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A former WWE star recently opened up about the real-life problems he faced just moments after being released by the Stamford-based promotion. The star who was released is Mustafa Ali.
The 38-year-old had many false starts in WWE before the company ultimately released him in September 2023. At the time of his release, Ali was working in NXT and was set to challenge Dominik Mysterio for the North American Championship.
The release came as a surprise to many, especially because he was bound in a title feud. The match at NXT No Mercy was scrapped, and Trick Williams took full advantage of the opportunity to replace him and win the title.
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Mustafa Ali reinvented himself and found good work on the independent circuit. The star recently talked about the real-life problems he faced soon after his WWE release. On TNA Wrestling's recent documentary Immersed: Ali vs Bailey, the former WWE star stated that his wife got a call that he had a broken neck just minutes after he was let go by the company.
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"People don't know that the day I got released, I went upstairs and told my wife the news," Ali said. "Two [or] three minutes later, her doctor called her and she was like, 'You have a broken neck. You need neck surgery.'" [H/T Wrestling Inc.]
Ali went on to say that he found work soon after his release but was constantly afraid that he would get hurt. Such a situation would have put his family in an incredibly precarious position.
He shared a positive update nearly a year after the call from his wife’s doctor. He noted that everyone in his family was doing well now.
"My wife's healthy, my babies are healthy," Ali continued. "I'm probably not as healthy after wrestling Mike Bailey, but I think tonight I finally shut up a lot of those critics that thought I couldn't deliver."
Mustafa Ali has a big chance of silencing his critics for good. He could bag a good contract from a top promotion soon.
A top former WWE star has reportedly signed with AEW
Much like Mustafa Ali, Ricochet also suffered from mixed bookings in WWE. Even though The One and Only won a few titles in his run with the company, he still did not reach the top like many expected him to.
Ricochet left the company in June 2024 after giving Bron Breakker a good rub on the way out. He was written off television after a brutal attack by the current Intercontinental Champion.
Recent reports stated Ricochet is on his way to AEW. The report mentions that All Elite Wrestling has signed the former Intercontinental Champion.
Fans could see The One and Only get better bookings on WWE’s rival promotion. There is a lot Ricochet can do in the ring to build fans’ interest in the promotion.
