Buddy Murphy’s Latest Video Ties Directly to AEW’s Malakai Black

After dropping a teaser clip on Sunday, former WWE star Buddy Murphy released a short film on Monday teasing his next step in his pro wrestling career. The video eventually shows Murphy, dressed in a white prison jumpsuit, being granted his release from a prison/asylum after a photographer hands a doctor a particular file. References to Murphy’s time in WWE are sprinkled throughout, including a note about him being locked away for eight years (the amount of time he spent in WWE) along with an extra 90 days tacked on (his 90-day No Compete clause).

But fans were also able to quickly pick up how ties back into Aleister Black’s “The Devil Made Me Do It” from July, which was released the same day he arrived in All Elite Wrestling and debuted his new name, Malakai Black. That first video referenced Murphy scarring Black’s eye last year by shoving it into the corner of the steel ring steps, a mark that Black has kept as part of his persona ever since. Murphy’s new video also sees the return of Josiah Willams as Dr. Williams, who Black killed (unless it was all a dream?) at the end of his video.

Do you think the two videos are connected? Watch them both below and see for yourself.

While Black was able to arrive in AEW just one month after his release, Murphy has to wait the full 90 days before he can sign with another promotion (Aug. 31). He’s already spoken highly of what Black has been doing on AEW programming.

“It’s awesome that he gets to go over there,” Murphy told Chris Van Vliet last month (h/t Wrestling Inc.). “He’s going to do his thing and do what he wants to do, right? I feel like WWE dropped the ball with him. I’ve been in the ring with him, I know first hand how good he is. I’m excited for him. He didn’t tell me, he kept it pretty low-low. And I was talking to him the day he debuted and he didn’t tell me. Only good things for him in the future.”

Black had his in-ring debut for AEW last week, defeating Cody Rhodes in shockingly quick fashion in the show’s main event. Rhodes attempted to retire afterwards, only for Black to whack him with a crutch.