10 Wrestlers Who Deserve A Big Push After WWE Royal Rumble 2019

9. Mustafa Ali

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WWE are getting Mustafa Ali over the right way: by showcasing his phenomenal in-ring talents, giving him major scalps (including a powerful pinfall on Daniel Bryan a few weeks ago), and highlighting his underrated charisma with gritty pre-taped promos.

They gave him another spotlight in the Royal Rumble, and Ali seized it. His was the bout's second-longest run at 30 minutes. That he was eliminated by Nia bloody Jax is unfortunate, but Mustafa did well to survive as the numbers whittled down, locked horns with WWE's biggest names, and eliminated Shinsuke Nakamura and new rival Samoa Joe, continuing their feud. This gives him plenty to work with going forward, including, hopefully, his first pay-per-view singles match as a non-cruiserweight.

There's plenty of room for a babyface like Ali on SmackDown's upper-midcard. The heel-dominated brand houses only a handful of altruistic protagonists, so pushing Mustafa's heart, determination, and spirit is the right thing to do. WWE must avoid getting cheesy with it, but they're on the right track so far. The coming weeks and months should be kind to this future United States Title contender.

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Andy has been with WhatCulture for six years and is currently WhatCulture's Senior Wrestling Reporter. A writer, presenter, and editor with 10+ years of experience in online media, he has been a sponge for all wrestling knowledge since playing an old Royal Rumble 1992 VHS to ruin in his childhood. Having previously worked for Bleacher Report, Andy specialises in short and long-form writing, video presenting, voiceover acting, and editing, all characterised by expert wrestling knowledge and commentary. Andy is as much a fan of 1985 Jim Crockett Promotions as he is present-day AEW and WWE - just don't make him choose between the two.