4 Superstars who have pinned Aleister Black in WWE
Since signing with WWE in 2016, Aleister Black has been one of the most dominant Superstars in the company. After a successful stint at NXT, he arrived on the main roster in 2019. While one can argue about how sparsely Aleister Black was used during his initial run, the company hasn't compromised on making the Dutch Destroyer seem like a credible performer.
So far, Aleister Black has only been pinned once during his main roster run and even that loss occurred in a gauntlet match via nefarious means. Despite not being featured as prominently as fans would want him to, the former NXT Champion has made his presence felt on the main roster by having some solid matches. Aleister Black has proven time and again that he is one of the most skilled in-ring performers in the company today.
Aleister Black is currently involved in a feud with Seth Rollins and his disciples. Last week on RAW, he and Humberto Carrillo saved Rey Mysterio and his son, Dominick, by blindsiding the Monday Night Messiah and his disciples. This week on RAW, Aleister Black and Carrillo faced off against Rollins and Murphy in a losing effort after Carrillo was pinned by Rollins. Aleister Black has one of the best win-loss records in WWE currently and only been pinned a handful of times during his three-year stint with the company.
Here are four Superstars who have pinned the former NXT Champion in WWE so far:
#4 Neville (PAC)
As one of the most renowned names in the European independent circuit, Aleister Black was one of the flagbearers of the rise of British and European Wrestling in the modern era. What made Black stand out from the pack was his unique in-ring style which drew inspiration from various forms of martial arts. Black's strong mat game combined with his array of kicks and impressive submission moves mesmerized the independent wrestling fans for more than a decade. In June 2016, the Striking Man from Amsterdam would sign a developmental deal with WWE.
His in-ring debut for the company would come on January 15, 2017, where he would make a surprise appearance during the finals of the inaugural WWE United Kingdom Championship tournament. Black would perform under his former ring name "Tommy End" and face-off against the then-WWE Cruiserweight Champion, Neville.
After an exciting back and forth, Neville would defeat Aleister Black. This was Black's first defeat in WWE and it would take another year and a half before he was pinned in WWE again. He was later repackaged and would re-debut as "Aleister Black" at NXT TakeOver: Orlando against Andrade.
# 3 Johnny Gargano
Aleister Black and Johnny Gargano had one of the most intriguing feuds during their time together in NXT. In the fall of 2017, Black was involved in one of the best feuds of the year against The Velveteen Dream. The duo faced off against each other at NXT TakeOver: WarGames where Black would emerge as the victor.
Following this, The Dutch Destroyer would turn his attention towards Andrade and his NXT Championship.
It was during this time that Black would earn the wrath of The Undisputed Era. In a Fatal-4 Way to determine the No. 1 Contender for the NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia, Aleister Black would suffer his first pinfall loss since arriving on the Black and Yellow Brand. Following a group attack by The Undisputed Era, Black was pinned by Gargano, who earned a shot at Andrade's NXT Championship at NXT TakeOver: Philadelphia.
This, however, wasn't the last time that we saw Black and Gargano inside an NXT ring together. In the fall of 2018, Gargano was revealed as Black's mystery attacker in an angle that led to a match between the two at NXT TakeOver: WarGames (2018). Black would defeat Gargano in the match, thereby avenging his loss from almost a year ago.
# 2 AJ Styles
The most recent Superstar to secure a pinfall victory over Black albeit via nefarious means is the Phenomenal One, AJ Styles. Black and Styles were involved in a mini-feud during the start of 2020. It all began with Styles and the OC attacking the Dutch Destroyer backstage on the February 24 episode of RAW. A match between Styles and Black was set for the following week's RAW.
However, before the match even began, Styles tricked Black into facing Gallows and Anderson in two separate matches to finally get his hands on the Phenomenal One. Aleister Black would make quick work of Karl Anderson but his match against Gallows would end in a DQ. The trio of Styles, Gallows, and Anderson would then lay out Black, rendering him unable to put up a fight in his match with the current Intercontinental Champion. This would allow Styles to become the first Superstar to score a pinfall victory over Black on the main roster.
At Elimination Chamber, the duo squared off against each other in a No Disqualification Match. Much like their previous encounter, Gallows and Anderson would interfere on Style's behalf and it seemed as if the Phenomenal One had the match won. The finish of the match saw an impromptu appearance by The Undertaker, who would lay out Gallows and Anderson before attacking Styles. This gave Aleister Black the time to recuperate from the attack by the trio and hit the iconic "Black Mass" on Styles for the win.
# 1 Tommaso Ciampa
Tommaso Ciampa and Aleister Black's paths first crossed during the summer of 2018. Black, fresh off a successful NXT Title defense against Lars Sullivan at NXT TakeOver: Chicago, was challenged by Ciampa for the Black and Yellow Brand's top prize.
On July 25, 2018, Black would put his NXT Championship on the line in a match against Ciampa. The finish of the match saw Ciampa's arch-nemesis, Johnny Gargano, inadvertently hitting Black with the title, thereby allowing Ciampa to hit the "Fairytale Ending" on Black to win the NXT Championship.
The Dutch Destroyer was initially supposed to receive his contractual rematch for the title at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV. However, weeks before the event, Black was found unconscious in the parking lot of the NXT arena following an attack by an unknown assailant. Following the attack, Black was removed from the NXT Title match at NXT TakeOver: Brooklyn IV.
The mystery attacker was later revealed to be Johnny Gargano whom Black would defeat in a highly physical bout at NXT TakeOver: WarGames (2018). Following his victory over Gargano, Aleister Black would turn his attention back to Ciampa and the NXT Championship. A match between the two was set for NXT TakeOver: Phoenix during the Royal Rumble 2019 weekend. Black was unsuccessful in regaining the NXT Championship as he was defeated by Ciampa in what turned out to be his first clean pinfall loss under the name, "Aleister Black".