Brody King has steadily built momentum in AEW over the past few years, and according to his former stablemate Aleister Black, that success was never a surprise.
King previously competed alongside Black and Buddy Matthews as part of the House of Black faction during Black’s AEW run under the name Malakai Black. The group remained a major presence on AEW programming before Black departed the company at the beginning of 2025.
Speaking with Rob Pasbani of The Stunner, Black reflected on the group’s time together and explained that his departure wasn’t something he handled without discussing it with his teammates first.
According to Black, all three members of the faction had started to feel like the group had reached a creative ceiling.
Black said that despite the frustration, he always believed King had the potential to break out as a major singles star once circumstances changed.
“I said to him, ‘I think once I go one direction, you will eventually see a big explosion in regards to how you are being perceived,’” Black explained. “I am glad that we see that now because the whole reason why I initially told Tony about Brody was because I already saw that.”
Black also revealed that when King first joined AEW, he encouraged him to adjust his approach in the ring to make his offense feel even more impactful.
“He is a big human being,” Black said. “I would say, ‘I would like for you to be more effective. One elbow from you equals dude on the ground and not getting back up.’”
According to Black, King embraced that advice and quickly improved his in-ring presence.
Outside the former House of Black alliance, King has continued to grow his reputation in AEW through high-profile feuds with top stars like MJF and Swerve Strickland.
King’s next major challenge will come at the upcoming AEW Revolution pay-per-view, where he is scheduled to face Strickland in another major matchup.
For Black, seeing his former partner reach new heights in AEW has only reinforced what he believed from the start: that King had the tools to become one of the company’s most dominant performers.
