Malakai Black said he and his wife have had a hard few months since their WWE release.
Black won the PROGRESS World Championship in Manchester, England, on Sunday and talked about the last few months in his post-match promo. He said that four months ago, when they were released, he and his wife Xelina, formerly known as Zelina Vega, took her grandmother into their home. The couple has been handling her care through what Black described as the onset of dementia. Every morning, he said, Xelina gets her out of bed and looks after her.
WWE released the couple on April 24, days after WrestleMania 42. Once their 90-day non-competes expired, both returned to the independent scene, and they appeared on the same PROGRESS show in Manchester.
WrestleTours @WrestleTours Follow "4 months year ago we got released, my wife & I took on Zelina's grandmother to live with us and the pressures that come with that due to early dementia. Every morning Zelina gets her out of bed & looks after her."
5:33 PM · Sep 6, 2026The promo was an emotional one. Black also addressed the death of Andy Williams, the former AEW wrestler known as The Butcher, and called him one of his best friends. He said he couldn’t keep it together backstage, and he asked the Manchester crowd to chant Williams’ name.
Williams, a former member of Every Time I Die, suffered a medical emergency Saturday at an Enjoy Wrestling independent show in Pennsylvania.
Black still closed the night as champion, beating Cara Noir in the main event for the first PROGRESS World Championship of his career. Xelina also wrestled on the show and beat Myla Grace.