In a spectacle that could only be described as a glorious wrestling heist, Malakai Black and his dark disciples, the House of Black, stole the show—and possibly a few souls—at AEW Dynasty last Sunday. By the time the lights dimmed, it was clear: no amount of holy water could save Adam Copeland and his band of gold-laden champions from Black’s sinister schemes.
The night was as intense as a tax audit, but with more physical contact. After what can only be called a no-holds-barred brawl, Black, ever the artist of the arcane, unleashed his infamous black mist—clearly, his version of a desperate cologne splash during a bad date. Copeland, momentarily blinded more than a grandma without her glasses, was left stumbling right into the devastating embrace of Black’s finisher, the Black Mass. Down went Copeland, and with him, the dreams of a victorious night for his team of title-toting tough guys, Eddie Kingston and Mark Briscoe.
Malakai, the brooding baron of the mat, not only pinned the AEW TNT Champion but also sent a message as dark and unmistakable as his attire: he’s coming for that belt. Having been a tag terror with the AEW Trios Championship and missing a singles title to hang on his mantle, Black seems poised to turn his recent tango with Copeland into a full-blown dance off for the TNT Championship. If granted a match, it would be his first singles title shot since the inaugural AEW International Champion crown—a bout that surely still haunts him like a missed connection at a goth concert.
Stay tuned, folks, because if Black has his way, Copeland’s reign might just go out not with a bang, but a whimper—preferably in a shade of pitch black.