Subhojeet Mukherjee on October 3, 2025
Mustafa Ali’s emotional return to WWE NXT on September 30 didn’t just catch fans off guard—it caught him off guard too.
After being away from NXT for 749 days, Ali made his surprise return and immediately called out Ethan Page for a shot at the NXT North American Title. But while the promo came across as powerful, there was one detail Ali later admitted wasn’t exactly accurate—he messed up the number of days he’d been gone.
Speaking with Adrian Hernandez, Ali explained that he’s not the best with dates or numbers, and only learned the exact day count from Shawn Michaels moments before going out.
“I’m a very, very passionate individual, but I am not good with dates and numbers. And I think I actually got the number wrong. I think it’s actually more… Shawn Michaels said 792, and I said 740. I should have just said ‘over 700 days,’ but you know, when someone throws something at you last minute…”
Ali clarified that he didn’t even realize the timing of his return lined up perfectly with his last NXT appearance until after the fact. Still, the coincidence sparked a creative breakthrough backstage, and the team quickly turned it into part of the larger story.
“No, I didn’t know. But once they brought it up, it became this combination of, ‘Here’s what we’re thinking,’ and I said, ‘Well, here’s the story behind it.’”
He credited Shawn Michaels and the NXT writers for being flexible and collaborative—qualities that made him excited to keep building his story.
“That’s what I love about NXT, especially Shawn and the head writers. They listen to your feedback. If it makes sense and they can see it the way you do, they’ll run with it.”
Ali also touched on the surreal nature of the timing, calling it one of those moments where everything just seems to align.
“When we figured it out, we just kind of looked at each other like, ‘Wow, how crazy is the universe?’ But what a cool opportunity it is to build this story: is Mustafa Ali cursed? Every time it’s his moment, something unexpected happens. I think that’s a very cool dynamic, and I can’t wait.”
He said fans seem invested in the narrative and that he’s been peeking at online reactions to see what people are saying. Internally, the promo has been described as a home run, with many backstage sources viewing it as a return to form for Ali.
Now the question is whether he can convert that momentum into gold. Ali is set to challenge Ethan Page for the NXT North American Title at NXT ShowDown next week.
Will Mustafa Ali finally have his moment, or is he really cursed after all? Drop your thoughts and predictions in the comments below.
Please credit Ringside News if you use the above transcript in your publication.
October 3, 2025 6:24 am
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