Smackdown Live newcomer Mustafa Ali made his in-ring return at a house show in Minneapolis, Minnesota last night. The former 205 Live superstar challenged Daniel Bryan for the WWE championship, which he ultimately lost in the end.
Ali was sidelined a week before Elimination Chamber due to a complication of injuries that have been piling up since the Royal Rumble. The Smackdown star reportedly told WWE officials that he was good to go for the EC pay-per-view; however, management didn’t want to risk Ali getting any further injuries and pulled him from the WWE championship match.
Ali was replaced by Kofi Kingston, who’s currently in the midst of a singles career resurgence after a show stealing performance during the gauntlet match on the week of the Chamber - a spot originally set for Ali – and his thrilling bout against Daniel Bryan at the Elimination Chamber.
There’s no word on what’s next for Ali. With Owens and Kingston occupying the WWE title picture for the next several months, it appears that the he may have to wait a bit longer to receive another crack at the WWE championship.