TNA's Mustafa Ali Teases Idea Of Cross-Promotional Match With WWE Star
It's about to be Forbidden Door season, but there were some other doors opening last night, as TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace appeared on "WWE NXT" to challenge Roxanne Perez for the NXT Women's Title at NXT Battleground. While it remains too early to say what a potential partnership between WWE and TNA could entail, at least one member of the TNA roster is pitching the idea of a match against an old rival.
As "NXT" was airing last night, WWE star Cedric Alexander took to X, jokingly asking if Grace's "NXT" appearance meant he could challenge for the TNA X-Division Championship, while tagging the champion Mustafa Ali. Not long after, Ali responded to Alexander, reminding him that Alexander had given Ali a shot at the WWE Cruiserweight Championship many years ago, teasing that he may "return the favor."
i had a shot at your cruiserweight title.
i should return the favor... https://t.co/zOyEU1Qm9X
— Mustafa Ali (@MustafaAli_X) May 29, 2024
Ali and Alexander were both key members of WWE's Cruiserweight Classic tournament back in 2016 and the "205 Live" division that evolved from the tournament. As noted by Ali, the duo would face each other for the Cruiserweight Title at the WrestleMania 34 kickoff show, though the match wasn't an Alexander title defense, but rather the finals of a tournament to determine the new champion. Alexander would ultimately emerge victorious, kicking off a reign that would last six months.
While Ali has since prospered outside the WWE bubble since being released last September, Alexander has struggled to get airtime on WWE TV so far in 2024, even after forming a tag team with Ashante Adonis. His most recent appearance on TV was the April 26 episode of "SmackDown," where Alexander was defeated by Bronn Breakker in just thirteen seconds.