Mustafa Ali Explains The Nuances Of The RETRIBUTION Story That Have Been Overlooked
Photo Credit: Bill Pritchard
Thus far, RETRIBUTION has been a storyline that has both intrigued and perplexed wrestling audiences. When Mustafa Ali was revealed as the leader of the renegade faction, many believed that perhaps the group would be able to turn around their shortcomings now that they had an anchor to tie all of the injustice that had brought them together.
During his recent appearance on WWE After The Bell, that is exactly what Mustafa Ali tried to do. Ali explained to Corey several nuances that the audience may have overlooked in their desire to obtain instant gratification. Mustafa revealed that everything from the choice of the members, to their unique names, was all designed meticulously and are an integral part of the story.
“We have Dijakovic, T-Bar, that was choked out by Karrion Kross and his best friend, Keith Lee, watched. Then, Keith Lee goes up to the main roster, leaving Dijakovic with nothing. Mia Yim was at a TakeOver and was taken out before a WarGames Match, the person that took her out was never reprimanded. You have all these stories about these guys and gals that have had something taken away from them and nothing has happened. So the sentiment of ‘a chip on your shoulder’ is very appropriate for RETRIBUTION. As far as our opportunity, I went from a guy that was sitting at home for seven months to a guy that has seven segments on RAW. You know like I am built for that. I am ready for this. What I’m asking for is what I’m finally getting. I’ve been asking for a story. What better story to tell than your story? RETRIBUTION is me. I felt overlooked, I felt that the company looks at profit over people. I felt that what my name is and what I look like has defined me to some extent and hasn’t inhibited me from growing.”
He continued, “Imagine having people make preconceived ideas about you because of your name and what you look like. I’ll let that sit for a little bit. You guys can all resonate. Imagine a guy named Mustafa Ali renaming people so that they could understand what it feels like to be judged by your name and what you look like. Go ahead, internet, continue to make fun of it — like puppets because you guys don’t appreciate real art. Yeah, go ahead and let that process for a second. ‘What a stupid name. Oh, he looks like an idiot. He’s not good.’ Yeah, that’s what I’ve been dealing with for 17 years. Art, ladies and gentlemen, but you couldn’t see it if it slapped in the face.”
This past Monday night on WWE RAW, Ali led the group towards what may be another resurgence and now, Mia Yim, aka Reckoning, has her sights set on the WWE RAW Women’s Championship.
Should you use any portion of the quotes above, transcription credit should go to Robert DeFelice for WrestleZone.