“I love this dude” - AEW star shares throwback video of Mustafa Ali
Mustafa Ali is the man of the hour right now; on Sunday, he broke the news that he had requested his release from WWE. In the aftermath of this announcement, fans and wrestlers alike shared their thoughts on the matter by taking to social media.
Matt Hardy has now offered his own response to the news by sharing a video of a heartfelt moment he had with Ali. The video was taken after a match between the two, with Ali thanking the crowd for their support before turning to "his hero" Matt Hardy.
With all the @AliWWE buzz going on today, I wanted to share this video. It was a truly genuine moment between us. I love this dude & will always be in his corner. https://t.co/e3noqY2gV5 twitter.com/aliwwe/status/…
After Ali expressed his gratitude to Hardy for the match, the veteran accepted a handshake from his opponent, and the two competitors embraced. Hardy would have his own chance to address Mustafa Ali, putting him over by declaring his belief that the industry was in safe hands with talents like himself.
Mustafa Ali had not been featured since before Survivor Series
Initially brought into the fold for the revived cruiserweight division and a feature on 205 Live, Ali seemed as though he would eventually hold the title as a pillar of the brand.
However, it was reported that Vince McMahon saw a lot in Ali, and the WWE Chairman moved him up to SmackDown to oppose heel WWE Champion Daniel Bryan.
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A legitimate injury halted Ali's push, and due to his absence, Kofi Kingston rode a wave of momentum all the way to the title match as Bryan's opponent at WrestleMania 35.
More recently, throughout 2021, Ali battled the likes of Riddle, Drew McIntyre and Ricochet. He had a heated feud with Mansoor, and the two foes ultimately clashed in a historic match at WWE Crown Jewel.
Ahead of Survivor Series, Ali took paternity leave for the birth of his second daughter. The WWE Universe expected him to return eventually, especially when SmackDown came to Chicago. Instead, Ali's absence continued for several more weeks prior to his requested release. At the moment, his future with the company is unclear.
What do you make of Ali's request to be released? Do you think WWE will grant it? Sound off below!