With the Royal Rumble around the corner, it will be interesting to see which WWE stars make surprise returns to the company. One name that seems to be flying under the radar is Aleister Black.
Part of the reason could be that no one seems to know where Black stands with the company. There are some reports that his absence from television is not because of Zelina Vega, while others have noted it might be. He's not been released and reports are he'll likely continue with the promotion, but the question about when and where he returns is certainly relevant.
As per a couple of updates on the situation, sources told Fightful that Black hasn’t been seen backstage at SmackDown since his wife was released. One person told the site ”the company seems to think that they’re letting any ill will between the two subside.”
In another update by PW Insider’s Mike Johnson, he writes: “I was told he was purposely pulled from television so he [can] come back and have a big dramatic debut for SmackDown, and it just hasn’t happened.” He too believes that WWE hasn't placed a priority on bringing him back in an effort to simply let “the waters kind of calm”.
Is The Rumble The Right Time?
Should Black return at the Royal Rumble on Sunday, would that signify that enough time has passed that the two sides are back on the same page and ready to get back to work? Or, is the Rumble not the best place to "re-debut" someone like Black?
This is a guy who has all the makings of a huge star. WWE just hasn't given him that opportunity since Paul Heyman left as Executive Producer of Raw. It would be great to have him back, but being mixed in with 29 other Superstars might not be the ideal way to set him apart if they're looking to change things.