WWE Star Revives Scrapped Gimmick On NXT

A scrapped WWE gimmick has been revived.

Mustafa Ali teased he had a major announcement to make on the August 15 edition of WWE NXT and the former SmackDown Hacker did indeed appear on the show, kicking off his campaign for an NXT North American Title shot. Ali appeared on a podium in a suit and he cut a speech only a politician could be proud of, saying the people of North America deserved better and someone who was a champion inside and out. Ali then vowed to show his fans they could do great things while he elevated the North American Championship.

In typical fashion, Ali signed off by saying the people could trust him.

The politician gimmick has been one that Ali has wanted to use for years, with the former 205 Live star first unveiling the new character in November 2021. Ali's plans for the character were scrapped, though, with Ali tweeting at the time: "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. but i can share with you what could have been."

Ali detailed his plans for the gimmick earlier this year, revealing he would have had a podium, press secretary and secret service and the main element of the character would have been him launching campaigns and making promises that he could never fulfil. Ali even would have used Hulk Hogan's 'Real American' as his entrance music, but the decision was made that the character "might not work for the network and the live audience."