Aleister Black’s recent makeover, months after his WWE release, attracted a lot of reactions from fans online.

The former House of Black leader left AEW in early 2025 and returned to WWE after the WrestleMania season. There was a lot of belief that Aleister Black would be positioned as a top star on SmackDown with Triple H being at the helm, and he was even paired with his real-life wife, Zelina Vega, onscreen for the first time. However, his run turned out to be lackluster and failed to garner major attention from the audience. This led to his release from the TKO-led company just a year after re-signing with them.

Moreover, his 90-day non-compete clause expired recently, making him a free agent. Right after, Black dropped a video announcing his free agency and sporting a new bald look. This led to the wrestling fans coming unglued on social media with mixed reactions. One fan openly said that he should stay away from AEW, while another one warned Tony Khan not to sign him back.

“Idc keep him away from AEW.”

“Don’t you dare Tony!!!! Please be strong!”

One user took notice that Aleister Black stopped and stared down at the outfits he wore in AEW in the aforementioned video. Another fan pointed out that All Elite Wrestling should not make the same mistakes with Black if they decide to re-sign him. Lastly, a user said that despite his past tenure, he still wanted to see Black return to Tony Khan’s company.

AEW star says Aleister Black is unlikely to return

AEW top star MJF said that he did not want to deal with people like Aleister Black, who are not team players. This was a reference to him leaving AEW on a bitter note, and to reports suggesting that many stars were opposed to his return to the promotion.

“I’m not sh*ting on him, I’m just simply telling you what I was told by a majority of the locker room about this specific individual. So as a team captain, as a leader, and as someone that has been part of this promotion since day one, I don’t want to deal with guys that don’t want to be team players. F*ck off, go elsewhere. Or f*cking prove me wrong. I would love to be proved wrong,” he said.

With Black undergoing a major change, it remains to be seen whether AEW is indeed the next stop for him.