During the WWE NXT house show at the Bartow Armory in Bartow, Florida on Friday night, November 21, 2025, Malik Blade competed in his first singles match inside of a WWE NXT ring for the first time in over a year.
Blade lost to Aigle Blanc at the house show, marking his first match in 13 months. Blade last competed inside the squared circle for WWE NXT at a NXT Level Up taping way back on October 14, 2024.
Malik Blade had been on the sidelines for the past year due to an ACL tear he suffered in November of 2024, which required surgery and a lengthy recovery process.
Following the match, Blade took to social media to share his excitement about being back in the squared circle.
