Aleister Black has been conspicuously absent from WWE programming for nearly three weeks, leaving fans to speculate about his status. The former champion was last seen on the January 2 episode of SmackDown, where he lost a grueling Ambulance Match to Damian Priest. According to a new report from PWInsider, his disappearance is part of a calculated creative decision rather than a serious issue.
Selling The Beatdown
The report confirms that WWE officials made the call to keep Black off television to sell the severity of his loss to Priest. The Ambulance Match was designed to be a definitive end to their chapter, propelling Priest into the WWE Championship picture—a move that paid off as Priest recently qualified for the Number One Contender’s match at Saturday Night’s Main Event.
“WWE’s sources reportedly told PWInsider that his hiatus was always planned in the aftermath of his clash, though it wasn’t indicated how long he’d be gone for, only that it wouldn’t be long.”
Minor Injury Note
While the absence is storyline-driven, Black did not emerge from the match unscathed. It is noted that he suffered a minor injury during the bout, specifically a small fracture to his tailbone following one of the match’s high-impact spots. However, sources emphasized that this injury is manageable. If WWE creative desperately needed him on television, he would be cleared to perform. For now, the hiatus serves the dual purpose of allowing him to heal up while enhancing the narrative that Priest’s victory was truly devastating.
H/T to PwInsider for the transcription. Thanks for checking out this article.
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