Malakai Black lost to Adam Cole on AEW Dynamite last Wednesday, and rumors circulated on social media that he was leaving the company after appearing to say goodbye.
Black later stated on social media that he is not retiring and will not leave. On the most recent “Grilling JR” podcast, Jim Ross discussed Malakai Black’s AEW run:
“You didn’t get enough consistency. He could have been more deeply woven into the story lines over time. He’s one of my favorite characters. He’s a smart guy. He’s a hell of a worker. He can be a babyface or a heel. Wherever he’s going to go, he’s going to make money and he’s going to be an asset to any company that he works for.”
Ross continued, “I talked to him a couple of pay-per-views ago, and he didn’t tell me this, but you could tell he was a little disenchanted. I mean, God Almighty. Think about this. They work a day a week. They wrestle a day a week for AEW, maybe two if they get booked on both the Saturday show and the Wednesday show, but that didn’t happen that much. If it did, you’d be working two days a week. I think his future is always going to be bright. He’s a creative guy.”
You can check out the podcast below:
(h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription)