Alistair Black (real name: Tom Büdgen) may have left his home in Amsterdam to pursue his love of pro wrestling, but he’s taken his European influence into every ring he’s ever wrestled. Along with a vast background in martial arts, Black’s performances in WWE offer an exciting mix of the most impressive and the ski lost. current era of “sports entertainment”.
M&F sat down with the detail-oriented Dutchman to find out how his training has evolved over the course of his career so far, and how he’s passing that wisdom on to the next generation of pro wrestlers.
WWE fans were shocked to see Aleister Black take a nasty fall that saw the wrestler quickly descend from the top of an ambulance and fall through a table on the January 2, 2026 episode of SmackDown, but rumors that he had suffered a career-ending injury have been exaggerated. “There was a small fracture in my tailbone,” confirms the fighter, who explains he didn’t realize it until a routine physical therapy session found swelling in his lower back. “I had no idea,” he says M&F of the stark reminder that professional wrestling is anything but fake. Fortunately, Black is anything but beat.
The Martial Arts Foundation Behind the Black’s Conditioning
Of course, this 6-foot-1 superstar’s appreciation for big time wrestling comes from the smaller shows and low-to-no returns he received on the rise. Black was not only a fan of WWE in his youth, but also of Japanese powerstyle wrestling, an influence that encouraged him to take up martial arts such as pencak silat from the tender age of 9. He also learned Muay Thai under former world champions Liam Harrison and Andy Howson.
Black began his professional wrestling training at 15, traveling to The Hague, then toured England and Germany in his mid-teens, where he practiced the art of chain wrestling – a discipline that favors limb locks and submissions, where there are many reversals but very few breaks. “It was definitely a big cut,” he reflects, noting that the personal and financial sacrifices he’s made have only helped him appreciate where his career is now. As part of the professional wrestling juggernaut that is WWE, Black has headlined shows with packed arena events like SmackDown, but this top athlete says his training never stops evolving.
How Powerlifting and Dietary Changes Helped Alistair’s Physique at 37
“Over the years, I began to combine the spheres of martial arts into professional wrestling,” Black explains of his exciting style in the ring. “And for me, this is an ongoing process.” Another ongoing process was this athlete’s journey with exercise. “I’m not cut out for bodybuilding,” says the fighting star. “But that doesn’t mean I don’t like lifting weights.”
Black tells M&F that getting into powerlifting was a game-changer because it gave him goals in the gym, rather than focusing purely on bicep size. “With my deadlifts, squats, overhead presses, and bench presses, I could work toward a specific goal,” he says of his enthusiasm for pushing himself in the weight room.
When Black signed with WWE about a decade ago, he was 30 years old and in great shape, but the rigors of the road and the added pressures of the spotlight began to take a toll on his health. “I was still very much a rice and chicken guy and lifting weights very crudely, not realizing that there was a lot of nuance to a lot of things I could do,” he reflects. Eventually, the professional wrestler connected with the nutrition coach, Austin J. Sims. “He understands, I’m a (combat) athlete, not a bodybuilder, right? And it’s funny to say that I was in my best shape at age 37 or 38.”
High rep training for strength and cardiovascular endurance
Now 40, Black explains that it’s all about balance and consistency when it comes to crushing your fitness goals. The wrestler tracks his calories and macros so that if he’s on the road with WWE, he can make simple trades and hit his goals. “It’s just having a healthy relationship with food, that’s mostly understanding what’s functional, but also understanding that it doesn’t have to be cardboard,” notes Black. “It doesn’t mean the food has to be bland.”
As a busy road wrestler, Black also changed his rep plans. While he still enjoys the odd powerlifting session from time to time, Black tells M&F his focus is now on functionality and longevity in the ring. Of course, he already needs to lift his opponents inside the WWE ring, so when he’s in the gym, Black likes to lift lighter weights but at a much higher volume, often doing a hundred reps per exercise to work on strength and endurance at the same time.
Alistair Black protects chain wrestling and mental health in the next generation of pro wrestlers
Having trained extensively in England back in the day, Black still embodies that influence in 2026. “I try to apply it to every race I have,” he shares. “Even if it’s a quick hook, or a quick wrist lock, or whatever else I can do to give something that has the element of wrestling in it. Because at the end of the day, it’s called pro wrestling. We’re wrestlers and you know that’s probably going to sound interesting coming from a guy in the law. It’s pro wrestling when as soon as the bell rings the punches start flying.”
Keeping the traditional art of professional wrestling alive is also a huge aspect of life at Black’s wrestling school in Florida, which he runs with his wife and WWE superstar Zelina Vega. “They train with me and obviously I have pretty high standards,” the student-athlete says of the game. However, having wrestled in these less-than-safe environments during his youth, this coach is all about providing a comfortable environment in which his aspiring pro wrestlers can thrive. “I cover mental health because it’s something very real in our industry,” says Black. “It’s not easy to do that.”
Now taking the many lessons he’s learned from a stellar career that includes the NXT World Title, Black is preparing for his own future return to the mat, and we’ll likely see him chasing WWE gold in the not-too-distant future. “I still feel great!” he tells M&F.
WWE SmackDown airs on USA Network every Friday night at 8/7C in the US, while international viewers can catch all the action via Netflix.
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