Shawn Michaels On Mustafa Ali In NXT – “I’ve Always Been A Big Fan”
Mustafa Ali is thriving in the NXT while the brand’s boss Shawn Michaels had some great things to say about the veteran superstar.
Over the last couple of months, Mustafa Ali has been a regular in NXT. This came on the heels Ali getting an Intercontinental Title match against GUNTHER at Night of Champions in late May. While Ali lost that IC Title match, he did impress a lot of people.
While in NXT, Ali has inserted himself into the NXT North American Title picture with champion Wes Lee and Tyler Bate, who has been a top contender for the title while also being an ally of Lee.
There was a Lee-Bate match recently where Ali was the referee using questionable tactics, which could suggest a heel turn is coming. Ali also beat Bate recently. As a reward for that, Ali will challenge Lee for the NXT North American Title at the Great American Bash on July 30th.
Shawn Michaels is a WWE Hall of Famer that is also the Senior Vice President of Talent Development Creative, which also means he runs the NXT from a creative standpoint.
During an interview with Sports Guys Talk Wrestling, Michaels spoke about the upcoming Wes Lee-Mustafa Ali match at the Great American Bash.
“Wes Lee, to me, has just been unbelievable as North American champion. On a personal level, I just enjoy that young man so much. But everything that he’s kind of overcome here in NXT over the last year and a half has just been phenomenal. He’s been a great champion for us.”
As for Mustafa Ali, Michaels spoke about how he’s been a fan of him and wants to see what he can do in NXT.
“When we had the opportunity to get Mustafa Ali, I’ve always been a big fan of his. It’s something that from a very quiet standpoint, I would see him here and there on the main roster and every once in a while, I would just reach out and ask like, ‘Gosh, if he’s not doing anything, if you guys aren’t doing something with him, I’d love to have him down here.'”
“It never quite worked out for us until just as of late, and I’m telling you what. He’s a guy that in my opinion, we’ve just seen the tip of the iceberg with him and we plan on cutting him loose and unleashing him here in NXT to really work and live out his potential here on the NXT brand as we go into the future.”
Considering Wes Lee has held the NXT North American Title for over 250 days and has had the longest reign ever with that title, perhaps Ali will be the one to end the title reign at the Great American Bash.
