There is no heat between WWE United States Champion Austin Theory and Mustafa Ali despite a scary botch during their title match on this week’s Raw.

During the match, Ali attempted a top rope Frankensteiner on the U.S. Champion, which did not go as planned.

Instead, both men fell awkwardly in the corner of the ring but were able to carry on and finish the match.

The Update

This botch on Monday Night Raw happened because Theory did not hold onto Ali the proper way, Fightful Select reports.

The idea was for Theory to block the attempted Frankensteiner and lift Ali up into a powerbomb.

Ali would have blocked that attempt and leveled Theory with a Hurricanrana before going into the next spot for the match.

It was Mustafa Ali who called for the referee to check on them both, while both men called an audible for the match to end early with the satellite DDT.

Backstage

After the match, the situation was discussed behind the scenes, and Austin Theory was said to be incredibly apologetic for what happened.

Fightful adds that there is no heat between the two, with this unfortunate incident being chalked up to an accident that could have happened to anyone.

Theory has been feuding with Seth Rollins in recent weeks and failed to dethrone the then-United States Champion when he cashed in his Money in the Bank contract.

Theory’s attempted cash-in marked the first time the contract had been cashed in on a championship that wasn’t a World title.

Mustafa Ali will be competing in the SmackDown World Cup Tournament, despite being a Raw Superstar.

The tournament kicked off on this week’s SmackDown, with Mexico’s Santos Escobar defeating Japan’s Shinsuke Nakamura.

The United States’ Braun Strowman qualified for the semi-finals with a convincing victory over Jinder Mahal who is representing India.

Mustafa Ali

Ali is one of eight names in the tournament and is the only one who is a Raw Superstar.

The former Retribution leader has been feuding with United States Champion Seth Rollins in recent weeks, and there has been speculation over his roster status.

When Fightful Select asked sources within WWE, they were told that Ali is still a member of the Raw roster, and is expected to work both shows during the tournament.

Ali was a last-minute replacement for Rey Mysterio, who was pulled from the tournament for unspecified reasons.

Mustafa Ali, who is representing Pakistan, will face Ricochet (USA) in a first-round match on next week’s SmackDown.

The SmackDown World Cup

In addition to Ricochet Vs. Ali, next week’s SmackDown will also see Sami Zayn (Canada) taking on Butch (England.)

Michael Cole noted on commentary that the SmackDown World Cup Tournament will take place over three weeks, meaning it will conclude on the November 25, SmackDown.

That show will also be the go-home event for Survivor Series WarGames.

The winner of the tournament will receive a Championship match at Intercontinental Champion GUNTHER, likely on the Premium Live Event.

The SmackDown World Cup Trophy was revealed on last week’s SmackDown.

Mustafa Ali shared an interesting video on Youtube where he declared that he is “done” and expressed his frustrations. Ali stated he is not going to allow anyone to keep him down. 

On Twitter, Ali tagged Joey Maloney, who is the Director of WWE Network documentaries. It’s possible that he did the video with WWE’s approval and it’s part of a push he is getting from the company. Ali said the following in the video:

Mustafa Ali’s Declaration

“I heard something the other day and it really hit me and it goes. ‘if I always do what I’ve always done then I’ll always be where I’ve always been.’ And the reason that hit me is because I’m done. I’m done being here. I’m done being where I’ve always been. Everyone keeps asking me why did I pick a fight with Bobby Lashley? Why don’t I just stay down? And listen, as complicated as it gets up over here I promise you the answer is simple. it’s just done. I am done standing in line and waiting for my number to get called. A number that we all know was never gonna get called in the first place. I’m done being the victim.” 

Ali continued, “I’m done blaming other people. I am done complaining about what I don’t have. I’m done not fighting. I’m done with it. I got a fight, it is on me! This is World War me. And yes, sure there might be someone in front of me. Someone slamming the door in my face but it’s on me to kick that door down. It’s always been on me. Every night I used to pray to God. I used to pray to God to please calm my mind and heal my heart and to please please let my dreams come true. But now I realize even that’s too much I’m asking. You see for my dreams to come true I gotta be a little insane. I have to go through the pain. Now the only thing that I ask from God is to wake me up because I gotta handle the rest. I’m gonna handle the rest. So to everyone in that locker room, the next time you lock eyes with me, brother – It is not just an opponent that you are staring at. You are staring at a problem! Realize that you are facing a man that is willing to die before he lets his own dreams die. Go ahead. Knock me down. I promise you. I promise you you’re not going to keep me down.”

Ali was off TV for several months late last year and in early 2022 after a dispute with Vince McMahon over creative for his character. He returned to television in April, but the company hasn’t done much with him besides working Main Event episodes. 

H/T to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription

Becky Lynch and Mustafa Ali have responded to former WWE writer Vince Russo today on social media.

Earlier today, Vince took to Twitter and tagged several talents to suggest that they should invest in their wardrobe including Bayley. The Role Model will battle Bianca Belair in a Ladder Match this Saturday night at Extreme Rules for the RAW Women’s Championship.

Becky Lynch posted a transcription of Vince saying comments that seem to contradict the criticism offered. Russo stated in the past that both Seth Rollins and Becky Lynch dress ridiculously.

Russo responded to Becky Lynch and said that it is hard for the audience to understand her character change from The Man to Big Time Becks without a proper explanation.

Mustafa Ali joined the party and brought up a time when Russo suggested that he portray a racist cop in WWE. Vince asked for Ali to provide the audio of him saying that and Mustafa quickly supplied it.

The 61-year-old then transitioned into promoting his shows and thanked Mustafa for the free publicity. Vince added that the racist cop angle would have been very topical and got Mustafa over as a heel.

In the wrestling business, finishing moves are often changed.

Many times, we see performers turn an old finisher into a signature. An example of this is Kevin Owens. His finishing move used to be the Pop-up Powerbomb. That is now a signature that often results in a two-count.

For one WWE superstar, the decision to ditch his old finisher completely has to do with safety.

Mustafa Ali Drops 054

A fan on Twitter recently asked Mustafa Ali if he has done away with the 054. The move is a reverse 450 splash.

Ali said he did indeed put the move to rest and he has a very good reason for it.

“Yeah, risk isn’t worth the reward.”

Ali recently returned to WWE after asking for his release earlier this year. He had a program with United States Champion Theory, which led to a title match at Hell in a Cell.

Ali lost the match and wasn’t seen on WWE Raw the next night. Instead, he was back on the Main Event show where he defeated T-Bar.

With Money in the Bank approaching, Ali would seem to be a perfect choice to put in the match. While the odds of him winning are slim to none, his exciting style could make for some memorable moments in the ladder match.

One WWE superstar is back in familiar territory and that may not be a good thing.

It’s become a running joke that those who regularly perform on the WWE Main Event show are in main roster purgatory. The show usually features either upcoming superstars beating aging veterans, or two veterans squaring off with no purpose.

For one superstar, the demotion comes right after a championship match.

Mustafa Ali Returns to Main Event

Before the June 6 episode of Monday Night Raw aired, Mustafa Ali took on T-Bar for the Main Event show taping.

Ali actually promoted the match on his Twitter account.

Ali asked for his WWE release earlier this year. His request was denied and WWE ended up bringing him back on TV months later. Ali told Corey Graves that he went public with his request because private conversations went nowhere.

He received a shot at Theory’s WWE United States Championship but was pinned clean at Hell in a Cell on June 5.

His opponent on Main Event, T-Bar, recently expressed frustration with how WWE has been using him. He has been asking for an opportunity to show what he can do.

Mustafa Ali has finally spoken out about his decision to go public with his WWE release request.

Earlier this year, Ali publicly requested his release from the company for apparent grievances with the promotion. Of course, just because a Superstar requests their release from a contract, doesn’t mean they’ll receive it.

Ali instead was brought back to WWE TV recently, where he’s feuding against United States Champion Theory, alongside The Miz, on Monday Night RAW. Recently, Ali was a guest on RAW commentator Corey Graves’ podcast, “After The Bell.”

During the show, Ali explained why he made the decision to publicly ask for his WWE release, rather than keep those conversations behind closed doors.

Ali explained that he initially did have talks with the company behind-the-scenes, but those went nowhere. Therefore, he decided to take the next step.

“I believe private conversations are meant to be private. The reason it went public is because that private conversation went nowhere.

“So anyone that truly knows me, and I know there’s a portion of the audience that was like, ‘How unprofessional’, but anyone that’s ever worked with me or dealt with me as a human being knows how much I love this place, how much I love sports entertainment, and how much I love wrestling.

“This is the only thing I ever want to do. For me to even get to that point, that’s the issue. Everyone’s judging the action. They’re not judging the intention behind the action.

“Corey, you know me. Imagine how much it would take for me to try to leave. So I think that’s the conversation. That’s the hot topic.

“There’s situations that I can’t publicly discuss, but that’s what I would want to say about that whole issue. The only reason it got to that point was because there was no other option.

“It’s incredible the things that you’ll do when you’re back is against the wall and you’re fighting for survival.

“I wouldn’t have done something unless I believed in it, I still stand by that choice. I did what I had to do.”

Ali has been with WWE since his debut in 2016 for the Cruiserweight Classic tournament. He became a mainstay on 205 Live during its run and eventually made the main roster as part of the Retribution faction.

Despite being one of the most talented performers on the roster, Mustafa Ali has not won a title with the company during his five years there.

Quotes via WrestlingNews.co

Mustafa Ali made his return to WWE this week during Monday Night Raw. It was Ali’s first appearance on WWE television in six months following a well-publicized spat with the company after he had requested (and been denied) a release from his contract.

Raw saw Ali come out during a Miz TV segment between The Miz and Theory. After requesting a match with Theory, Ali ended up wrestling (and defeating The Miz) instead. He was then attacked by Ciampa.

In an update on the story, Fightful Select provided a report on exactly how the return went down. WWE creative reportedly came up with plans last week for Ali to return. Originally, they had planned for him to lose to Miz. Thankfully, those plans were changed.

Ali was scheduled to meet with Johnny Ace when returning to Raw, and he was unaware of any creative plans at that point. Fightful notes that many backstage were happy to see him back, and when it came to the Miz TV segment, Ali was more than willing to reference his absence from television (Miz mentioned him taking his ball and going home).

The Fightful report also notes that Ali’s WWE contract runs through mid-2024. He had previously been frustrated with WWE creative and reportedly had some verbal disagreements with Vince McMahon over the booking of his character.

WWE could legally add time on to Ali’s contract due to his absence, essentially freezing his contract for the six months that he missed, however that option has reportedly not been exercised as of now.

Despite Ali’s release request, WWE never had any intention of releasing him as they see him as possessing a good deal of value. It seemed as the two sides were at an impasse as Ali had publicly said just three months ago that he had no interest in participating in the WWE Royal Rumble match.

Make sure to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube. 

Despite publicly asking for his WWE release, Mustafa Ali made his return to TV on Monday’s episode of Raw when he interrupted a Miz TV segment that featured Theory. He is now a babyface. 

He traded words with Miz and said if he wanted to laugh then he would watch Miz wrestle. Theory and Miz made fun of Ali for taking his ball and going home. Miz wondered if he still “worked here.” Miz said that he was going to make Ali wish he got his walking papers. This led to a match between Ali and The Miz. 

Ali hadn’t been seen on WWE television since early November. WWE did have plans for him to start a “New America” storyline where Ali talked about being stereotyped, but the angle was scrapped. It was later reported that something was pitched to him that he was adamant about not wanting to do. As a result, it led to him having a heated argument with Vince McMahon.

Ali stated on the day of this year’s WWE Royal Rumble in January that he didn’t want to be in the Men’s Royal Rumble match before doubling down on wanting his release from the company, indicating the company tried to bring him back for the bout. 

WWE reportedly didn’t intend to grant him his release. In various reports, WWE had used the term “value” as the reasoning behind keeping Ali under contract.

It appears there is finally some movement regarding Mustafa Ali and his status with WWE.

Fightful Select reports that WWE has been discussing potential plans for Ali’s return. The report notes that there was even a pitch for Ali to show up on the April 25 episode of Raw.

Ali’s return isn’t set in stone but the fact that there have been discussions of putting him back on TV may indicate cooler heads have prevailed.

Mustafa Ali requested his WWE release back in January. Reports surfaced noting that WWE didn’t want to let Ali out of his contract. Here’s what Ali said earlier this year on asking to cut ties with WWE.

“I have a message that is much bigger than my dreams in pro wrestling. Despite my best efforts, I will not be able to deliver this message while working with WWE.

“Therefore, I am requesting my release from WWE.”

It’s no secret in the wrestling world that Mustafa Ali has been trying to get released from his WWE contract. So far, these attempts have been met with resistance by management.

Ali has not been used in any meaningful way on television by WWE in several months despite being one of the most talented in-ring performers on the roster. And even with several dozen releases of active talent over the last two years, deemed necessary for “budget cuts,” WWE is not willing to part ways with Ali.

Taking to his Twitter page on Saturday, Ali wrote, “I’ll see ya all in like 2 1/2 years.”

If that is indeed the amount of time left on his contract, it’s difficult to imagine WWE would continue to pay him for that length of time to sit out. We’ll see what happens in the coming months, though both sides appear to have really dug in at this moment when it comes to the situation at hand.

WWE has typically been signing talent to three year contracts in recent years, though months can be tacked on if talent misses time.

Ali formally requested his release back on January 16th in a very public way. He published a video across social media with the following text.

“I have a message that is much bigger than my dreams in pro wrestling. Despite my best efforts, I will not be able to deliver this message while working with WWE.

Therefore, I am requesting my release from WWE.”

• Kofi Kingston Reveals Nixed WrestleMania Match with Mustafa Ali

Mustafa Ali’s Run In WWE Has Disappointed Creatively

Despite his undeniable talent, Ali has been saddled with bad creative and positioning since his debut with the company back in 2016. Most notably, he was given the leadership role with Retribution, a stable that seemed destined for failure before it ever even got off the ground.

Mustafa Ali’s real-life backstory is incredibly interesting. He’s a former police officer from the Chicago area and has an incredibly engaging personality and work ethic in the ring. Even so, the upper tiers of WWE management have yet to be able to capitalize on his real life story and demeanor in any meaningful way in front of the television cameras. It’s hard to blame the man himself for those company failings.

Don’t forget to check out the Top Rope Nation wrestling podcast for your weekly dose of pro wrestling talk featuring interviews, analysis and exclusive news: Apple – Spotify – YouTube.

WWE superstar Mustafa Ali still wants out of the company.

Ali posted on Twitter this morning that he refused to be in the Men’s Royal Rumble match. He also shared that he’s adamant about wanting to leave the WWE. Ali had requested his release on January 16th. However, the WWE refused to honor his wishes.

“No, I would not like to be in rumble. I would like my release,” wrote Ali.

Mustafa Ali Relationship with WWE

Ali’s Twitter post reconfirms that he and the WWE aren’t on good terms. The company has yet to share if he will participate in the Royal Rumble. While he isn’t on good terms with the company, both fans and wrestlers continue to show their support for Ali. A fan shared that the WWE on FOX’s Twitter account blocked her for voicing support for him, and Ali decided to block WWE on Fox. Based on Ali’s social media posts, it’s unclear if the company will be able to convince him to compete tonight.

WWE Refusing Releases

Ali isn’t the only talent that wants to leave the company. PWInsider Mike Johnson reported that Brian Kendrick requested his release several weeks ago and hasn’t appeared at NXT tapings. However, the WWE hasn’t allowed him to go either. It’s unclear why the WWE refuses to grant Kendrick or Ali their releases.

The WWE faced criticism from fans last year for releasing talent. The company released over 80 wrestlers, claiming that the decision was due to budget cuts. However, they also praised themselves for having a successful year financially. With both Ali and Kendrick requesting their release, WWE fans wonder why they are hesitant to allow them to leave.

Mustafa Ali has requested his release from WWE. In a message posted to social media on January 16th, he wrote:

“I have a message that is much bigger than my dreams in pro wrestling. Despite my best efforts, I will not be able to deliver this message while working with WWE.

Therefore, I am requesting my release from WWE.”

Mustafa Ali can request his release, but that doesn’t mean WWE will give it to him. To update this situation, WWE does not plan to grant Mustafa Ali’s request for release, according to Fightful. Ali said to have years left on his current deal.

Following the reports that WWE is refusing to grant Mustafa Ali’s release request, he tweeted:

Mustafa Ali’s WWE Run

Mustafa Ali debuted for WWE 2016 in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament. He was a mainstay on 205 Live and led the Retribution faction on the main roster. Recently, he tagged with Mansoor.

Ali is one of the most talented performers on the entire roster and is well-liked behind the scenes. Despite his potential, he never won a championship during the 5 years with WWE. Journalist Phil Strum sums it up well:

WWE superstar Kofi Kingston has revealed he almost had a match with Mustafa Ali at Wrestlemania 37. Ali also shared last year that the WWE had considered a feud between Ali and Kingston.

Metro.co.uk’s Alistair McGeorge interviewed Kingston about Ali and the scrapped match. WWE fans may remember Kingston taking Ali’s place in the Smackdown Elimination Chamber match on February 17, 2019. Kingston’s performance resulted in WWE pushing Kingston to challenge Daniel Bryan and win the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 35 on April 7, 2019.

The WWE could’ve had a natural feud between Kingston and Ali. However, Kingston shared that WWE had different plans. McGeorge has transcribed the interview.

“It was perfect! It was written. You didn’t even have to go out of your way to creatively write anything else, it was perfect! But alas, that’s not the direction that “the office,” I guess, wanted to go in. That’s just kinda the way that it goes! Maybe down the line, we’ll get a chance to revisit that opportunity,” said Kingston.

Why the WWE scrapped Kofi Kingston vs Mustafa Ali

It’s unclear why the WWE decided not to have a feud between Kingston and Ali for Wrestlemania 37. Both superstars wanted the match and looked forward to working with each other. However, the WWE decided to have Kingston with his New Day partner Xavier Woods defend the Raw Tag Team Championships against AJ Styles and Omos at the event.

Kingston praised Ali in the interview for his creativity and wrestling ability. Kingston doesn’t know why but believes it’s part of the business when discussing why the match didn’t happen.

“I was told a few things, and we start working towards those things that we’re told, and then all of a sudden it’s not those things. But that’s really kind of standard fare for us,” said Kingston. He continued, “It was really disappointing, man, because I think he’s so amazing in the ring and such an innovator. He finds ways to do the littlest things in such a different way, but he puts his own spin on it. He has a great mind for the business and a great mind for storytelling.”

Mustafa Ali Request WWE Release

It seems WWE fans may not see a feud between Kingston and Ali. On Twitter, Ali shared that he requested his release from the WWE. On Twitter, he wrote, “I have a message that is much bigger than my dreams in pro wrestling. Despite my best efforts, I will not be able to deliver this message while working with WWE. Therefore, I am requesting my release from WWE.”

It’s unclear if WWE will honor Ali’s request.

Mustafa Ali recalls a key piece of advice WWE Chairman Vince McMahon gave him during a time of confusion.

Ali has been seen on WWE TV since 2016. He made his Monday Night Raw debut the following year. Ali found himself in a big spot at the beginning of 2019 and was even scheduled to challenge for the WWE Championship in the Elimination Chamber match. Ali ended up suffering an injury and was replaced by Kofi Kingston.

Soon, Ali found himself appearing less on the main show and more on Main Event. Ali was confused by this and asked Vince McMahon what went south. Speaking to Metro, Mustafa Ali revealed what Vince’s answer was.

“Even pre-pandemic, I was struggling to maintain television presence – and I know it was all character-based. When you pitch a million and one ideas as far as stories, characters, promos, this and that – and you always get told that you’re good, but then nothing happens – you start pointing the finger at everybody except for you.

“After sitting at home for seven months and then finally coming back to Monday Night Raw, only to pick up a few victories and then to go back to not being on Monday Night Raw and now being stuck on Main Event, you’re kinda scratching your head.

“Like, what have I gotta do? And then you realize, you’ve gotta go ask the hard questions. I went up to Vince McMahon himself and said, ‘What am I missing?’ [He said], ‘Too polished, too clean, too nice, I don’t know if you have it in you!'”

Ali eventually made a heel turn. He became the leader of Retribution. Once the group disbanded, he began teaming with Mansoor. Lately, Ali has become frustrated with Mansoor, shoving him down to the mat after their tag team loss to Shelton Benjamin and Cedric Alexander of The Hurt Business.

WWE’s Saudi Arabia events such as the upcoming Crown Jewel PPV are usually associated with being one of the biggest paydays for the company and all the talents working the show, but it’s not the case for Mustafa Ali.

The former Retribution leader recently made a tweet about the upcoming show. In the post as seen below, he revealed that he will be donating his earnings from the event:

Mustafa Ali will be facing hometown star Mansoor in what is expected to be a concluding match for their ongoing rivalry at the upcoming Crown Jewel PPV.

These two have been engaged in a storyline since June this year after Mansoor officially became a member of the Raw roster in May. The former 205 live star was trying to convince Mansoor that the rest of the WWE superstars were backstabbers.

They had their first match during the July 5 episode of Raw which was won by Mustafa Ali. Ali faked a knee injury to outsmart his opponent and win the match.

These two later started teaming together but their alliance was short-lived. The Saudi Arabian star was attacked by his partner after their loss to the Hurt Business during the October 11 Raw, setting up their upcoming match.

You can check out the updated Crown Jewel match card here.

Mustafa Ali is currently not expected to be part of the WrestleMania 37 match card but at one point he was building towards what could have been a show-stealing match at the Show Of Shows.

The former leader of Retribution recently had an interview with Metro where he talked about a number of things including the upcoming big event.

At one point the company seemed to be building towards a match between him and former WWE champion Kofi Kingston at Mania. During the interview, Ali admitted that he thought that to be the direction for him as well:

“The story was presented, and I really thought that was the direction we might be going for in this year’s WrestleMania. Things change and other things take priority sometimes. We almost got to it, so I will try to get to it again. There’s so much real emotion that I can just bring up and bring out in promos leading to that match.”

Next Year, You’re Mine

Mustafa Ali has since posted the following on Twitter about being left off the WrestleMania card. “Another year, another WrestleMania that I’m not going to compete in,” he wrote. Despite getting snubbed again, Ali remains positive and is confident he’ll be on the big show next year.

Mustafa Ali was attacked by members of Retribution during the Fastlane PPV after the former leader of the group kept blaming them for his losses. At this point, it doesn’t seem likely that he will be a part of the WrestleMania event.

Kofi Kingston on the other hand, won the Raw tag team championship with his New Day partner Xavier Woods. They are now scheduled to defend the titles against AJ Styles and Omos at WrestleMania.

• Mustafa Ali Says His PCL Tear Will Not Require Surgery

WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali is currently dealing with a knee injury.

During a Twitter Q&A session earlier this month, the former Retribution leader revealed that he tore his PCL. He called the situation incredibly frustrating.

On Tuesday, he provided an update on his condition. Although PCL tears often require surgery, Mustafa Ali says he does not foresee going under the knife any time soon.

He wrote, “To clear some confusion, I am not getting surgery in the foreseeable future. I’ll be okay”

Ali has been feuding with United States Champion Riddle in recent weeks.

WWE Superstars commonly wrestle through injuries. However, doing so involves the risk of further aggravation. Ali wrestles a high-flying style and a bad knee can seriously limit one’s mobility.

We do not know how badly Ali’s PCL is damaged, but full reconstruction typically requires 9-12 months of recovery time. This is a layoff any wrestler would try to avoid if possible.

After weeks of tension boiling within the group and Mustafa Ali blaming other members for the losses, Retribution finally turned on his leader at Fastlane.

The PPV kick off saw the former 205 Live star challenging Matt Riddle for his United States Championship with the Retribution members being on ring side.

The US champion applied a sleeper on his opponent towards the ending of the bout. Riddle then hit a super Bro Derek to pin Ali and retain his title.

Mustafa Ali once again started blaming the members of his group after this loss and he first directed his anger towards Reckoning, asking when she was going to carry her own weight.

The high-flying star told her to get back in line but she walked out of the ring instead. Ali continued ranting even after this leading to Slapjack walking out as well.

The Retribution leader then turned to the remaining two members in T-BAR and Mace to blame them but the duo ended up turning on their leader.

They delivered a High Justice double team chokeslam to Mustafa Ali. T-BAR and Mace then left the ring leaving Ali on the mat after the attack.

There is no word yet on if we will see all the Retribution members going their separate ways or they will continue being a team after kicking Mustafa Ali out of the group. We should get a better idea about their future on Raw.

• WWE Fastlane Results: Roman Reigns vs. Daniel Bryan, The Fiend Returns

Mustafa Ali has been part of the WWE roster since 2016 and while he started out as a babyface, the former 205 live star is currently in middle of a run as a heel as the leader of Retribution.

The high flying star recently had an interview with TV insider where he talked about things such as his evolution in the company, the reaction Retribution has gotten from the fans and more.

When asked if it took a lot for the WWE creative to give him the freedom to say what he wanted, Ali shared his experience with the WWE chairman Vince McMahon and explained how he won his confidence:

“I can only speak of my experience with [Chairman] Vince McMahon and the creative team, but not really. You can always tell them what you’re capable of doing, or you can show them. The first time I told Vince McMahon I’m a talker, he didn’t believe I was.

So I recorded my own promos. I record my own videos.” said Mustafa Ali, “It’s a lot easier to show them what you’re capable of doing than telling them. I’ve got a pretty good range in terms of saying the things I do.”

• Mustafa Ali Tells Story Of How He Got Signed To WWE

The 34 year old star also discussed Retribution’s mix reaction from fans and explained that they haven’t gotten the chance to explain their motives.

While Mustafa Ali acknowledged that being part of the group provides them the opportunity to be on TV every week, he said that he hasn’t been able to explain who they really are. You can check out his full interview here.

WWE RAW Superstar Mustafa Ali recently revealed that he is wrestling with an injury. The leader of the RETRIBUTION stable took questions from fans recently on Twitter and confirmed that he is working with a torn PCL.

A fan asked Mustafa Ali during the Q&A what his biggest frustration was and how had he adapted to it. Ali replied, saying “it’s right now actually. wrestling with a torn PCL is incredibly frustrating.”

Mustafa Ali on Riddle Match

Ali also confirmed during the Q&A that the finish to his match against Riddle on Monday was ‘scary’ and had to be changed on the fly. Mustafa Ali said that the finish was meant to be “a backstabber. Things obviously got scary, but last second adjustments were made and everyone is okay. We will be able to battle another day.”

• Cesaro Chooses Not To Comment Publicly on WWE Contract Situation

It has not been confirmed if Ali will have a match at the upcoming WWE Fastlane PPV event. It will be the first WWE show to air on the Peacock streaming service, so talents will want to get themselves on the show. The only potential match is possibly a United States Championship match against Matt Riddle at this point.

Mustafa Ali was not pleased that his Retribution stable had to make room for several legends to appear on RAW last week. He aired his grievances with the show on an episode of RAW Talk recently.

Former WWE Champion, Sgt. Slaughter, recently responded to Mustafa Ali online in response to comments made by a fan on Twitter.

Mustafa Ali responded by reminding Sgt. Slaughter of the time he turned his back on America and became an Iraqi sympathizer.

Mustafa Ali ripped WWE legends night during his recent appearance on RAW Talk.

“I am agitated, I’m angry but most of all I’m confused,” Ali said on the show. “We dedicated a 3-hour show to old has-beens. You want to call them legends, call them whatever, they’ve had their time. A night like tonight is exactly what is wrong with this company. 3 hours to guys that can barely walk?” Ali said.

“I know exactly that the generation before me paved the way but when the hell are you going to let me walk on that path? Guys like Drew Gulak, Akira Tozawa, myself, all of Retribution not on the show, why? Because we need to hear ‘whatcha gonna do brother?’ again for the seventh million time.”

Mustafa Ali appeared on RAW Talk following last night’s show. He ripped into WWE bringing back several legends for the event and taking television time away from the current roster.

“I am agitated, I’m angry but most of all I’m confused,” Ali said on the show. “We dedicated a 3-hour show to old has-beens. You want to call them legends, call them whatever, they’ve had their time. A night like tonight is exactly what is wrong with this company. 3 hours to guys that can barely walk?”

“I know exactly that the generation before me paved the way but when the hell are you going to let me walk on that path? Guys like Drew Gulak, Akira Tozawa, myself, all of Retribution not on the show, why? Because we need to hear ‘whatcha gonna do brother?’ again for the seventh million time.”

Ali then joked about cheers having been pumped in for the legends last night.

“Why don’t you give us a chance? People that can contribute to this business, further this company but no, no let’s push them all aside. Let’s give 3 hours to people that that can barely walk.”

“They carved a path, when do I get to walk that path?” Ali continued.

“This place needs change and I am that change.”

The segment then focussed on Ali’s efforts to recruit Ricochet into Retribution. The other members of the faction joined him on the panel to close the segment.

Mustafa Ali’s comments can be head in the player below:

RETRIBUTION leader Mustafa Ali has addressed why the stable’s members have names like T-BAR, Slapjack, Mace, and Reckoning.

Ali appeared on Raw Talk last night following Monday Night Raw, where he opened up about the names’ origins.

When first asked about the names, Ali scoffed at the question. He mocked R-Truth for asking it, questioning how a Superstar named R-Truth can even ask about odd names.

“Let me tell you why the members of RETRIBUTION look the way they look, and have the names they have,” Ali said. “Imagine being judged by your name. Imagine being mocked because of how you look. Now, imagine a guy named Mustafa Ali that gave the members of RETRIBUTION names and masks so that they can feel what he feels. So that they, too, can be judged by their names and how they look. It’s a crazy concept, isn’t it?”

Later in the show, Charly Caruso pushed Ali for a further explanation behind the Slapjack and T-BAR monikers. At this point, Ali asked RETRIBUTION to join him on-air. They subsequently interrupted the show, abruptly ending Raw Talk.

Mustafa Ali would also upload a short video to his Twitter account, reiterating his explanation of his deeper reasoning and logic behind the names chosen for his RETRIBUTION members.

WWE had announced a number of segments for this week’s episode of Raw and one of them included Mustafa Ali addressing the WWE Universe after being revealed as the leader of Retribution.

However, the segment never took place during the broadcast of the episode and fans were left wondering about the group as they did not make an appearance anywhere else in the show either.

Though the new stable was mentioned during the show and they were drafted to Raw as a group. They were chosen as the first picks during the third round.

Mustafa Ali apparently reacted to this change in schedule on Twitter and the Retribution leader made a tweet during the third hour of the show.

He also commented on Retribution being drafted to Raw during the draft. He tweeted a menacing message, “Why invite demise to your door?”

There is no word yet on why the company nixed the announced Retribution segments but the last time WWE unexpectedly removed mentions of the group on their programming, it was because of a COVID-19 outbreak in the company.

Now it would be interesting to see if the group returns to WWE TV next week and if the nixed segment takes place during the upcoming episode of Raw.