the main roster.
Unfortunately, he hasn't gotten any screen time in a roster that is already overloaded with talent. Because of the same reason, I suppose that he would be the perfect person to take Aleister Black on, in his first feud. Buddy Murphy is incredible in the ring, maybe even more so than Aleister Black is.
This vignette would also be a great way to introduce Buddy Murphy to the world, and prove that he's a lot more than Mr. Alexa Bliss. All I know for sure is that Murphy and Black would just simply tear it up.
#1 Rusev
Rusev was the hottest commodity on SmackDown Live as recently as last year, when 'Rusev Day' was a thing and the audience somehow desperately wanted to see him climb up to the main event position and excel. Unfortunately, he was split up from Aiden English for a feud that went nowhere at all, and the gimmick was dropped.
Since then, he has been sidelined and rumors have even emerged about him asking for some time off. Dave Meltzer has even spoken about Rusev being unhappy and potentially leaving the company in due time once his contract has expired.
So, could this be his farewell feud where a Superstar of his stature is used to get someone like Black over? Rusev is a solid worker and he would be the perfect candidate for Aleister Black's first feud.
It would get Rusev some screen time and could potentially even change his mind about leaving the company.
