What's the story?
Ali has truly had a year full of ups and downs in 2019 in WWE. After not appearing on TV for months on end, Ali has vowed to turn things around for himself. He said today on Twitter that going forward, he'd be "putting the pen back in my hand" and that "I'm writing the story now."
In case you didn't know...
The talented Superstar first wowed WWE audiences in the Cruiserweight Classic. After that, he became one of the top stars on 205 Live but never captured the Cruiserweight Title. He was moved to SmackDown last December and has been a member of the blue brand ever since.
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As Ali debuted on SmackDown, he had fantastic matches with the likes of AJ Styles, Daniel Bryan, and many others. He made such an impression on everyone from fans to management that he was named a member of the Elimination Chamber match for Bryan's WWE Championship.
Unfortunately, he suffered an injury and was replaced in the match with the current champion, Kofi Kingston. After he replaced Ali due to injury, Kingston went on to capture the hearts of the WWE Universe due to his performances in both the gauntlet match for the last spot in the chamber and the Elimination Chamber match itself. His story of never getting a WWE Title shot in his 11-year career also resonated with fans.
While Kingston was riding the momentum that was originally set up for Ali, the former member of 205 Live had to sit back and watch as Kingston ran with the ball.
The heart of the matter
Ali did rebound from that injury and was a part of this year's Money in the Bank Ladder match. As the match was about to close, he was atop the ladder and it appeared that he would be the one to pull down the briefcase.
But as we all know now, Brock Lesnar ruined that when he won the match. Ali was also among the stars mentioned by name by Kevin Owens last week during his pipe bomb on Shane McMahon.
Since he has had so many outside factors control his trajectory on SmackDown, Ali has vowed to be the author of his own destiny going forward.
As he has done lately, Ali cut another promo where he promised to be the one in control of his destiny. That destiny, he said, ended with him hoisting the WWE Championship.
What's next?
The fact that Kofi Kingston was slotted in and won the title when Ali was set up for a big push seems like a story that writes itself for SummerSlam. Whether or not he is high enough up the food chain in order for a title shot still remains to be seen. Ali is one of the most exciting stars on the roster. He would also be a fresh face atop the division.