Malakai Black has come a long way in the wrestling world, and his difficult journey has brought him to new heights in AEW.
During a recent appearance on The Zaslow Show, Black looked back on some of the highs and lows in his career and explained that his love for the business has helped him push through these obstacles. [Transcription credit: 790 The Ticket (Miami)]
“I grew up in in the Netherlands, in Amsterdam, no wrestling,” said Black. “We had to create the wrestling. I overcame all these obstacles. Moved to an entire different country. This is a road for me for 21 years now. Yes, times get tough, but at the end of the day when the music hits and the lights go on and all that stuff, and you’re in the ring, you feel the crowd, you have your matches.
“There’s something about hopping in the car, driving through the next town that makes me propel. I love being on the road…there’s been moments in my career that I absolutely hated this, but I needed to hate it long enough to understand why I loved it.”
One of the challenges Black currently faces is the fact that he and his wife, Zelina Vega work for different companies now. Whereas they were once both employed (and later released) by the same company, Black signed with AEW while Vega returned to WWE this past. During the interview, Black explained that he doesn’t get to spend as much time with Vega now, but they’re both committed to each other while they continue to chase their dreams.
In doing so, the man formerly known as Aleister Black stated that he’s fully aware of the looming end of his in-ring days at some point, and he’s hoping to get at least five more years from his career as an active competitor.
“…We both made a conscious decision,” said Black. “The one we made years ago that we wanted to be professional athletes, and we know what comes with that. She’s no stranger to being on the road. She’s been doing this for 12 years, I’ve been doing this for 21 years. We made a commitment to each other, so yes, sometimes it gets tough, and yes, it requires extra travel and extra sacrifice, but at the end of the day you have to realize it’s temporary. It’s not going to last forever.
“I’m very aware of the mortality of being a professional wrestler or athlete…I say I have another five years on top, and another good five years left to help others get on top. So all in all if I can squeeze in a decade…this is what I will do until the day I die. I’m setting up a small performance center in the house that my wife and me are currently building close to Tampa. Our goal is to start training people, to get the next generation ready.”
The full interview is available here.
