WWE Threw Mustafa Ali Into The Mariana Trench At Fastlane 2019

Mustafa Ali received an impromptu opportunity at the WWE Championship at Fastlane, but this was more about him facing a tough task during the peak of #KofiMania.

The originally scheduled WWE Championship match for Fastlane 2019 was between Daniel Bryan and Kofi Kingston, but that was quickly changed to Bryan vs. Kevin Owens at the request of Vince McMahon.

But during the Fastlane show, it seemed like Vince had a change of heart. He called all three members of The New Day into his office for a sudden meeting, informing Kofi that he would have a Triple Threat opportunity at the title in Cleveland, urging Kofi to get ready for the upcoming match.

Instead, Kofi was ambushed in a handicap match by Sheamus and Cesaro, falling to “The Bar” with an assist from Shinsuke Nakamura and Rusev, who subdued Xavier Woods and Big E’s attempt to save Kofi from the savage beatdown.

Despite Vince’s ambush of Kingston, the WWE Championship match at Fastlane was indeed a Triple Threat…except the third member was Mustafa Ali.

Though Ali is one of the most popular wrestlers among members of the WWE Universe, he had no chance of getting a big reaction at Fastlane. Recently returned from injuries that forced him out of the Elimination Chamber, which led to the groundswell of support for his replacement Kofi, Ali’s presence in this high-stakes matchup was a chorus of “Kofi” chants.

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Ali had his moments during the match. An 0-5-4 to Bryan on the apron. A hurricanrana to Rowan into the ring post. Some more close-calls that nearly saw Ali, who never won the Cruiserweight Title, capture the world title from the “New” Daniel Bryan.

Owens, Bryan, and Ali worked hard to produce a great match, but the WWE Universe at the Quicken Loans Arena could only keep their minds fixated on Kofi.

In a way, this was a test that Ali could not pass. WWE threw him into the deep end in an impossible situation to see what would happen. They clearly understand how much support Kofi has, which is why Mr. McMahon, the ultimate heel himself, has been the one to screw Kofi repeatedly, with the most egregious example of this occurring tonight at Fastlane.

WWE wanted to see if Ali could get as much sympathy or support as Kofi, as the match was laid out as a babyface showcase for Ali, who would come close-but-so-far-away to winning the gold. And Bryan and Rowan even targeted Ali in a post-match beatdown that was lukewarmly received by a WWE Universe that normally falls head-over-heels for the story Ali tells. After all, Ali regularly got worn-out 205 Live crowds to rise to their feet during his matches.

But on this night, Ali couldn’t get that same reaction in Cleveland. Forget the “deep end” at the local YMCA; WWE threw Ali into the damn Mariana Trench, confirming just how popular #KofiMania is. Because in a dream match with Owens, Bryan, and Ali that delivered in terms of in-ring quality and drama, the fans were disinterested and could only think of Kofi.

Ali has been, in a way, replaced by Kofi this WrestleMania season, but he still has the fans’ respect and will get his chance to shine and win over the crowd’s full support again. Right now, the focus is on Kofi, who should win the WWE Championship at WrestleMania for his first career world title win, but Ali’s ability to deliver in the ring and garner sympathy are still there (again, this match at Fastlane was fantastic, and Ali proved that he can hang with the best of them).

It’s just not his time yet. It’s Kofi’s time.