Before fully committing to his professional wrestling career, Aleister Black had discussions about stepping into the world of combat sports.
Known for his hard-hitting, kickboxing-inspired style — particularly his devastating Black Mass finishing move — Black recently shared that there were once conversations about him possibly competing in Glory Kickboxing and Bellator MMA.
During an interview with Wrestling the Rap Game — recorded before his exit from AEW — Black was asked if he ever considered pursuing opportunities in UFC or Strikeforce earlier in his career. His response was candid.
“No, God no,” Black said. “There were talks, I’ll be honest — I’m not sure if it was right before or during my time heading to WWE. It was with Glory, and at one point the conversation shifted toward Bellator. But I told them, ‘Guys, I’m not an MMA fighter.’ I was a kickboxer, and later transitioned into Muay Thai. I didn’t know how to grapple. I knew some shoot holds and basic wrestling from my training, but against any skilled grappler, I’d be in trouble. I might put up a good fight, but it wouldn’t end well.”
He continued, explaining why he ultimately turned down the opportunity.
“There was definitely some interest, but I didn’t want to disrespect the sport. If I had gone to Glory, I would’ve been taking a spot from someone who dedicated their entire life to fighting. Glory is a huge platform. I couldn’t in good conscience do that to the sport, my coaches, or the athletes. I’ll always train martial arts, but competing? I’ll leave that to the professionals.”
Aleister Black recently made his highly anticipated return to WWE, appearing on the April 25th post-WrestleMania 41 edition of SmackDown. He immediately made an impact, dropping The Miz with his signature Black Mass.
(H/T to Fightful.com for transcribing the above quotes.)
