Malakai Black made a surprise debut in AEW back in 2021 following his WWE release, and it felt as though he was set for big things in his new home. However, things haven’t gone exactly to plan for Black, as his time in the promotion has felt underwhelming at times.
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He has had some strong matches though, with him being a consistently strong performer inside the ropes. After a brief feeling of an exit from the company, his recent return should hopefully add some more highlights and good matches. He hasn’t had many (if any) standout classics as of yet, but he rarely has a bad performance.
10 Kings Of The Black Throne Vs Death Triangle, Dynamite 2nd February 2022
This was a fun tag team match which saw Malakai Black and Brody King defeat PAC and Penta Oscuro. The crowd was a little dead at times, but the action and storytelling in the ring was enough to make up for it.
There was certainly room for it to be better, but for the time they had, this was a very solid bout.
9 House Of Black Vs Bear Country & Fuego Del Sol, Rampage 18th March 2022
It must be said that in terms of other matches, it could be argued that other of Black’s bouts have had more substance, but this three minute squash match made the House of Black look better than they’ve ever looked.
The finishing sequence to this alone was remarkably well choreographed, and it made them look deadly. After such a stop and start time in AEW, matches like this make the group stand out and look dominant.
8 Malakai Black Vs Penta Oscuro, Dynamite 22nd July 2022
With just under ten minutes to work with, Malakai Black and Penta Oscuro managed to wrestle a very solid TV encounter. The pace was slow and methodical, with some hard-hitting strikes and good psychology too.
Black picked up the win, advancing to the Forbidden Door show for the chance to be crowned the first ever All-Atlantic Champion. This match made him look like a serious threat for that belt.
7 Malakai Black Vs Cody Rhodes, Dynamite: Homecoming 4th August 2021
Malakai Black’s very first AEW match lasted just four minutes, but the shock value of his quick, dominant, and decisive win over Cody Rhodes made for a huge moment.
Fans were expecting more of a back and forth clash, but Black ended up just squashing Rhodes without much of an issue. The post-match retirement tease of Rhodes wasn’t received too well, but Black was made to look great in his first AEW encounter.
6 Malakai Black Vs Dante Martin, Dynamite 16th October 2021
The result of this was never really in doubt, but the pair put together a very fun match which made both of them look good. Martin’s performances seem to get better and better as time goes on, and he was made to look like a plucky underdog against the electric Black.
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Martin sold well, showcasing more elements to his game, whilst Black was made to look dominant and vicious in his offense.
5 Malakai Black vs Cody Rhodes, Dynamite 23rd October 2021
The blow-off match between Malakai Black and Cody Rhodes was arguably their best, though it did end with the questionable choice of Rhodes standing tall, despite Black needing the win to complete a clean sweep.
The crowd were hugely into this one, even with the awkward dynamic of the audience being split on Rhodes, but they still created a great atmosphere despite the questionable booking of their feud.
4 Malakai Black Vs PAC Vs Miro Vs Clark Connors, Forbidden Door 26th June 2022
At the Forbidden Door PPV, four of the best clashed to try and become the inaugural AEW All-Atlantic Champion. Black, given that his time in AEW hadn’t been overly fruitful, looked very much like a favorite to kickstart some better luck, but it was PAC who won the match.
Even in defeat, Black got a chance to shine in this hot bout, with the crowd going crazy for everything they were seeing. Everyone else shined too, with each man proving themselves potentially worthy of winning the title.
3 Malakai Black, Andrade El Idolo, & FTR Vs Cody Rhodes & Death Triangle, Dynamite: Thanksgiving 24th November 2021
In this huge eight-man tag team main event, AEW brought several stars to the table to create a fast-paced, chaotic, and fluid match which brought the crowd to their feet on numerous occasions.
At times, the match was dominated by the negativity towards Cody Rhodes, but overall everyone did enough to distract from that, and have a brilliantly worked match. It was a spot fest in the best of ways, closing the show on a high note.
2 House Of Black Vs PAC, Penta, & Erick Redbeard, Revolution 2022 Buy-In
As far as pre-show matches go, it will be hard to find a better one than this. The mixture of styles, from the hard-hitting offense of Malakai Black, to the high-flying PAC, to the clash of big powerhouses in Brody King and Erick Redbeard, this had everything.
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Perhaps at times it felt a little overdone, but the crowd was hugely into it, and it ensured that the main show started off with a lot of electricity in the arena. They stole the show before the show even began.
1 House Of Black Vs Death Triangle, Double Or Nothing 2022
This trios clash between The House of Black and Death Triangle was a clear candidate for match of the night. For fifteen minutes straight, these six men wrestled at a truly frenetic pace which didn’t let up for a single second, with plenty of near-falls and huge spots.
It was very reminiscent of the PWG style, and if you are a fan of that, then this match is a sure-fire hit. The crowd in attendance were raucous when watching this, which elevated it even more. For Black, who hasn’t had too many marquee singles matches, this is his best match to date in AEW.
