Malakai Black Pulled From Upcoming Show

Yesterday, it was reported that Malakai Black's request to be released from his AEW contract was "reluctantly" accepted. While the report noted that Black may have had a non-compete clause inserted into the deal — similar to WWE's 90-day non-compete clause when a performer is let go — an independent wrestling promotion has confirmed that Black will not be appearing at one of their upcoming shows due to another reason. 

According to Northeast Wrestling on Instagram, Black will not be in attendance for their show, Wrestling Under the Stars, this Friday night in Niles, Ohio, because of "health issues." Black was booked to wrestle former ROH World Champion Matt Taven.

With Black out, AEW star Jay Lethal and former WWE Superstar nZo (fka Enzo Amore) have been booked for the show. Their roles and Taven's new opponent are currently unknown.

It was initially reported by Wrestling Inc.'s own Raj Giri that when Black handed his release request to AEW CEO Tony Khan, he had "repeatedly shown concerns about his mental health due to personal life and demoralization due to the booking and handling of his character."  

Black appeared at AEW's All Out pay-per-view on Sunday night, teaming with the House of Black's Brody King and Buddy Murphy in a losing effort against Darby Allin, Miro, and Sting. After the match, Black seemingly waved goodbye to the fans in attendance at the NOW Arena in Chicago. The Dutch wrestler initially joined AEW in July 2021 after being released by WWE, where he spent five years of his career.