{"id":129506,"date":"2025-01-09T18:13:33","date_gmt":"2025-01-09T23:13:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/?p=129506"},"modified":"2025-07-09T15:06:43","modified_gmt":"2025-07-09T19:06:43","slug":"whats-next-for-malakai-black-house-of-black","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/2025\/01\/09\/whats-next-for-malakai-black-house-of-black\/","title":{"rendered":"What’s Next for Malakai Black and the House of Black?"},"content":{"rendered":"

The House of Black has run rampant in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) for the past three years. But is their time up? If so, what does this mean for them? These are questions to ask now that Malakai Black and his AEW contract is reportedly nearing an end<\/a>. Though, it should be noted that similar rumors about Black arose in 2022 and ended up being unfounded, so nothing is certain until its certain.<\/span><\/p>\n

But let’s say that HOB leader Malakai Black does leave, what’s next? Where does he, Brody King, Buddy Matthews, and Julia Hart go from here?<\/span><\/p>\n

Well, buckle up. Here are some highly likely situations in which our favorite denizens of the dark may find themselves.<\/span><\/p>\n

Will Malakai Black Return to WWE?<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Upon his shocking release from World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2021, the former Aleister Black had a loophole. So, he sat at home. His abandoned storyline with Big E had been scrapped. He sat, waiting for his non-compete clause to run out. Yet, just a month later, Black made a shocking debut in AEW<\/a>, attacking Arn Anderson and threatening Cody Rhodes on the Road Rager episode of AEW Dynamite. Instead of the typical 90-days no-compete, turns out Black only had 30 days tacked on, surprising many.<\/span><\/p>\n

Over the next four years, King, Matthews, and Hart joined him and together they had highs and lows as the House of Black. From gold aspirations to grudge matches, the group carved a place on the roster that set them apart. But with the rumors of Black’s departure, what can we expect from him?<\/span><\/p>\n

The most obvious speculation is a return to WWE, a landscape very much changed from the last time he wrestled there. Some may suggest Malakai Black could return in a role akin to The Wyatt Sicks or The Final Testament, building a new House of Black as it were, on Raw or SmackDown. Perhaps he’ll align with his real-life wife, Zelina Vega, on TV, as she reigns as Queen of the Ring. There is also the possibility he’ll go out on his own with potential feuds with Shinsuke Nakamura, Cody Rhodes (again) LA Knight, Jey Uso or Andrade to name a few. It comes down to who wants to pick a fight with Aleister Black.<\/span><\/p>\n

But… there\u2019s a different route that may seem a little strange at first but also makes all the sense in the world. Bear with me, but I\u2019m talking about The New Day. Before Black’s release from WWE, he was set to have a feud with Big E, which likely would have pulled Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston in by proxy. Black attacked Big E but was then released two weeks later, ended what would have been a promising angle. Now, Big E may possibly never wrestle again, and his mates have abandoned him the way they believed he abandoned them. In a cruel twist of fate, what if Black and the New Day join forces adding insult to injury for Big E? And perhaps one day, if Big E becomes medically cleared and chooses to step back in the ring, he can return for the feud with Black we never got to see over five years ago.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s Time for Brody King’s Star to Shine in AEW<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Undeniably one of the coolest and most intimidating members of the House of Black, King\u2019s behemoth structure and undeniable aura lends itself to any great monster position. His runs in the 2023 and 2024 Continental Classic showcased as much. Plus, he\u2019s had memorable clashes with fellow titans of towering stature. Fans immediately<\/span>\u00a0took notice of King\u2019s presence in his match with the Bullet Club War Dogs leader David Finlay\u2014namely how much at home King seemed on the cerulean blue in the Tokyo Dome. It opened eyes to his potential and the idea that maybe, just maybe, HOB was holding him back.<\/span><\/p>\n

Trips like the ones to Japan are an excellent means to bolster the incredible visage and ability for King. Laden with tattoos and adorned with a chain, this snarling giant can be a menace to the NJPW roster and bring to life a sense of terror akin to wrestlers of the past like Bruiser Brodie, Vader, or Bam Bam Bigelow.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

At home in the United States, King is a star attraction and singles champion material if Tony Khan so wishes. So much more could be done with him. From David versus Goliath classics to meat fests, King has so much that could be done to maximize his time. Without Malakai Black in AEW, the company may finally realize what they have in his loyal solider instead.<\/span><\/p>\n

Buddy Matthews Ready to Strike Out on his Own<\/strong><\/h2>\n

On the January 8 episode of AEW Dynamite, Matthews had a high-octane thriller of a bout with Will Ospreay. Post-match, Ospreay mentioned to the House\u2019s agile member that he doesn\u2019t Malakai Black or anyone as his leader<\/a> and that he would have his back personally. That is an exciting place to start as Matthews made clear to Ospreay that his suggestion didn’t fall on deaf ears.<\/span><\/p>\n

Matthews taking advantage of possibly befriending Ospreay is one route to go. Another would be positioning him as the unlikely hero to thwart the Death Riders. Or, Matthews can rack up some wins, and maybe amass a winning streak on his own, showcasing lost potential that’s been somewhat buried for far too long.<\/p>\n

On the WWE Network and in the pre-shows to WWE PLEs, Buddy Murphy often stole the show. For better or worse, he had been thrust into important angles such as Seth Rollins\u2019s group of minions. Before his AEW debut, New Japan Pro Wrestling trusted him to face Kazuchika Okada at 2021\u2019s Battle in the Valley, an opponent who only brought out the best of him. Each time, Matthews has jumped at these possibilities and performed to the best of his growing abilities; his work has cemented his place as someone willing to work for his TV time. <\/span>Matthews seems to be staying in AEW for now, so it’s time to reward his loyalty by helping him become a big singles star, the kind he\u2019s been capable of for years.<\/span><\/p>\n

Julia Hart a Perfect to Succeed Malakai Black as House of Black Leader<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Just because Malakai Black is leaving doesn\u2019t mean the House must fall apart completely. Let the pillars stand among each other. Hart is a talented woman who is cutting her own path as a singles competitor. Though she hasn\u2019t been seen at ringside as much with the rest of the House of Black, she\u2019s left an indelible mark<\/a>. She improved remarkably since joining the team, earning acclaim from fans. Having worn the TBS Championship and striking hard in her feud against Kris Statlander, she\u2019s got loads of potential. So…why not let her show it in the same way Rhea Ripley was elevated as the defacto head of the Judgment Day?<\/span><\/p>\n

Hart has enhanced the group\u2019s presence simply by being at their side. The same applies to King, who occasionally accompanied her to the ring while wearing a snazzy suit.\u00a0<\/span>This presentation added so much to an already promising act in Hart. Their real-life friendship translated well to a father-daughter relationship in arenas, adding so much aesthetic. It makes sense to keep these two together while allowing both to still forge their own paths. But with Black gone, it’s time for someone to step up if House of Black hopes to survive and Hart makes the perfect choice.<\/span><\/p>\n

AEW’s women’s division, while great, still fights for the time that they get. Hart stands among many bright women wrestlers in AEW as someone to look out for. What\u2019s been doing well for her should continue to do well for her now. With a strong stable at her back, there is no limit to how far she can go in AEW.<\/span><\/p>\n

The House Always Wins<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Sometimes talents leave. It\u2019s a rough change for some. But the past few years have taught us that the House of Black worked well together and individually. Each of them features something that sets them apart.<\/span><\/p>\n

Malakai Black has an embarrassment of riches of storylines and matches that await him in WWE, should he choose to return. King, Matthews, and Hart, however, have only begun to scratch the surface of what they\u2019re capable of alone. United in darkness, bled in obsidian.<\/span><\/p>\n

The house always stands tall, even if the circle is broken. And the House always wins.<\/span><\/p>\n

More From LWOS Pro Wrestling<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Header photo \u2013 AEW\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

Stay tun<\/em>ed to the\u00a0Last Word on Pro Wrestling<\/a> for more on Malakai Black, the House of Black, and other stories from around the world of wrestling, as they develop. You can always count on LWOPW to be on top of the major news in the wrestling world. As well as to provide you with analysis, previews, videos, interviews, and editorials on the wrestling world.\u00a0 You can catch AEW Dynamite on Wednesday nights at 8 PM ET on TBS. AEW Rampage airs on TNT at 10 PM EST every Friday night. AEW Collision airs Saturday at 8pm Eastern on TNT. More AEW content available on their YouTube<\/a>.\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

The House of Black has run rampant in All Elite Wrestling (AEW) for the past three years. But is their time up? If so, what does this mean for them? These are questions to ask now that Malakai Black and his AEW contract is reportedly nearing an end. Though, it should be noted that similar […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":5361,"featured_media":114775,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_lmt_disableupdate":"no","_lmt_disable":"","sfio_featured_image":false,"sfio_embed_code":"","_ef_editorial_meta_date_first-draft-date":"","_ef_editorial_meta_paragraph_assignment":"","_ef_editorial_meta_checkbox_needs-photo":"","_ef_editorial_meta_number_word-count":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[4677,2,4,3],"tags":[433,2161,8047,1703,8170,7716,7827],"class_list":["post-129506","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-aew","category-featured","category-wwe","category-wwe-universe","tag-aleister-black","tag-brody-king","tag-buddy-matthews","tag-buddy-murphy","tag-house-of-black","tag-julia-hart","tag-malakai-black"],"modified_by":"Marilee Gallagher, Manager","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129506","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/5361"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=129506"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129506\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":137802,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/129506\/revisions\/137802"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/114775"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=129506"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=129506"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/prowrestling\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=129506"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}