Aleister Black made his return to WWE on WWE SmackDown, his first appearance on WWE TV since he was released in 2021.
Black had been part of AEW from 2021 to 2025, though he wasn't on television since November 2024.
Josiah Williams of Wrestle & Flow released a mini-documentary on Black, where he spoke about the ups and downs over the past few years and his mindset through it all.
In the video, Black stated, "I'm 39. I hope that I have another five to eight years left in me. Physically, I feel great. I think this is the best I've looked physically as well. Technology changes, nutrition changes, science changes, sports science changes. You see athletes getting older and older and being able to perform at higher levels, even when they're old. I definitely feel I'm part of that in certain aspects, but I have no illusions about this that the majority of my career is well past me, absolutely. That's not a sad thing, that's a good thing. Being able to survive for this long and staying relevant, I'd say that's something I'm definitely proud of. Dedicated fanbase, we're still doing good despite setback after setback after all the things that have happened, they're all still there and it's heartwarming to feel that a lot of people are still rooting for me. That's something I think I lost sight of. You dive down into that darkness you feel and that misery you cling onto, especially when that's what you're used to your entire life. Going back to that first emotion you're familiar of; everything is bad, everything will be falling down anyway. It doesn't matter. To have that control is life-changing and that mechanism is the best thing I've learned over the last year. This is absolutely a part of me that has accepted, at age 39, I have five to eight years left, and I'm okay with that."
Black is set to face The Miz on the May 2nd episode of WWE SmackDown.
Fans can find Fightful's coverage of WWE SmackDown by clicking here. Check out the post-show podcast for a full review by clicking here.
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