Mustafa Ali is the perfect babyface character for WWE

WWE deals in sports entertainment, sticking to the basic structure of the babyface versus the heel. Still, the company struggles to create babyfaces that fans get behind, often using the tired practice of turning people heel in hopes fans will become interested. Mustafa Ali’s return caught the attention of fans on Monday and with him, the promotion has the opportunity to create the perfect babyface.

Wrestling fans have wanted to get behind Ali for years. Everything about his story encapsulates the underdog tale. Even his entry into the Cruiserweight Classic back in 2016 came because Zumbi was unable to participate. That led to his chases for the cruiserweight championship, which put on some of the best matches in WWE in recent years. Then came the series for Bryan Danielson, and the injury that kicked off KofiMania.

His return comes on the back of the public dispute that led to growing support online. Now that he’s returned it will be interesting to see if any of those that posted “Free Ali,” will continue to support his work and message. WWE has shown they are willing to lean into that story for “shock” value, but will they give him the quality push that fans want to see?

According to Fightful Select, Ali was originally supposed to lose his match against The Miz on Monday Night Raw. The fact that was even the pitched outcome doesn’t create a lot of faith in how he’ll be booked in the future. There are even the fears that Ali is going to be fed to Austin Theory, a young talent that Vince McMahon is high on.

As believable as all that may be, WWE must recognize that Ali is in the perfect position for a huge babyface. He stood up against the WWE for more opportunities. He’s been a frequent voice for marginalized people both within social media and when given the chance to speak on it in front of a WWE camera. Even his size and stature play into the appearance of the consummate underdog that the company hunts to find. Could pushing him lead to a Daniel Bryan-like moment with the “Yes” movement? That would be asking a lot but it should be considered a missed opportunity if WWE doesn’t at least try.

Both Mustafa Ali and Asuka grabbed headlines with their returns on Monday. Fans are excited to see what the potential angle Ali is heading into with Tommaso Ciampa and what else could be in store for him. Ali could hit every point of the pure babyface that WWE wants, the only question is whether they see it in him and will put the effort into making it happen.