Update on Malakai Black & Buddy Matthews’ AEW Contracts

House of Black’s Buddy Matthews has been absent from AEW since this past June due to a storyline knee injury that was meant to cover for Matthews to travel back to his home in Australia for his marriage to WWE talent Rhea Ripley. Matthews and fellow House of Black member Malakai Black have recently been rumored online to be potentially leaving AEW soon.

In regards to Matthews, WrestlePurists’ Ibou reported that his sources stated that Matthews had recently signed a new contract to remain in the company.

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that his sources confirmed that Matthews had signed a new contract. Johnson reported that this new deal was signed this past February but the actual length of it has yet to be confirmed by his sources.

In regards to Black, his current contract situation is less clear due to conflicting reports over when his contract is actually set to expire.

Ibou reported that Black’s contract with AEW is expected to be expiring relatively soon.

Johnson reported that those spoken to stated that Black is currently signed to a deal that takes him through 2025. Johnson reported that the numerous claims and rumors over the past year about Black leaving AEW had never been correct.

Fightful Select’s Sean Ross Sapp reported that his sources stated that while AEW CEO Tony Khan had revealed in an interview back in 2022 that Black had almost five-years left on his contract, there was a conditional aspect of his deal that has reduced that time from the originally believed end of 2026 date. Sapp reported that several within AEW currently believe that Black’s deal goes through the end of this year but not further. Sapp also reported that Black’s deal also contains an option year that could extend it through 2025 instead.