10 Ups & 1 Down From AEW Dynamite: Road Rager (7 July)

by Andy H Murray

1. Blackout

Malakai Black
AEW

Here he is, then. From Tommy End to Aleister Black, then briefly back to Tommy End, Malakai Black is born - and he's All Elite.

AEW doesn't have the best track record when it comes to impactful debuts. Thankfully, this was one of the better ones. Interrupting Tony Schiavone and Arn Anderson by cutting the lights, Malakai wiped Anderson out with the roundhouse kick formerly known as the Black Mass, having already sent the audience into a tailspin. A stunned Cody Rhodes then got the same treatment, suggesting that this could be Black's first major feud in the promotion.

It'll be interesting to see what kind of character Black works here, as the self-published vignette uploaded to his Instagram page prior to Dynamite featured the kind of Lucha Underground-esque cinematics AEW rarely indulges in. Nonetheless, he was one of the most talented guys left in the free agent's pool, is somebody fans were clamouring to see elsewhere, and he made a strong first impression.

Kicking the snot out of somebody is always a good way to debut. When your targets are a universally beloved legend and the defacto company ace, it's even harder to go wrong. Godspeed, Malakai.

Advertisement
Channel Manager
Channel Manager

Andy has been with WhatCulture for eight years and is currently WhatCulture's Wrestling Channel Manager. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.