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Mandy Rose was moved from WWE's main roster to NXT in July 2021. Rose changed up her look in a major way after her return to the developmental brand. She formed Toxic Attraction with Gigi Dolin and Jacy Jayne in August of the same year, and the rest is history.
It appears that Shawn Michaels might be trying to replicate that success with a 37-year-old star by having him appear on the white and gold brand.
The star in question is Mustafa Ali. The free agent made a surprise appearance on the latest edition of WWE NXT. Ali popped up from the crowd during Tyler Bate and Wes Lee’s tag team match against The Dyad (Jagger Reid and Rip Fowler). The commentary team made a reference to Ali’s free agent status, noting that he wanted to taste gold.
For those who didn’t watch, the veteran was on commentary for the tag team match. He also made the save for the babyfaces from Joe Gacy during a post-match brawl.
In Ali’s case, Shawn Michaels seems to have taken some inspiration from his booking of Mandy Rose in NXT, though it is too early to point out the similarities. It remains to be seen how the storyline will play out for Ali in NXT.
Mandy Rose hasn’t ruled out a WWE return
Rose was in the middle of a historic run as NXT Women’s Champion when she dropped the title to Roxanne Perez. She was released from her contract just a day after she lost the championship. For those wondering why, her NSFW content on FanTime was reportedly the reason she was released from the company.
The 32-year-old addressed her release during an appearance on The Tamron Hall Show on January 10, 2023. Rose said she was grateful for her time in the developmental brand. She added that the door was always open for her to return to WWE.
Mandy Rose's recent reunion with several WWE stars stirred a new debate about a possible comeback. It remains to be seen if the former NXT Women’s Champion will return to the company.
What’s your take on this story? Let us know in the comments section below!
