Recently released WWE Superstar Aleister Black, known outside the ring Tom Budgen, is in active negotiations with All Elite Wrestling. The development directly contradicts a wave of reporting over the past two weeks that suggested AEW had no interest in welcoming the former House of Black leader back to the company.

According to a source with direct knowledge of the discussions, those conversations are happening regardless of the public framing. Terms have not been finalized, and no agreement is in place.

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reported that some inside AEW were unhappy with Black's previous booking arrangement, pointing to his low loss column and the fact that his desire to leave for WWE had become obvious once Triple H assumed creative control. Meltzer added that AEW's locker room morale is the strongest it has been in years, and that some talents are uneasy about welcoming back a star whose heart was clearly elsewhere.

Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select softened that picture but stopped well short of confirming talks. Sapp told subscribers "the bridge is not considered burned there," while AEW sources he spoke to did not expect a near-term return.

AEW talent coordinator Shawn Dean publicly answered "No" on social media when a fan floated reuniting the House of Black with Zelina Vega added to the mix. Jim Ross, speaking on his Grilling JR podcast, did not say bridges were burned but cautioned that Black's "chances are running out," questioning his reliability outside the ring.

Black was among roughly 25 talents released by WWE on April 24 in a sweeping post-WrestleMania 42 roster reduction. The cuts also took out his wife Zelina Vega, the entire Wyatt Sicks faction, Kairi Sane, the Motor City Machine Guns, and Apollo Crews.

His exit followed speculation, reported by PWInsider's Mike Johnson, that a power player inside TKO Group Holdings was uncomfortable with horror-inflected character work. That theory has been disputed by other reporting placing the April cuts at the feet of Triple H and Nick Khan for budget reasons.

If a deal closes, it would mark Black's third direct jump between WWE and AEW since 2021, putting him in rare company among talent who have moved between the two promotions multiple times. He left WWE for AEW in 2021, returned to WWE on the SmackDown after WrestleMania 41 in April 2025, and would now head back to AEW barely a year later.

Black led the House of Black during his prior AEW run, holding the AEW World Trios Championship with Brody King and Buddy Matthews. Whether Tony Khan ultimately green-lights the reunion is another question. Resistance from within AEW remains real per the public reporting, and any agreement will require his sign-off. As of this writing, talks are active.