Aleister Black reportedly suffered a painful injury during the first “SmackDown” of 2026. However, his current absence from television is not solely due to the physical setback.
According to Dave Meltzer in the Wrestling Observer Daily Update, Black sustained a broken tailbone. It happened during his brutal Ambulance Match against Damian Priest.
Despite the gruesome nature of the diagnosis, the injury is described as “minor.” Meltzer noted that while the broken tailbone is legitimate, it is not the primary reason Black has vanished from the blue brand in recent weeks.
“The SmackDown star’s injury was ‘minor,’ and that his hiatus was the plan all along,” Meltzer reported.
The report clarifies that the former United States Champion was slated to take time off regardless of the outcome or the injury. The Ambulance Match stipulation, which saw Priest victorious, was designed to write Black off television for a pre-determined hiatus.
Black returned to WWE last year after an exit and run in AEW. He has since been used as a regular star on the blue brand.
He is coming off a feud with Priest that lasted for several months. Black is also paired on-screen with his real-life wife, Zelina Vega. It’s also unclear what WWE has planned for Vega while Black is off TV.
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While Black recovers, the rest of the SmackDown roster is preparing for a major international tour. The brand will head to the Centre Bell in Montreal, Quebec, on January 24 for “Saturday Night’s Main Event,” which serves as the final stop before the “Royal Rumble” in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, on January 31.
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