Aleister Black Reveals Which Former WWE Champion He Wants To Face

"Cody Rhodes is the ultimate professional. Speaking as a human being, I think Cody is a fantastic person. As a competitor, I think Cody is the marquee player at the moment. Having run my storylines with him has made me so much more hungry for more of it because I feel there is a lot more that we could've tapped into. I sincerely hope we can do that here because there was so much left on the table both verbally and stuff that was written down that we never got to," he said.

Rhodes and Black (then Malakai Black) feuded throughout that summer, with their feud culminating with a match that Rhodes won at the first AEW Grand Slam show at Arthur Ashe Stadium. Even though he emerged victorious, it was the beginning of a major shift in Rhodes' presentation and reception in AEW, one that saw many view him as a villain.

Black was once one of WWE NXT's biggest stars, but a run from 2019 through 2021 on the WWE main roster produced few results. He jumped to AEW after being released by the company, and immediately targeted Rhodes. Now, he wants another shot.

"Hopefully, now, we can [get to work together], because the contrast between the two characters is so vast that it makes an interesting connection. The fact that for those brief months, him and me have our history, it immediately sparks that conversation. That says a lot," Black said.

Ultimately, he thinks there will be demand for the match, and that the two can make something special together.

"If that's what fans go to the second the opportunity arises or that door slowly opens itself and people immediately go, 'What about Aleister and Cody Rhodes?' That says a lot and makes me think the work we did previously was appreciated to the point that people would like to see more of it, which is the best reflection I can have of what is going on within the mindset."

H/T Fightful for partial transcript assistance.