Earlier this month, Malakai Black left AEW after requesting his release, and now it appears that another House of Black member is following him out the door. With Fightful Select reporting that their sources have told them Buddy Matthews finished up his AEW bookings at Grand Slam on Wednesday night, and the spot with the Great Muta which aired on Rampage was done to write him off television. They would add though it wasn’t fully confirmed, so he may just be off television for a while.
After this week’s AEW Rampage Grand Slam, Fightful was informed that the Great Muta spot was a way to write Buddy Matthews off television for the time being. Fightful had heard numerous times over the previous couple of months that he’d expressed dissatisfaction regarding his situation. One source contacted Fightful after the New York City tapings and said they believed it was Buddy’s “last night,” but that hasn’t been confirmed.
Fightful SelectAnd when you add that he appeared at Fight Life Pro Wrestling this weekend and told fans that he needs to “recalibrate” and “figure out some things,” it adds credence to him at least taking time away from the company if he hasn’t been granted his release. A clue to his contract status may actually come as soon as tomorrow, as the former WWE talent is turning 34 on Monday, and typically AEW’s social media will wish their signed wrestlers a happy birthday. So if Matthews isn’t acknowledged, it would look like he has departed.
Unfortunately, tonight, I’m going to be the bearer of some unfortunate news. As everyone knows, the House of Black has had some issues lately. As all the members of the house, I’m speaking for them all, we want to thank you all for being members of the house. Unfortunately, I, like some of the other members, need to go away for a while. I need to recalibrate. I need to figure out some things. As my brother Malakai once said, this isn’t goodbye, this is see you later.
Buddy MatthewsMatthews debuted for AEW on the 23rd February 2022 episode of Dynamite, where he aligned himself with the House of Black. And while his performances have been good, due to being part of a multi-man group and missing time due to injuries, he has failed to stand out from the crowd. Of course, speculation will now commence that he will soon return to WWE with Triple H having already re-signed several talents. However, if gone from AEW, he would likely have received a similar conditional release as Malakai Black, preventing him from showing up anytime soon.
