In a recent episode of The Undisputed Podcast, All Elite Wrestling star Malakai Black discussed several topics, including plans for him to open his own gym before the end of the Summer.

“I have always loved teaching and instructing people. Before being fully submerged as a full-time pro, I was a trainer, I worked in rehabilitation from horrendous accidents, and helping people cope with development and rebuilding strength. I have always found a lot of joy in having people that came in that could barely bare the light of the gym, because of the accident they had, to walking out and being able to pull 315 off the ground. I love progression.

The concept of the gym started when we started building our new house, I told my wife (WWE’s Zelina Vega) I want a place where I can train and teach people, I want to create a concept where I can implement all the different things that I feel have made me who I am, and have brought me to the levels that I’ve been to and still am. I want to show that to other people, but I want to do it in a way that is not like, pay me $50 and I’ll teach you how to do springboards. There is a system, and I want people to go through the system, we will do classes and courses.

My personal Muay Thai coach, Simon Harrison, will be teaching Muay Thai several days a week, he’ll be looking to start his own group-up again, because he used to coach championship fighters, he wants to start that back up. Erick Stevens, he’s a well-rounded BJJ guy, he’ll teach pro wrestling and BJJ with me. My wife will teach pro wrestling and Muay Thai will be taught by me and my wife too, and the more advanced stuff will be done by Simon, partially influenced by the WWE Performance Center, because I feel that’s a system that works really well with the correct discipline.

I don’t want people to come hang out, I want athletes. If you’re not an athlete, I want you to become an athlete, that’s why I don’t train pro wrestlers, I train athletes, because that’s what we are. I hope to work with rehabilitation in the future, I’m working with one of my personal physiotherapists to set up a schedule for rehab, I’m trying to implement as much as I can in a way I feel is professional, and is what this business needs.

I’m hoping to start running trial classes by the end of this month, by trial I mean there’s an open workout on Monday night between 6 and 9, drop $25 and you can come train. I’ll have separate years of six months to five years if you’re a beginner and six years to ten years if you’re experienced, and then, there is television talent. Beginners came come on down, $25, train and we’ll do a block of pro wrestling and Muay Thai, next week strength and conditioning and BJJ, and then I’ll just point and see how this is going to work. There are bound to be 10,000 changes, and that’s why I’m starting with trial classes and I’ll get feedback on what will work and what won’t.”

The full episode is available at this link.