Exclusive Interview – Mustafa Ali: 'TNA Wrestling Would be in Better Hands if I Was in Charge'

The Victory Road Belly Dancers

“Steph, you’ve got to understand that for change to happen, you have to do what’s necessary. And I do what’s necessary. I had to ensure that we had the advantage going into BFG. It’s crucial. I’m not justifying wrongful actions. I’m just saying you have to
think about the greater good. And the greater good is the Order 4 running TNA,  because I assure you that TNA would be in better hands if I were in charge.

“I’m no stranger to it (hardcore style). I don’t shy away from it, but I do think it’s an underhanded tactic because the System, there’s not one member on their team that can hang with me in the ring. just one-on-one. I’ve already dropped Brian Myers. I’ve already dropped Moose (at TNA Victory Road). I’ll drop another one. I’ll drop JDC if I want to.  I’ll drop Eddie if I want to.

“That’s why they want to incorporate these weapons. They’re hoping that they can bring a baseball bat, a trash can, or a chain because one-on-one, hand-to-hand, there’s not one person on the System who can hang with me. So, this is why they’ve resorted to such an underhanded tactic, if you ask me.”

The NXT North American Title Match at NXT Showdown, instead of Team TNA

“There were some discussions about Team TNA and Team NXT, but I’m a spotlight kind of guy. I don’t know about sharing the spotlight on such a big event as NXT Showdown. I don’t know about teaming up with Mike Santana specifically, who I still do not respect, and I would rather not team up with. But once I heard that he was the Team Captain, I suggested that maybe Mustafa Ali does
something a little different.

“Maybe Mustafa Ali goes after the opportunity that he’s still owed. So, like I mentioned in my promo on Tuesday on NXT, I spoke to Ava and Santino Marella. They agreed NXT does owe me something. They owe me a one-on-one North American Championship match. And here we are. We have the dream back on the horizon. Next Tuesday at Showdown, it will be Mustafa Ali versus All Ego Ethan Page for my North American Championship. Two years in the making.”

Wrestling Ethan Page

“I have no issue with All Ego Ethan Page. It could have been Ethan Page. It could have been Dr. Wagner. It could have been Tavion Heights. It could have been anybody. But the thing is, I don’t have an issue with them. I have an issue with whoever’s holding the North American Championship. My grievance, my complaint, my issue is with someone holding a Championship that I never had a one-on-one opportunity for despite earning it. So, that is my issue.

The “Leader” character

“I had a lot of influences. I’m not a big TV show guy. I don’t watch a lot of movies or sports or anything like that, but the one thing that always would fascinate me and I would download is documentaries of leaders like Martin Luther King, Che Guevara, or Malcolm X. The thing that have always interested me, other than the stories, was how did this individual get so many people behind them, like what was it? Was it the charisma? Is it what they said? Is it what they did? I always found that fascinating. I myself am not a political person. I don’t really follow politics closely.

“I find it very interesting that people, maybe blindly or not so blindly, believe in something, like what is the science behind it? I found it fascinating. Pro-wrestling is kind of like politics? You have a catchphrase, you have a campaign slogan, you have a guy that comes out and does a speech, you have a guy that comes out and does a promo. He has this, and he’s got his people, and what does he fight for? The nuances and the similarities were just so in line that I really think, and that’s why I’m having a lot of fun doing what I’m doing right now, just bringing the nuances of a politician to the pro wrestling world.”

“I’ve had this concept, this idea for this character back in WWE in 2018 or so, that’s the first time I started pitching it. It was always thought that it wouldn’t be a good idea because it’s very difficult to control that character with what’s going on in the world sometimes. You have to be careful about what you have on TV when a real-life conflict or an issue is going on.  I think I’m doing a good job of walking that line.”

Watch the full interview with Mustafa Ali below: