Report: Eric Bischoff is high on Ali, wants WWE SmackDown to push him

Ali has been one of WWE’s standouts since debuting on SmackDown Live in December, and Eric Bischoff is the latest influential person backstage to see the light in the former 205 Live Superstar.

Few wrestlers are as good as Ali at getting fans on their side, and it’s clear that WWE have big plans for the former 205 Live standout in the future. Though Ali has never won a title in the promotion, he was very much in the Cruiserweight Championship, WWE Championship, and Intercontinental Championship pictures over the past 12 months, meaning his breakthrough should happen in the near future.

According to a report from Fightful.com’s Sean Ross Sapp, Ali made yet another impression on WWE management recently.

Sapp was told that Eric Bischoff and Vince McMahon congratulated Ali after his King of the Ring match against Elias in the quarterfinals on Sept. 3. On top of that, Bischoff is reportedly high on Ali, as he wants to give the rising star a “push”.

To be fair, Ali was given a push earlier this year when he was positioned as Daniel Bryan’s rival for the WWE Championship. Ali had to miss the Elimination Chamber and Kofi Kingston rose to prominence, becoming champion at WrestleMania 35 in one of the most heartfelt moments in wrestling history. And Kingston is still champion.

Ali did shine at Fastlane in a WWE Title match with Bryan and Kevin Owens, and his time will come soon. His talent is obvious, whether it’s his in-ring psychology, promos, or high-flying ability. As a babyface, Ali is the total package and a future world champion, which is undoubtedly what the likes of Bischoff and McMahon see in him.

Whether or not Ali gets another push when SmackDown starts up on FOX this Fall remains to be seen, because it’s a lot harder to fit in individual pushes in the context of all the ongoing storylines in WWE. But Ali clearly has a place in their plans, as he continues to make a profound impact on WWE programming outside the title picture.