10 Great AEW Wrestlers Who'd Be Better Off In WWE

A favourite of both Triple H and Paul Heyman, it's safe to say a return to the Aleister name could be very fruitful for 'The Striking Man from Amsterdam'.

After a hot start in AEW last year, Malakai Black cooled off considerably before beginning his hiatus earlier this year. His dark vs. light feud with then-AEW staple Cody Rhodes (doesn't that seem like an aeon ago?) made him a surprise babyface hit with fans despite his villainous persona and behaviour.

A cool, edgy tweener seemed like the logical route forward for Black after the Rhodes feud came to an end. Instead, Black and the AEW booking team got way too wrapped up in horror movie-style hijinks, turning his once fascinating, occult persona into something verging on Bray Wyatt levels of wrestling silliness.

The success of his impending return will hinge on whether or not Black can course correct his increasingly shark-jumping character work. In Triple H's NXT, his shoot-style, Dutch kickboxing work was emphasised over everything else. It made him an almost strong style-like badass that was easy to root for and, while he did have some occult overtones in his persona, it was subtle enough to be intriguing rather than absurd.

Given he was briefly considered for a main event push against the likes of Brock Lesnar and Drew McIntyre in 2020, Black in WWE under Triple H's eye could very well become WWE Champion eventually.