The ongoing collaboration between TNA and WWE escalated when Mustafa Ali made a surprise appearance on NXT to challenge Ethan Page for the North American Championship. The title match has been officially scheduled for the “Showdown” event on October 7, stemming directly from Ali’s claim of unresolved business from his previous tenure with the company.
Ali, who was released from WWE in September 2023, confronted Page and stated that his issue was an unfulfilled championship opportunity. He specified that two years ago to the day, he had been promised a North American title match against then-champion Dominik Mysterio, but instead received a phone call informing him that his “services weren’t needed.” After receiving a “welcome back” chant from the crowd, Ali declared he was there to collect on that earned title shot.
Revealing that he had already politicked for the match with on-screen officials Ava and Santino Marella, Ali secured the championship bout. Page accepted the challenge, citing his 127-day reign and vowing that Ali would fail just as previous challengers had. The champion then targeted Ali’s release with a pointed remark:
“I’m not going to call you on the phone to fire you, but what I’m going to do is wish you the best in your future endeavors!” Page stated.
The verbal exchange culminated in a brawl that saw Ali gain the upper hand, leaving Page at ringside as he stood tall in the ring. Page had opened his promo by declaring himself the “Greatest North American Champion” before being interrupted by Ali’s arrival.