Mustafa Ali was set for greatness this year. He exploded onto Smackdown Live as one of their most exciting stars, even getting a surprise WWE Championship chance at Fastlane where he & Kevin Owens faced reigning champion Daniel Bryan. Things were looking great, as he was about get another chance at Elimination Chamber. Then injury would strike. His spot would be taken by Kofi Kingston, kicking off Kofimania.
What Injury Did Ali Suffer?
Ali suffered a concussion at a WWE live event in early March. He has noted that he tried to fight through this injury, working three shows before just collapsing backstage. Ali didn’t want to give up, he knew it would mean the end of his push. He tried his best to get back to his feet, but it just took too long. The chance was gone, Kofi Kingston had taken his role.
In an alternate universe, maybe we saw Ali defeat Daniel Bryan at Wrestlemania to become WWE Champion. It might have not been as gratifying as Kofi finally winning the big one, but fans would have been ecstatic to see Ali succeed. With Ali’s insane worth ethic, it will happen eventually. If not in WWE, than elsewhere. He will be world champion someday.
Ali would come back from injury, produce his own promos to build hype and returned in the best shape of his life. The story was right there, an underdog coming back from injury to regain the chance he lost due to unfortunate circumstances. But it didn’t happen.
This Wouldn’t Kill Ali’s Spirit
Mustafa Ali is one of the truest babyfaces in all of wrestling. He might have not become WWE Champion this year, but he continued to break down barriers and prove stereotypes wrong. His story has been told many times over. He initially on the indies played a foreign heel, until the day when a young child in the crowd looked at his with fear and disgust. Through his actions, he reinforced that that boy should not trust people like him. He was someone to hate. Since that day, he never played the role of a heel again.
Now he’s nearly universally loved by young fans, sparking joy instead of fear. This is what Ali’s true championship is. Every single night he steps through that curtain, he proves more and more peoples prejudices wrong. In his own little way, he is consistently making the world a better place. Wrestling needs more Mustafa Ali’s.
Hopefully 2020 is a huge year for Ali, and he reaches singles championship glory. I don’t think anyone would be mad to see him as the next Intercontinental Champion, he’d carry it with honor.
Would you have been happy to have seen Ali in Kofi’s spot at Wrestlemania? Let us know your thoughts down below in the comment section!
