Biography
Aleister Black(2026)
Table of Contents
Aleister Black is one of the famous wrestlers of current time who used Instagram to share a state of depression. He shared his account about fighting with anxiety and depression after winning the title of “NXT Championship.” He shared the post to realize that their dream is powerful to fight any situations, including their mental problems.
| Quick Info | |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Tom Budgen |
| Date Of Birth | May 19, 1985 |
| Birth Place | Alkmaar, Netherlands |
| Profession | Wrestler |
| Spouse | Zelina Vega |
| Age | 41 years |
| Height | 5 ft 11 in |
| Weight | 98 kg- |
| Net Worth | No Information |
Social Media has grown one of the easy and convenient media to share the thought of people. Some ideas are useful to everyone, and some are useless. But the one who shares usually feels a sort of accomplishment after sharing it. It would be more helpful if one gets good feedback. One must be strong enough to take good compliments and avoid progressive content.
Likewise, social media has also become a platform to share the painful emotions with the people. It might be quite amusing that why one will share their sad thoughts with the world. This type of sharing can help those people feel that they are not alone, and there is a solution.
He is now a free agent as of 2026, having been released by WWE following WrestleMania 42, and has begun working the independent scene again, most recently announced for PROGRESS Wrestling’s “The Odyssey Tour” in the UK in September 2026.
Early Life
The birthplace of Aleister is Alkmaar, Netherlands. Aleister Black came into the world on 19th May 1985. The financial conditions of his family were relatively low. But his parents used to work all around the clock so that nothing gets less. They were always concerned about getting the food on the table. His father used to leave for work early at 6:30 am and come home in the afternoon. Then, Aleister Black used to find some jobs in the pre-afternoon time. His mother also used to work in the same way.
This kind of family environment helped him generate the best attitude and make the best out of everything. Aleister was always growing with a competitive mindset. He was a slim kid. Aleister loved sports. He used to love karate, swimming, and kickboxing. Aleister knew what he wanted from his early childhood days.
Aleister Black showed the same passion for tattoos at his growing age while nine years old when he said to his mom that he would get a tattoo. Then, he came to his house at his nineteen with quarter-sleeve. His mom replied that he wasn’t joking that day. Aleister had the plan of only getting one tattoo, but after one arm, it became another. However, he had said that he wouldn’t tattoo his neck; however, he couldn’t continue. And Aleister Black tattooed his neck, chest, legs, and now his body is like a canvas.
Education
There are not many details about the educational background of Aleister available. However, he started his wrestling training in 2000.
Career
Aleister started his wrestling career on June 18, 2002. He started his career in the promotions of wrestling in Japan, Europe, and the United States. Aleister was part of the “Independent Circuit” in Europe, including the United Kingdom, and his ring name was “Tommy End” in the beginning.
Likewise, Aleister Black wrestled in the promotions of the tournaments like “Insane Championship Wrestling” (ICW), “Progress Wrestling,” “Pro Wrestling Holland”(PWH), ” Over the Top Wrestling” (OTT), “Pro Wrestling Showdown” (PWS) and “Revolution Pro Wrestling” (RPW). Aleister was also concerned about the promotion of international wrestling tournaments, “Big Japan Pro Wrestling” (BJW), “Pro Wrestling Guerilla” (PWG), and “Combat Zone Wrestling” (CWZ).
Aleister Black has even won numerous titles. “wXw World Light Heavyweight Champion,” “ICW Tag Team Champion,” “wXw Unified World Heavyweight Champion,” ” Progress Tag Team Champion,” and ” wXw World Tag Team Champion” are some of his titles that honor him during his career to date. These achievements were between 2002 and 2016.
Moreover, Aleister signed a deal with “WWE” in June 2016 and started reporting in the “WWE Performance Center” on 19th October. And he officially debuted in the ring with the name of “Aleister Black” on January 7, 2017. Aleister Black also appeared with surprise in the finals of the “United Kingdom Championship Tournament” on 15th January. Aleister lost the match against Neville.
Similarly, Aleister began his “NXT Takeover: Orlando” journey on 1st April. He took down “Andrade ‘Cien Almas” in the match. Aleister even won “NXT Takeover: Brooklyn III” and “NXT Takeover: War Games.” He won the “NXT Takeover: Philadelphia” on 27th January 2018. Aleister Black participated in “2019 Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic” in March 2019. He teamed up with Ricochet to win the match.
Aleister Black made his official “Main Rister” debut in the eighteenth episode of “Raw” on February 18, 2019. He has been continuously being drafted from “Raw” to “Smackdown” and vice verse repeatedly. Aleister has been part of the “Smackdown” brand due to the “2020 Draft” in October 2020.
From 2021 to 2025, Black worked for All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as “Malakai Black,” leading the House of Black stable alongside Brody King and Buddy Matthews, and winning the AEW World Trios Championship. He left AEW in January 2025 and returned to WWE later that year, feuding notably with Damian Priest, culminating in a Last Man Standing match win in October 2025 and an Ambulance match loss in January 2026 that effectively ended the rivalry. Despite being rumored for a title program, Black was released by WWE again-along with his wife, Zelina Vega-shortly after WrestleMania 42 in April 2026.
Since then, he’s been on the free-agent market. Reports indicate brief, inconclusive contact with Major League Wrestling, and sources suggest a return to AEW is considered unlikely. He’s now stepping back into the independent scene under the “Malakai Black” name, including a run with PROGRESS Wrestling-the same UK promotion where he wrestled early in his career as Tommy End.
Relationship/Personal Life
Aleister married fellow WWE wrestler Zelina Vega (real name Thea Trinidad, now also known as Thea Büdgen) on November 23, 2018. The two remain married, and both were released by WWE together in 2026-a shared setback that’s kept them working alongside each other on-screen and off.
Social Media
Current, reliable follower counts for Aleister/Malakai Black’s social media accounts weren’t available through search-his various handles have shifted over the years alongside his ring-name changes (Aleister Black to Malakai Black and back), which has fragmented his following across accounts. I wasn’t able to confirm an up-to-date, trustworthy figure, so I’d avoid stating a specific number without verifying it directly on his current active account.
Net Worth
There isn’t a well-sourced, current net worth estimate available for 2026.
Nutshell Bio
The real name of Aleister is Tom Budgen. His current age is 41years. He belongs to Dutch ethnicity. Aleister has an attractive height of 5 feet 11 inches along with a complimentary weight of 98 kg.
