Backstage Update On Mustafa Ali's WWE Status And Future

What's on tap for Ali, who requested his release last month?

by Scott Carlson
Mustafa Ali
WWE

Those who have fired off a tweet saying "#FreeAli" might have to wait a good while longer before seeing Mustafa Ali outside WWE's confines.

Fightful Select reports that WWE has no intention of granting Ali's very public request for his release from the company last month, purportedly after an argument with Vince McMahon about his creative direction. Sources in WWE said the term "value" was used in describing the rationale for keeping Ali on the payroll. Worse for Ali fans, Fightful Select also reported that he has "well over a year, at least" remaining on his deal.

Last month, Ali tweeted that he had asked WWE for his release:

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Since then, Ali has tweeted several short training videos, a screenshot of him blocking @WWEonFOX's Twitter account, and a comment that he didn't want to be in the Royal Rumble, he wanted his release.

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Regarding that Rumble tweet, Fightful Select noted that someone in WWE pitched having Mustafa Ali eliminate them, and the question was asked if he would do it. Hence the response.

Ali last wrestled for WWE in a 2-minute loss to Drew McIntyre on the October 29 SmackDown. He last won a main show match in July. To say that the former RETRIBUTION leader has been criminally underused would be an understatement.

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Contributor
Contributor

Scott is a former journalist and longtime wrestling fan who was smart enough to abandon WCW during the Monday Night Wars the same time as the Radicalz. He fondly remembers watching WrestleMania III, IV, V and VI and Saturday Night's Main Event, came back to wrestling during the Attitude Era, and has been a consumer of sports entertainment since then. He's written for WhatCulture for more than a decade, establishing the Ups and Downs articles for WWE Raw and WWE PPVs/PLEs and composing pieces on a variety of topics.