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Several WWE Superstars were released from their contracts on September 21. One of those stars was Mustafa Ali, who was reportedly set to win the NXT North American Championship from Dominik Mysterio.
Ali was the first superstar to announce his release on social media. It came as a shock to everyone since he was already booked to challenge Mysterio for the NXT North American title at NXT No Mercy.
With the 37-year-old star no longer with WWE, Trick Williams received the opportunity and defeated Mysterio to become the new NXT North American Champion. It was a well-deserved victory for Williams, who was red-hot coming into the match.
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According to Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful Select, Ali was supposed to appear on WWE RAW during Dragon Lee's matchup against Dirty Dom. It would have led to a triple-threat match at NXT No Mercy, where Ali was scheduled to win his first-ever championship.
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Backstage officials in NXT were frustrated with Ali's release and the lack of communication from the higher-ups regarding the decision. Shawn Michaels, who had nothing but praise for Ali, reportedly had huge plans for him next year.
What did a WWE legend say about Mustafa Ali?
On a recent media call for NXT No Mercy, Shawn Michaels was asked about his thoughts on Mustafa Ali's release. Michaels admitted that he was surprised by WWE's decision but had no other choice but to make the necessary adjustments.
"I found out right before he did," Michaels said. "I will say this, I'd be lying to you if I said it didn't take us by surprise. That's one thing I'm learning here is that main roster and NXT are totally separate rosters. I think the world of Mustafa, had a great working relationship with him in the time that he was here, I will miss him. That's what we do here in NXT. We adjust." [H/T Fightful]
Mustafa Ali did ask for his release a couple of years ago. He didn't view working in NXT as a demotion since he was able to work with Shawn Michaels, who is considered one of the best in-ring performers ever.
Who would you have preferred as the NXT North American Champion? Mustafa Ali or Trick Williams? Share your answers in the comments section below.
