Mustafa Ali returned to the ring over the weekend, his first match outside a WWE ring since 2017. Ali was let go by WWE in September, along with several other stars, due to budget cuts. Due to his non-compete clause, he had to wait 90 days before working for another promotion.
He’s now working on a series of independent shows, with multiple dates already set. He worked for APC (Association des Professionnels du Catch) in France, where he defeated Aigle Blanc in the main event.
Following the match, he congratulated the young star before recalling how every executive he has worked for has told him that no one will ever chant his name. Here’s what he said:
“I’ve been thinking for more than the past 90 days, what’s the first thing I wanna say? It’s as simple as this, and if I tear up, I apologize because I mean this from the bottom of my heart. Every upper management person that I have ever worked for in this industry has told me to my face, ‘No one will ever cheer for someone named Mustafa Ali.’ No, even better than, ‘F*ck them,’ show them, and to those people watching, right now I’m in a sold-out house at A.P.C., and every single person in this building is chanting ‘Mustafa Ali.’
I’m gonna leave the ring tonight with one more note, and this is what I want in the industry: I want change in the industry. I want guys that are [at] a certain level to reach down and pull people up. The young man, the young man that I just shared the ring with, let me tell you something, I have been in the ring with Rey Mysterio, I have been in the ring with AJ Styles, Randy Orton, you name ‘em. I’ve been in the ring with them, and you, my good man, are just as good as them.
It was an absolute honor. This was for me more than you, trust me. It was an absolute honor to perform here. I landed this morning, and I have not slept, and I don’t give a sh*t because this gives me life. Thank you all, good night, I love you.”
@MustafaAli_X just gave a beautiful and powerful post-match speech to the APC audience here in Paris, France, ??
Ali won his first post-WWE match against Aigle Blanc in a wonderful match that had the crowd hanging on the edge of the seat from start to finish. @APCcatch pic.twitter.com/I8B8HLlSSi
— Lucas Charpiot (@LucasCharpiot) January 6, 2024
