WWE SmackDown teased the arrival of two new stars, and all signs point to two recent AEW releases.
First, a fiery clip of what looks like a luchador perched on the rope played during the show. There were lightning bolts, but no music. WWE recently brought in Penta, a former multi-time AEW Champion, which means it could be his brother Rey. The Lucha Bros are a fan-favorite tag team no matter the company they work for, racking up accolades worldwide. However, Penta is on WWE Raw.
Are Rey Fenix and Malakai Black Heading to WWE?
If Fenix is on SmackDown, that could indicate they have bigger plans for Penta as a singles star for now. While Penta was let go from AEW last year, Fenix had injury times added to his contract. He repeatedly aired frustrations with the company on social media, reportedly becoming a free agent earlier this month.
The other teaser was much darker and sinister. It begins with a black screen filled with smoke while footsteps echo in the background. Nobody showed up on screen, but the number four did. That could mean any number of things, including an April debut. We’ll have to wait and see how that one plays out, but many fans believe it to be Aleister Black (Malakai Black in AEW).
He was also let go from his contract earlier this year. The rest of the House of Black — Julia Hart, Brody King, and Buddy Matthews — remain in AEW. Black originally left WWE in 2021 due to budget cuts. He popped up in AEW shortly after, winning the AEW Trios Championships during his tenure. In late January, AEW aired a vignette for the group with no sight of Black. His last match for the company was at AEW Full Gear in November, teaming with King for the AEW World Tag Team Championships.
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