Mustafa Ali has seemingly indicated his departure from WWE, announcing in a post to his X account this morning that he will not be working with the company anymore. “I am [no] longer working with WWE,” Ali wrote. “I look forward to the future. Thank you, – Adeel.” Ali appeared on NXT less than 48 hours ago in a backstage interview where he claimed he’d be present for Dominik Mysterio’s NXT North American Championship defense against Dragon Lee on RAW next week.
Haus of Wrestling exclusively reported last Friday that major cuts to the WWE main and NXT rosters were expected, and it appears as if those are playing out today.
Ali has had a turbulent time in WWE ever since he announced on X that he had requested his release from the company in January 2022. The request reportedly stemmed from a “heated argument” the star had with Vince McMahon after McMahon pitched something that Ali “would never have done.” Ultimately, Ali’s request was denied by the company and he eventually made his on-screen return the following April and once again behind a semi-regular character on WWE programming.
Earlier this year, Ali unsuccessfully challenged Gunther for the Intercontinental Championship at the Night Of Champions Premium Live Event in Saudi Arabia. Following the loss, he made a surprise return to NXT and has since become a regular face on the black and gold brand. Over the past few months, he has been chasing the NXT North American Championship held by Dominik Mysterio and even challenged for the title at NXT The Great American Bash alongside Wes Lee.
The 37-year-old competed in what seems to be his final WWE match on the September 5th 2023 edition of NXT. There, he defeated Dragon Lee in controversial fashion after Special Guest Referee Dominik Mysterio delivered a fast count when Ali rolled up Lee. Despite this, Ali still claims to have beaten Lee fairly and has been incredulous as of late over Lee getting a shot at the North American Championship on RAW despite him beating the up-and-coming star weeks ago.