Mustafa Ali recently addressed speculation about his potential WWE return during an interview with Chris Van Vliet. Following his successful tenure in TNA and the independent circuit throughout 2024, Ali provided insight into the possibilities of rejoining WWE.
The former X-Division Champion shared his thoughts on potential pathways back to WWE:
I think there’s multiple paths, yeah. The thing is, there’s good relations there. The thing with them moving to Netflix is very interesting because it just opens up — I don’t know how much the show is gonna change as far as dynamic, as far as ratings, as far as what they’re okay with.
Ali elaborated on the factors that could influence a potential return:
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Business is so good for them, I do think there is a pathway back there. There’s good relations, there’s good contact there. Even the release was like very nice, a lot of nice messages were sent. At the end of the day, it’s on me, right? If I built something that’s profitable and something that they see, oh this plugs in. With wrestling, everything is right place, right time. It’s gotta be right for them, it’s gotta be right for me, it’s gonna be at the right time, it’s gotta be at the right place. When one person is here — If I want to go do this, it doesn’t fit. If they’re going a direction where there’s no spot for me, it doesn’t fit. It’s gotta be right place, right time. So here’s the right place, right time.
Revealing the Truth Behind Money in the Bank 2019
Speaking of timing, Ali also shared a revealing story about his involvement in the 2019 Money in the Bank ladder match. During the same interview with Chris Van Vliet, he detailed the last-minute changes that led to Brock Lesnar’s surprise victory.
Ali described the dramatic shift in plans moments before his entrance:
All day we’re putting this match together. Everyone’s like, ‘Hey, man, Congrats.’ Yeah, man, this is awesome. I was like, ‘Oh, maybe I can get this briefcase to light up,’ because I was wearing the light of stuff at the time. I’m thinking this is one of those cloud 9 moments, I can’t believe this is happening, because it’s not happening.
The former WWE superstar recalled his final instructions from Vince McMahon:
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Now, mind you gorilla is completely dark, so I just have these red lights that are flashing on Vince’s face. And he’s all shadowy. So you can see the picture that I see right looking up him, he goes ‘Change of plans. Do the match, everything you called. When the time’s right I want you to climb up the ladder and grab the briefcase. Someone’s going to come out. I want you to hold the briefcase and just have shock on your face. He’s gonna run down, tip the ladder over, and you stay down. Do you understand?’
I’m 26 years old and live in Brazil. I'm fluent in English, a journalist, and a pro wrestling fan for 15 years. Creator of the Brazilian website Wrestling Notícias. Fan of CM Punk and Chelsea Green.
Mustafa Ali dislocated his jaw during his match against Mike Santana at TNA Sacrifice in El Paso, but managed to reset it himself and finish the match.
Mustafa Ali suffered a dislocated jaw injury during his match against Mike Santana at TNA Sacrifice in El Paso, Texas. Despite the injury, Ali continued competing and finished the match.
According to Fightful Select, Ali managed to reset his jaw himself during the match. The injury is not considered serious, and Ali is expected to continue his scheduled appearances.
The match ended with Ali securing a victory over Santana, adding another win to his record since joining TNA Wrestling. His decision to complete the match despite the injury demonstrates his professional commitment.
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Ali chose to sign with TNA Wrestling earlier this year, establishing himself as one of the promotion’s prominent performers. His ability to work through the dislocated jaw shows his determination as a competitor.
TNA Unbreakable is scheduled to take place in the coming weeks, with Ali expected to participate as planned despite the recent injury.
The 2025 Royal Rumble event takes place on February 1 at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis, airing on Peacock and Netflix. The event traditionally features surprise entrants, and former TNA X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali has emerged as a potential returnee.
Ali, who departed WWE in September 2023, addressed the possibility of a comeback during an appearance on INSIGHT with Chris Van Vliet. The former 205 Live competitor indicated maintaining positive relationships with WWE personnel and acknowledged potential pathways for a return.
Since his WWE departure, Ali has competed on the independent circuit and captured championship gold in TNA Wrestling. A Royal Rumble appearance would mark his first WWE appearance in nearly two years.
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Mustafa Ali says he has "good relations" with WWE, with "multiple paths" to a potential return to the company:
“I think there’s multiple paths, yeah. And the thing is there’s good relations there. The thing with them moving to Netflix is very, very interesting, because it just… pic.twitter.com/odCtSrkO56— WrestleTalk (@WrestleTalk_TV) December 24, 2024
Nic Nemeth expresses interest in Royal Rumble appearance
Nemeth expressed enthusiasm about creating a memorable moment:
A Rumble spot? Dude, that’s so cool. WWE’s killing it right now. To do something fun and wear my old trunks, get the old music to play, come out there and kick somebody in the face, that would be awesome. But the most important thing, it would just be creating a viral moment, so I could talk about TNA. That’s the only reason I’d want to do it. It’d be cool to see some old friends.
Nemeth’s 19-year WWE career began in Ohio Valley Wrestling in 2004. His accomplishments include two World Heavyweight Championship reigns, along with NXT, Intercontinental, and United States Championship victories.
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After departing WWE following the TKO Group formation, Nemeth has competed in TNA Wrestling, New Japan Pro-Wrestling, and AAA. A Royal Rumble appearance remains possible given TNA’s existing partnership with NXT, following the precedent set by TNA champions Mickie James and Jordynne Grace in previous years.
Former WWE superstar Mustafa Ali shares unique perspective on witnessing Cena’s emotional RAW celebration during his memorable June 2022 appearance.
John Cena’s 20th-anniversary celebration on June 27, 2022, brought together numerous WWE superstars to honor his legacy. The event featured backstage interactions with Rey Mysterio, Chad Gable, R-Truth, and Shinsuke Nakamura before Vince McMahon introduced Cena to the crowd.
During a recent appearance on Chris Van Vliet’s INSIGHT podcast, Mustafa Ali provided a firsthand account of the atmosphere during Cena’s entrance. Ali, who stood on the entrance ramp alongside other roster members, recalled the unique energy of the moment.
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The former WWE star shared his experience of feeling the physical impact of the crowd’s reaction:
The only time I’ve experienced an arena shaking is when John Cena made his return. I felt the building shake. It was the episode of RAW [June 27, 2022] where he was walking backstage and shaking everyone’s hand, and then he was talking to Stu off camera, and they [WWE] had us all loaded on the entrance way.
Ali emphasized the unprecedented nature of the crowd response:
So if you go back and watch that clip, John comes out, the whole roster is on the entrance ramp; he comes out, and the building is shaking. I’ve never experienced this in my life.
Potential historic achievement awaits John Cena at Royal Rumble 2025
Cena’s return on RAW’s Netflix premiere could set the stage for a championship opportunity against Gunther on February 1.
The potential clash would pit the veteran against one of WWE’s most dominant current champions, with the possibility of establishing a new record in professional wrestling history.
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