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Despite being earmarked for a significant push at one point in time, Mustafa Ali's WWE career has yet to truly take off.
There was a time when WWE positioned Mustafa Ali as the next top guy in the main event picture. However, an untimely injury spelled the end of his promising push.
Mustafa Ali was one of the most sought-after names on 205 Live in 2018, and WWE officials decided to get the superstar on SmackDown. Ali introduced himself by confronting the then-WWE Champion, Daniel Bryan. Talk about perfect main roster arrivals!
It has been widely reported that Daniel Bryan had a pivotal role to play in Ali's SmackDown call-up. Ali verified the report recently on Twitter and confirmed Daniel Bryan's involvement in his push.
Fans wondered what the backstory was regarding Mustafa Ali's segment with Daniel Bryan from 2018. The 35-year-old star was open enough to reveal some backstage details about his early rise in the company.
Mustafa Ali noted that Daniel Bryan was a big proponent of pushing younger talent. When asked who he wanted to work with on SmackDown, Daniel Bryan was quick to name Mustafa Ali.
Daniel Bryan, who is 39 years old, reportedly wanted WWE to get behind a 'hot young babyface' and change the trend of 40-year-old babyfaces dominating the scene.
Here's what Mustafa Ali tweeted out:
Daniel Bryan goes, "we need to invest in the future." They go, "who do you have in mind." Bryan says, "give me Ali." He may or may not have also called me a "hot, young babyface."
What's next for Mustafa Ali in the WWE?
Mustafa Ali lost his WWE Championship push due to an unfortunate injury, and Kofi Kingston later took his spot.
After being in creative obscurity for months, WWE reintroduced Mustafa Ali as the leader of RETRIBUTION. The faction also suffered from inconsistent booking decisions as they recently disbanded and went their separate ways.
Mustafa Ali is back as a singles competitor, but considering his WWE track record, the RAW superstar's immediate future on TV is debatable, to say the least.
