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Former WWE Champion Kofi Kingston revealed plans for him to face Mustafa Ali at WrestleMania 37 were nixed by the powers that be.
Their history dates back to 2019 when Ali was removed from the Elimination Chamber Match for the WWE title and replaced by Kofi after sustaining an injury. The New Day member reached a new level of popularity during that time, which spawned the KofiMania phenomenon. He went on to capture the prestigious championship at WrestleMania 35.
During a recent interview with Metro, conducted before Mustafa Ali requested his WWE release, Kofi said the two stars were supposed to square off at The Show of Shows last year.
They had begun preparing for the feud, but higher-ups decided to pull the plug. At WrestleMania 37, Kofi teamed up with Xavier Woods to face AJ Styles and Omos while Ali didn't compete at the event:
"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. I was told a few things, and we start working towards those things we’re told, and then all of a sudden it’s not those things. That’s really kind of standard fare for us."
Kofi Kingston heaps praise on Mustafa Ali
Mustafa Ali recently revealed that he asked for his release from WWE. It's left to be seen whether the company will grant or deny his request.
Kingston said he was disappointed he couldn't work with Ali but heaped praise on the SmackDown star:
"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. He’s not being told to do that, that’s just him taking advantage or trying to make the most of what’s been given to him."
Kofi Kingston added that he would've loved to wrestle Mustafa Ali, and he thinks it would’ve been the perfect opportunity. He admitted that although he was upset by the change, he wasn’t surprised.
