Summary

Booker T weighed in on Aleister Black's WWE departure and framed it as part of a larger roster squeeze rather than a simple talent evaluation. Black, who has also wrestled as Malakai Black, was one of several departures announced on April 24.

Booker argued that wrestlers outside the company's top tier can become vulnerable when new talent continues coming up from NXT. His comments also followed other recent reaction to Black's exit, including JBL saying Aleister Black needs a new direction after WWE exit.

Quote from Booker T

"All these years, do you remember one Aleister Black match?

Not that I couldn't do anything with Aleister Black or anything like that, it's just that we've got so many people to do stuff with, especially right now. We've got so many people coming up to do stuff with, you know, just the influx from NXT.

And that's what guys have got to understand: if you're not the mega star, the top five, you can have a problem. Because one thing about guys that have been around for 10-plus years, and they're not in that top five, and these young guys are coming in, who do you think they're going to be looking to remove?"

Booker later went on to say:

"I remember the cuts. I was around for, you know, every cut. Okay. [laughter]

But I wasn't worried about getting cut because I felt like I was one of those guys that was, you know, selling tickets. I felt like I was one of those guys that was moving the needle.

The thing is, you may not have to move the needle too far. You just may have to slightly move the needle in order for the company to say, 'Okay, we know we're making money with this guy.'

I think that's what it boils down to at the end of the day, more than anything."

What Aleister Black's release says about WWE depth

Booker T's point was less about one specific match and more about where Aleister Black stood on the roster. If WWE is continuing to make room for incoming NXT talent, established names who are not locked into the promotion's top tier can become easier cuts.

For fans, that puts the focus on how crowded WWE's pipeline has become. Black's departure can be read as another example of how little margin there is for veteran talent when creative momentum and roster priority are not firmly in place.

Sources

As reported by NoDQ