Former WWE Superstar takes shots at AEW & more in latest campaign speech

Despite its success over the last five years, AEW still has plenty of critics, many of whom decry its acceptance of brutal (and often bloody) deathmatches. The latest to take a shot at the young promotion is former WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali, who had plenty to imply about the wrestling industry's top companies in his newest campaign video.

Mustafa Ali spent seven years in WWE but found only middling success in the Stamford-based promotion. He was released last September and quickly rejoined the indy scene. The 38-year-old is currently working for TNA and NJPW on per-appearance deals while maintaining his independent status.

Ali has been campaigning for the position of 'President of Professional Wrestling' and often releases social media promos in the style of political campaign ads. His latest speech targeted many of the top companies in wrestling, including WWE, NJPW, CMLL, and AEW.

The video Ali posted featured different stock footage each time he mentioned a particular company. For WWE's main roster, an elderly company was shown watching television. When AEW was mentioned, the video showed footage of a violent car accident.

Ali went on to take a shot at the Jacksonville-based promotion by promising to place a ban on ultra-violent matches if he is elected:

"I will place an immediate ban on excessive violence and bloodshed. People want to see a match, not attempted murder," Ali said. [From 01:11 to 01:17]

Despite criticizing many different wrestling companies in his humorous campaign speech, Ali shared his love for TNA, calling it his personal favorite promotion.

---

AEW star recently spotted with Mustafa Ali

All Elite Wrestling could see an exodus of talent in 2024 as many of the contracts for talent signed during the pandemic era expire. WWE legend Matt Hardy has already departed the promotion, and his brother Jeff could be the next to leave once his deal is up later this year.

Like Mustafa Ali, Matt Hardy is touring the independent scene and working for TNA simultaneously. The Hardys have also been making appearances at conventions like WrestleCon, where they caught up with Mustafa Ali in April.

The three took a photo together, which Matt posted to his Instagram account:

"With @mustafa_ali - Very proud of what Ali has been able to accomplish the last few months. He’s killing it & creating buzz outside of the comfort of Alexandria.. I love to see it!" Hardy posted.

Matt Hardy's deal with AEW expired a couple of months ago, but he remains in talks with Tony Khan. The veteran recently revealed that he could return to the Jacksonville-based promotion if he and Khan are able to work out a deal.