Jim Ross Didn’t Know About Malakai Black’s AEW Debut Until It Happened

"I didn't even know that he was there."

by Andrew Pollard
Malakai Black
AEW

While the AEW debut of Malakai Black this past Wednesday shocked wrestling fans, it also came as a shock to Jim Ross.

Speaking to Dave LaGreca and Mark Henry on Busted Open, Ross revealed how he didn't know about Tommy End's AEW Dynamite appearance until the former Aleister Black appeared in the ring to lay out Arn Anderson and Cody Rhodes.

As JR explained:

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"Well, I'll tell you the honest to god truth. I didn't even know that he was there. We were in a unique building that was kind of old school, had different levels and different little cubbyholes. It was funny; Mark [Henry], Big Show and I shared a room for the announcers. I didn't see this guy [Black] all day long, so I was shocked at how it came off."

Ross added how, as detailed regularly on his own Grilling JR podcast, he prefers not to know about such shocks and surprises so that he can react better to them.

The legendary JR would also discuss how he met Malakai Black for the first time after Dynamite went off the air, saying how the one-time NXT Champion came over and shook Ross' hand as the pair exchanged pleasantries - including Jim telling Black how "we're counting on you to play in a big way".

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Black has now been formally announced as being #AllElite, with him able to debut for AEW so soon due to a WWE clerical error that meant his non-compete clause was only 30 days as opposed to the regular 90 days.

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Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer and Presenter, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund and Eli Roth to Kevin Smith and the Russo Brothers, to Kevin Conroy and Frank Miller, to Bret Hart and Sting, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, and Brian Flynn, to many, many more. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is a long-standing season ticket holder and an FSA Award-winner for his time co-hosting the Fearless in Devotion podcast.