The Problem With Aleister Black That No One Wants To Talk About

The thoughtless call-up was step one in Black's unravelling, Pick A Fight step two, and Heyman's relegation step three.

"Thoughtless" is the perfect word for all of this, actually. For 18 months, Black became a guy WWE put on television for the sake of putting on television, with his feuds fleeting and lacking in any kind of rub. He went completely undefeated in singles matches between January 2019 and March 2020, and felled the likes of AJ Styles and Seth Rollins, and none of it had any meaning. None. Not once was the streak mentioned and not once was Aleister made to feel like a rising force.

So why would things be any different now that he has a big book of tales and some sepia animations?

Fundamentally, Aleister Black isn't the kind of guy Vince McMahon likes to push. He is a highly skilled wrestler with great presence when his gimmick isn't being overcooked by hacky reality television writers, owns a unique look, and an aura, but stylistically, none of what he offers would traditionally tick the boss's boxes. The Undertaker is a frequent and cursed comparison with any wrestler who carries a remotely spooky vibe, but Mark Calaway was almost seven feet tall, pal.

McMahon must be considered a barrier to Black's onscreen success because in any of these cases (where a popular, talented wrestler is perceived as being underutilised for a prolonged period by their supporters), that's what he invariably is.

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