10 Opponents Outside Of WWE We Want Mustafa Ali To Face

Mustafa Ali has a lot of fans around the world who recognize his talents, which makes it sting even more that WWE haven’t utilized him enough for everyone to see the level he could reach. Poor booking and bad gimmick pitches have led to Ali requesting his release from the company, only for WWE to be reportedly set to not grant his wishes.RELATED: WWE Wasted An Incredible Talent In Mustafa AliRegardless, with #FreeAli trending on Twitter, it may be just a matter of time before WWE go back on their decision and release Ali from his contract. There are countless names that would be considered as potential dream opponents for Ali to face on the independent scene or in other companies, so picking just ten is certainly difficult.

10 Will Ospreay

Will Ospreay has cemented himself as one of the top names in Japan in recent years, climbing the card to become the IWGP World Heavyweight Champion in 2021, and even main eventing Night 2 of Wrestle Kingdom 16 against Kazuchika Okada in 2022.

Ospreay has such phenomenal ability in the ring with a huge mixture of styles, something which would mesh perfectly with Ali’s range of styles too. Ospreay is a dream match for anybody at this point, and Ali would thrive somewhere new like New Japan Pro Wrestling.

9 Bandido

Bandido is one of the more prominent names on the independent scene right now, and is one of the hottest prospects in wrestling, still being in his mid-20s. He has most notably reigned as the Ring of Honor World Champion, putting on fantastic matches over the last few years.

Ali’s incredible wrestling ability would work wonderfully well with someone of Bandido’s level, and regardless of what promotion they end up in, especially with Bandido’s ROH future being up in the air, working together at some point should be a top priority.

8 Rey Fenix

Rey Fenix is an elite luchador wrestler, gaining even more support from the wider wrestling audience since joining AEW. In 2021, he had multiple Match of the Year candidates, first tearing the house down against Kenny Omega in an AEW World Championship match, and next in an all-time classic of a Steel Cage Match against The Young Bucks at All Out.

He has such a fluidity that matches how Ali works, with his chain wrestling ability being top notch, and his high-flying skills performed with the upmost ease.

7 Dante Martin

Dante Martin cutting a promo in the ring

Dante Martin is one of the most intriguing and promising individuals on the AEW roster. He has naturally stirred up support more and more since signing with AEW, seemingly having the ability to truly defy gravity with high-flying prowess, and insane agility.

Ali is someone who has incredible versatility and bouncing off Martin would be something he could do brilliantly, even helping to raise Martin’s level even higher, and help him gain more experience against top performers.

6 Christian Cage

It seemed all but confirmed that Christian Cage would never step foot in a wrestling ring again, but at the start of 2021, he made a shocking comeback, and has clearly not missed a step in his time away, winning the Impact World Title and main eventing the All Out PPV.

Seeing Ali step in the ring with a true veteran like Cage would be great to witness, and they would no doubt bring out the best in each other. Cage has shown his capabilities of working with an array of performers, shown with the great chemistry he had with Kenny Omega.

5 Kenny Omega

Kenny Omega is often at the top of the list when it comes to dream matches for those leaving WWE. First proving himself to be up there with the best in the world during his stint in NJPW, he has silenced all doubters with phenomenal in-ring performances in AEW, with strong character work during his feud with “Hangman” Adam Page.

A match between Omega and Ali would leave fans salivating, and they could no doubt put on a classic encounter with one another.

4 Zack Sabre Jr

ZSJ is renowned for being one of the best technical wrestlers on the planet, with incredible mat and submission skills. If anyone has seen some of the training work that Ali has posted on his social media accounts, it is clear to see why him going against ZSJ would be a match made in heaven.

Ali looks to have so much in his locker that he hasn’t been able to showcase in WWE and unlocking more of his technical ability against someone like ZSJ would help prove the expanse of his in-ring arsenal. ZSJ has been building his stock constantly over the last few years, making a big name for himself all around the world.

3 Buddy Matthews

Fans have seen Mustafa Ali and the former Buddy Murphy battle before in some underrated classics on 205 Live but seeing those two long-time rivals go head-to-head on a grander stage, under brighter lights, and with more time to shine, just think about the magic they could create.

Their performances on 205 Live ensured that they forced themselves onto WWE television, earning spots on Raw and Smackdown. With the shackles off, they could surpass their previously brilliant matches.

2 Bryan Danielson

After competing in WWE’s lackluster cruiserweight division and wrestling on 205 Live for an extended period of time, Ali made a permanent move to Smackdown, and his first match was against Daniel Bryan. There were plans to have the pair battle for the WWE Championship at Wrestlemania 35, though with an ill-timed injury, it never came to fruition.

Revisiting this would be interesting, especially with the newfound love and intensity for professional wrestling that Danielson has attained since his move to AEW. Seeing what these two could do with no parameters would be great.

1 CM Punk

CM Punk is a legend in Chicago, and with Ali also coming from the same city, a match between two homegrown talents, especially if the match took place in Chicago, could be an incredible spectacle.

Any match with CM Punk seemed like an impossibility even just a year ago, but with him wrestling regularly against any and everyone, from young talents to more experienced wrestlers, he would no doubt be up for the challenge of battling someone as naturally gifted as Ali.