4 Ups & 8 Downs From WWE Raw (Aug 24)

3. Well, That’s Something

It’s hard to stand here and say that Aleister Black’s presumed heel turn Monday night is a good thing, but we can confirm that it’s at least something.

Black defeated Bobby Lashley at WrestleMania 36 in an impromptu matchup. Since then, Lashley has gone on to gain MVP as a manager and been a fairly protected superstar who is in line for a United States Championship match on Sunday. Aleister has played the role of Rey Mysterio’s buddy in the never-ending feud with Seth Rollins and his disciples, then was written off TV for nearly a month due to an eye injury.

So when Black returned Monday night as a guest on the KO Show, we assumed that it would just be getting him back in the groove. But instead, Black feigned an injury before attacking Kevin Owens and putting his lights out with a Black Mass.

It felt like something different – finally. Aleister is someone whose entire imagery and appearance would work well as a dark, brooding heel, but since being called up to the main roster, he’s been largely wasted, asking people to knock on his door and pick a fight with him.

So a heel turn – and a feud with Owens – will certainly do for now.