Aleister Black Says Triple H Wasn’t Sold on Zelina Vega Pairing at First — Reveals How It Happened

WWE has officially pulled the trigger on pairing Aleister Black and Zelina Vega together on-screen, and itâ€s already adding a darker layer to Friday Night SmackDown. But according to Black, the idea wasnâ€t always on the table—at least not in Triple Hâ€s eyes.

On the October 17, 2025 episode of WWE SmackDown from San Joseâ€s SAP Center, fans got another eerie glimpse at the real-life coupleâ€s new presentation. A cryptic vignette aired showing Black and Vega speaking in riddles, calling themselves “a necessary evil, a balance, and a venom of salvation.†But this story goes back years.

In a new interview with Sports Illustratedâ€s Rick Ucchino, Aleister Black revealed the idea to pair him with Vega dates back to his first WWE run. When he returned to the company, the pitch came up again—but Triple H wasnâ€t immediately on board.

“We started shooting little vignettes for it, and we started creating outfits for it. That first mask that I ever wore when I worked with [AEW] was actually one of the masks that was utilized. If you remember the Dark Father character that was at the end of my initial run [with WWE], that would eventually see my wife joining me… that was one of the pitches.â€

Despite Blackâ€s excitement for the pairing, Triple H reportedly needed some convincing—until he looked at some successful WWE couples and had a change of heart.

“When I got back, the conversation arose again and initially [Triple H] was not really into it. But I think that with the success of AJ [Lee] and CM Punk, and Seth and Becky, I think that he kinda went like, you know what, this might actually really, really work.â€

Once Triple H bought in, the idea took off. According to Black, things moved quickly in the weeks leading up to their on-screen debut—and what fans are seeing now is only the beginning.

“He was completely sold on it and he really liked it. And then it kind of started building from there [during] those last two, three weeks. Where weâ€re now looking at the presentation that you saw last week, and slowly but surely weâ€re adding elements. This is a work in progress.â€

With WWE diving into supernatural storylines once again, Aleister Black and Zelina Vega might just be the next power couple to dominate SmackDown—if the creative direction stays the course.

Do you think WWE made the right call pairing Aleister Black and Zelina Vega on TV? Could they become the next big act in the company? Drop your thoughts in the comments below.

October 31, 2025 12:52 pm

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