Major WWE fumble? How released star bypassed huge rule

WWE has always been quite meticulous when it comes to holding the exclusive rights for its entities. The Stamford-based promotion has comprehensively held patents, copyrights, and trademarks for its creations, as well as many of the stars that join the company. However, it might have fumbled in the case of a released superstar.

The name in question is Mustafa Ali. Typically, the sports entertainment giant owns exclusive rights to the names of its superstars, factions, and catchphrases. The company makes sure that the superstars cannot use their WWE monikers outside of the promotion.

However, when it comes to Mustafa Ali, the Stamford-based promotion never trademarked his name. Therefore, Ali has held exclusive rights to that sobriquet since the beginning. He is free to use this name in other promotions or anywhere he wrestles, as the company doesn't own the trademark for it.

The 37-year-old has announced his future plans after his non-compete clause ended on December 21. He revealed that he will be doing a 2024 World Tour Campaign, wrestling all over the world. Apparently, Mustafa Ali is going to be using his moniker in other ventures in his pro wrestling career.

Did WWE fail to harness Mustafa Ali's full potential?

Mustafa Ali was undeniably one of the most talented superstars WWE had in the company. Throughout his stint in the promotion, he impressed the fans with his charisma and high-flying abilities.

The 37-year-old did receive a few opportunities and was involved in the title picture. However, the company never pulled the trigger on him and used him mostly as an enhancement talent to elevate other superstars on the roster. He even delivered some classic matches with top names.

It would be safe to say that the company could not harness his full potential during his stint. When Mustafa Ali seemed to finally be rising to the top in NXT, he was shockingly released. Had it not happened, he might have been the NXT Champion, as the developmental brand had huge plans for him.

However, Ali's WWE career came to a sad end as the higher-ups seemingly had no plans for him in the company. It remains to be seen where his pro wrestling career heads now that his non-compete clause has ended.