Aleister Black Opens Up on His WWE Return and the Dream Feuds He Wants Next

Aleister Black is one of the more polarizing superstars in the WWE.

The 40-year-old Dutch superstar made a name for himself as one of the biggest stars of the NXT brand during its heyday in the latter half of the 2010's, carving out notable matches and storylines against the likes of Adam Cole, Tommaso Ciampa and Johnny Gargano.

Learning From the Legends

However, that hype hasn't exactly been lived up to since Black was initially called up to the main roster in 2019. Following his initial release from WWE in 2021, Black spent a few years in AEW before making his return to the WWE less than a year ago.

This second run appears to be going better than the first, with Black recently involved in a feud with former world champ Damian Priest. The former NXT Champion just scored the biggest win of his career with a win over 14-time world champion Randy Orton in the main event of a recent episode of Friday Night Smackdown.

Black is well aware of how big it means to not only be in the ring against the likes of superstars such as Orton, but the fact that he was able to score a win over him. It means that Black is held in somewhat high regard by WWE brass as the company goes through Wrestlemania season, the biggest time period for wrestling in the calendar year.

"Talk about a guy being able to elevate anybody and Friday was proof of that," said Black of Orton in a one-on-one interview. 

"Anybody who touches anything with Orton turns into gold because he is who he is. The same goes for Steph Rollins and a Roman Reigns. The sky is the limit with these guys, and they have the ability to make and break anyone because of the years dedicated to the industry and the business and the way that they have fought for their places within this industry and this company." 

"Whatever they touch is just better than gold," Black told SportsBoom.us. 

"It turns to the diamonds. CM Punk is another one. Obviously, everybody knows the history of CM Punk up and down, but when he's there, everything becomes valuable, everything and everyone does better. That in my opinion is the sign of someone who is a true main eventer, when everything turns into money."

A Veteran With a Fresh Perspective

Black is a legitimate veteran, having wrestled since before he hit the age of 18. 

He has wrestled in Japan and various countries in Europe and is now seven years removed from his initial debut on the main roster. However, he feels new and younger than he actually is because he hasn't been involved in many major storylines since his debut.

That's something that Black is aware of and why he's excited during this second run in the WWE.

"There is such a wide variety of older talent and also new talent coming through the ranks of NXT that have been moved up to Raw and SmackDown now that make for such an interesting thought process as to how are we going to move forward," said Black. 

"Whether it's to more established talents or with the younger talent, I think there will always be an interest there, because my character can go in so many directions in so many ways, that there's always something for me to do in that regard." 

Black said his character would be an interesting foe against the likes of many of the current wrestlers, including Je'Von Evans, one of the faster rising stars in the WWE at 21 years old.

"The antithesis of the character is obviously to always bring out the quote unquote worst in people, which he considers the best, which he feels is the true nature of man," Black said. 

"In that regard, it's interesting to see how a Je'Von Evans would respond to that. What is the dark side of a Je'Von Evans? What is the dark side of a Johnny Gargano, even though we kind of already saw that with Aleister Black back in the day. What would happen if we do it in this setting, or what would happen when we do it with the Roman Reigns? What can I drag out of them that the audience has not seen yet?"

Dream Feuds Revealed

When asked who are some wrestlers he'd like to feud with, Black lists an endless amount of names, including the likes of Roman Reigns, the Uso's, Jacob Fatu and Chad Gable. 

"Roman Reigns, 100%," said Black. 

"The Usos, it might sound strange, but Chad Gable is fantastic. I think he's one of the most consistent, unique guys. He's another one that you can throw a pink bow on him, and he'll make it look gritty and violent and legitimate because of the nature of the athletes that just lives inside of him. Je'Von Evans is another one. Oba (Femi) is another one. Jacob Fatu, I think that's very, very interesting, even though I only had a small little dance with him. Solo (Sikoa) is another one. Since I've left and come back, there's just such a change of guard."

When asked what his objectives are during his second run in the WWE, the mixed martial artist said "individual titles with the right motivation" and headlining WrestleMania is at the top of his list.

"Number one is to establish everything that you and I just spoke about on a broader spectrum, having it understood," said Black. 

"My biggest challenge is to filter that. Luckily, I work with a very talented writer named Colin Clark, and he's very good at making what I think chewable and giving it into small doses. As time progresses, hopefully we can do a lot more of that so that the character has a more of an established rooting and grounding. 

"Number two is the winning of individual titles and finding the right motivation, other than he wants to win matches for myself," said Black. 

"That doesn't even have to be on display. I just have to make myself understand from this character point of view, what would somebody with the insights in what he thinks would want an individual title."