5 WWE Superstars who rejected a spot in the Royal Rumble

#4 WWE Superstar Mustafa Ali made it clear he did not want a spot the 2022 Royal Rumble

Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Mustafa Ali has made no secret of his desire to leave the company - and the offer of a spot in this year's Royal Rumble wasn't enough to convince him to return to the ring.

Back on January 16, the 35-year-old announced on his own Twitter account that he had requested his release from WWE.

Revealing that he no longer felt he could achieve his personal goals in the promotion, 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," stated Ali. "Therefore, I am requesting my release from WWE."

Ali's unhappiness with the company reportedly came to a head after an argument with Vince McMahon over his creative direction in November.

Less than two weeks later, Ali took to social media again to ask the promotion to tear up his contract. In the same post, he also made it clear that he had no interest in appearing in the 2022 Royal Rumble.

"No, I would not like to be in [the] Rumble, I would like my release," wrote Ali.

Recent reports suggest Ali has over a year left on his contract. Unless the promotion alters its stance, it could be a while before we see the Chicago native back in the ring.