- Ali was set to face Mysterio for the North American title at ‘No Mercy’
- He performed for the NXT brand after dropping from the main roster
- Ali, real name Adeel Alam, joined the company from independents in 2016
Mustafa Ali has left the WWE just a week before a scheduled title match, the man behind the character has revealed on Twitter.
Ali was scheduled to face Dominik Mysterio at NXT’s ‘No Mercy’ WWE event on September 30, but announced his departure on his social media on Thursday.
He appeared on the developmental brand NXT after retiring this year, involved in a long-running feud for the North American title that included Wes Lee, Tyler Bate and Mysterio.
He was given a match against Mysterio at No Mercy, but Mysterio was scheduled to face fellow NXT star Dragon Lee next Monday night RAW.
On-screen, Ali, played by Adeel Alam, had said he would be heading to RAW to face the pair, but the match will now take place after his exit from the company.
Mustafa Ali has left the WWE just days before a scheduled title match against Dominik Mysterio on NXT’s ‘No Mercy’
Ali was scheduled to face Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American title on September 30
He confirmed the news on social media on Thursday afternoon, to the shock of many fans
“I’m working with WWE longer,” he originally posted on X. “I’m looking forward to the future. Thank you.’
He corrected the wording in a second message, writing: ‘No longer*. Sorry for the confusion.’
Alam had asked for his release from the company in 2022 and publicly shared his request on social media in January, but the request was rejected and he continued to work.
“I really enjoy talking about it,” he told “WWE After The Bell with Corey Graves” later this year. “I believe private conversations should be private. The reason it became public is because that private conversation went nowhere.
“Anyone who has ever worked with me, treated me as a human being, knows how much I love this place. How much I love sports entertainment. How much I love wrestling. This is all I ever wanted to do. The problem is that I can even get to that point.”
It’s unclear why this sudden move has occurred, but the company will have to adjust its plans for Monday’s show and the ‘No Mercy’ event.
During his time in WWE, Ali competed in the cruiserweight division before moving to SmackDown and challenging for both the WWE Championship and the Intercontinental Championship, but failed to win either title.
He has been with the WWE since 2016 after signing for the company from the independent circuit, but is leaving after seven years
He was also the leader of the Retribution stable between 2020 and 2021 before his stablemates turned on him, and enjoyed a brief run in a tag team with Mansoor before the two fell out.
He took a three-month hiatus from the company after requesting his release, and returned in April 2022 to face the Miz, losing in his bid to become United States Champion.
The 37-year-old’s last match in the company was on September 5, when he defeated Lee on NXT to retain the current No. 1 contendership for the North American title.
Australian star Emma was also released on Thursday, less than a year after returning to the company.