Malakai Black Names AEW Star That’s Underappreciated By Fans

While Malakai Black is happy that AEW’s fans have been giving him a warm reception, he feels that those same fans could be a little bit warmer towards one of his co-workers.

Malakai Black has been with AEW since 2021 and has spent most of that time in six-man action along with Brody King and Buddy Matthews. AEW’s audience treated him like a big deal when he first debuted in the company and that has largely remained the same for himself.

But when it comes to Buddy Matthews, Black believes he isn’t being given the credit he’s due.

Speaking on The Undisputed Podcast with Bobby Fish, Malakai Black praised Matthews for being tremendous in the ring and for his ability to make his opponent look good, regardless of who it is.

“I don’t think people appreciate how good Buddy is. Buddy has always been seen as a guy that makes others look good. But you [Bobby Fish] and I both know that it takes two to tango … Just because he has so much body control for a guy the size of him, he makes everything look fantastic.

When it comes to the sheer ability and athleticism, I think Buddy Matthews is one of the best in this current era. And not because we’re in a group, not because he’s one of my best friends, but just from a pro wrestling standpoint from being in the ring with him.

Him and me have a lot of very similar philosophies in wrestling … We’ll butt heads, but all, for the most part, we have a very same idea on selling, we have a very same idea on psychology, we have a very same idea of how to implement what. Very detailed. I genuinely think that people need to realize how damn good he is. He’s really, really something unique.”

Buddy Matthews’ most recent match was on the debut episode of AEW Collision in which he fought Andrade El Idolo in a valiant albeit losing effort. As for Black, he also had some nice things to say about Randy Orton, despite the two now being in competing companies.

h/t WrestlingInc for the transcription