10 Wrestlers WWE Failed In 2022

10. Mustafa Ali

With 2021 being full of the stench of the dreadful RETRIBUTION for Mustafa Ali, 2022 started by seeing the hugely talented star requesting his WWE release. Frustrated by how he was used by WWE - if he was even used at all, that is - the high-flyer was desperate to take his wares elsewhere.

After Vince McMahon refused this release request, Ali was eventually brought back to TV in April, immediately inserted into a rivalry with the Miz, and soon became embroiled in the United States Title picture; that belt having just been won by Austin Theory.

Hope was high that this would be a turning point for Mustafa, yet an initial fluke win over the Miz was followed by the Chicago native losing five of his next six TV matches before being demoted to working bouts on WWE Main Event. Since then, Ali has competed on Raw just seven times, and it's been frustrating in how WWE has used him during this time.

In terms of that 'used him during this time', several weeks of main roster absence has been followed by the former police officer turning up to get involved with a Bobby Lashley, a Seth Rollins, an Austin Theory... only to come up short once again before disappearing from TV for another spell.

WWE has teased big things for Mustafa Ali at several points in 2022, but it's ultimately all been for naught.

Authored by Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks/Saints, Jamie Hayter, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.

Posted On: 21st Dec 2022

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