Malakia [Aleister] Black took to Instagram on Sunday and discussed the rumors surrounding his absence from AEW. In his post that reads more like an official statement, he talked about how speculation gets out into the world that he's not a fan of, confirmed that he did ask for his AEW release, and talked about his future.
Rumors were that Black was going to be off of AEW programming for some time, if not indefinitely. There was chatter he asked for his release but that request was denied. There was also talk he was taking a break for mental health reasons and that meant a lot of uncertainty around his future. There was chatter that his marriage wasn't in a great place, something he's denied as part of the statement, but he did confirm that it was time to work on things and focus on getting his personal life back on the right track.
He noted that the reasons he asked for his release were many. Among them, he suffered several personal setbacks over the past two years, including medical setbacks, a loss of a close friend from suicide. He also said that there were some "promises in his profession that were not upheld." That all led to him looking to move on. He noted that he needs a few months away to "recalibrate the last two decades" of his life.
What Does This Mean For His Future?
If Black returns, it sounds like he'll be returning to AEW. At the same time, it also sounds like a conversation needs to be had to sort out what Black feels are unkept promises. That doesn't necessarily mean he holds Tony Khan responsible for his struggles, only that he doesn't seem entirely pleased with the way things have gone over the past couple of years when it comes to his work situation.
We can only hope that Black takes the time he needs to get things sorted and that if and when he returns, he's doing so in much better frame of mind.
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