'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
On January 16, 2022, Mustafa Ali announced that he had requested to be released from his WWE contract.
Ali has been working with WWE since 2016, but has recently been away from television due to paternity leave. He has also been missing from storylines due to the company's apparent lack of direction for him on-screen.
Mustafa Ali wrote:
"I have a message that is much bigger than my dreams in pro wrestling. Despite my best efforts, I will not be able to deliver this message while working with WWE. Therefore, I am requesting my release from WWE." (h/t Mustafa Ali's Twitter)
It seems his mind is made up as he looks to further his career and life elsewhere.
Ali's most notable storyline came in 2020 when he led Retribution. The stable initially caused chaos in WWE during the pandemic era, wrecking the ring and other places. Sadly, the storyline fizzled out.
After his split from Retribution, Ali was paired against Saudi Arabian superstar Mansoor. The duo ended up having a match at Crown Jewel in 2021, the first-ever match between two Muslim superstars in singles action on a WWE pay-per-view.
So where is Mustafa Ali from?
Ali was born in Bolingbrook, Illinois, in the United States of America. However, in an exclusive interview with Sportskeeda in 2020, he revealed that he is of Indian and Pakistani descent. His mother is from New Delhi while his father is from Pakistan.
Ali was asked if he had a message for his fans in India and Pakistan, and he said:
"I feel like a lot of Indian fans don't know about my Indian background, so it's funny online that a lot of fans call me this Pakistani dude. No, I'm Indian too (laughs). And the reason for that is at The Cruiserweight Classic they already had two guys representing India... the Bollywood Boys. So, they didn't want three guys with the same background. I'm Pakistani, Indian and I'm American."
What has Mustafa Ali accomplished so far in professional wrestling?
Ali debuted in professional wrestling in 2003 and worked regularly on the independent scene. During the first six years, he used a mask so he would not face discrimination.
During his run before WWE, Ali won multiple championship's including the Dreamwave World Championship and Freelance World Championship. He also won the JAPW Light Heavyweight Championship at Jersey All Pro Wrestling.
Ali's time with WWE started when he competed in the Cruiserweight Classic in 2016. However, he has not captured any gold whilst working for Vince McMahon's promotion.
His biggest accolade in the company came in 2019 when Pro Wrestling Illustrated included him in their annual PWI 500. He was listed 55th out of 500 wrestlers.
