It was learned on Sunday morning that Mustafa Ali was going to request his release from WWE. In a message Ali posted on Twitter, he noted that he had something to say that was bigger than professional wrestling and knew he could never get his message out while working for WWE. As a result, he was requesting his release.
New information has come to light following that news. Backstage heat between Vince McMahon and Ali was potentially a contributing factor in Ali's decision. According to a report by Fightful, after Ali's new gimmick of a “New America” was scrapped, McMahon apparently pitched something to Ali that "Ali would never have done". This led to an argument between Ali and McMahon and Ali wasn't used on television since. Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful notes, "An argument with Vince McMahon may have led to Mustafa Ali's WWE absence since November."
Reports also suggest that Ali only asked to be off of one show when after the birth of his third child in November and not a full paternity leave, despite speculation that his request for time off might have been a factor in WWE scrapping his new character. The real reason the gimmick was ditched, according to Ali, was because WWE viewed it as potentially too controversial. He wrote, "...a few weeks ago, I made a statement that some deemed controversial. My intentions were to bring a beautiful vision to life. Unfortunately, for reasons beyond my control, I won’t be able to make that vision a reality." He then shared a video of what the angle was going to be.
Awaiting News From WWE
As of right now, there is no news on whether or not WWE is willing to work with Ali to fix their issues, if his release will be granted or if they'll force him to sit out the rest of his contract.