Mustafa Ali Says Scrapped Plans Led To Positive Change In His TNA Storyline

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3 days ago

Mustafa Ali is very proud of what TNA has allowed him to do with his 'Order 4' storyline.
Ali spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard to promote TNA's Slammiversary pay-per-view. There, Ali will rekindle his rivalry with Cedric Alexander, with whom he shared some classic battles on WWE's RAW and 205 Live brands.
Ali reflected on their past rivalry and was asked how they can not only revisit the feud, but also make sure it's a fresh take too. Ali said that was exactly their mindset going into, trying to figure out the stakes of what the storyline could be.
'[We said,] 'How do we build this as more than just a WrestleMania rematch? What are the stakes?'' Ali said, noting that he's never beaten Alexander, but a win could go a long way. 'If [I am] able to beat him, surely TNA Management now has to reconsider [me] as a contender or at least in contention for the World Title again.' That was the psychology of it. That's what we are trying to go to.'
Mustafa Ali shares the 'why' of Order 4
Ali didn't want to just pit himself and Alexander as past opponents, and the feud needed to have more meaning in TNA.
'I have immense respect for him. He is a friend. And that's another layer of the story that we failed, timing-wise, to deliver. I should've taken it. I wanted the fans to understand how much Order 4 and the Campaign, and becoming this leader, means to me. It means so much that within wrestling, I don't have a lot of friends. Cedric is one of my few friends,' Mustafa Ali said. 'I'm willing to sacrifice this friendship. I have no issues with Cedric Alexander. I love that man. That man is a brother. But I'm willing to sacrifice my friendship with him for a greater good.
'And I believe me as a leader in TNA, I truly believe I can bring good. And I'm not just talking about like from a character point of view. I'm talking about actual power. I can make sure those that don't have opportunities get opportunities, make sure the underprivileged or the overlooked are no longer overlooked. I want to make sure that the right person is doing the right job,' Ali added. 'That's the actual 'why' of what Order 4 is.'
Mustafa Ali says creative plans caused a change in Order 4's direction
Ali was asked to highlight something that deserves more focus. He said that while he is proud of what TNA has allowed him to do with Order 4, it wasn't the original plan. He made sure each member of the group — John Skyler, Jason Hotch and Tasha Steelz — weren't 'just backup.'
'To pull the curtain back a little bit, this internal conflict of Order 4 becoming this combustible element, this wasn't the plan. Something had happened, something was planned, and that plan fell through. So, we had about a month to fill,' Mustafa Ali explained. 'And this was post-Mike Santana after Rebellion. And there was no immediate creative for this group. But obviously, they wanted this group on the show. They wanted me on the show. So, I'm very very proud that I took [charge], I made it a point that each member of Order 4, John Skyler, Jason Hotch, Tasha Steelz, they were more than just backup.'
Ali wants people to talk about how well-rounded Order 4 has become
Ali pointed out all of the layers in storytelling, like how Jason Hotch is a nice guy in a bad spot, just trying to make ends meet. John Skyler is conflicted because Hotch's ideals don't align with his, and he's conflicted. Tasha Steelz was positioned as a 'damsel in distress,' but recently showed just how much she pulls the strings behind the scenes.
'That's something I wish people talked about more. Look at these three backup characters that now have full-fledged, in-depth layers,' Ali said. 'We still have these underlying issues, just like families do every day. Just like groups, just like organizations. People work at places all the time where they don't get along. So, I am taking that element of it. And we are still going to go forward with this group. And the stories that can come from it in the future, immediately. Who knows? Right? But that's something that I am very, very proud of recently. Because it just happened and it was literally a situation where like, 'Well, plan A fell through. What do we got?' I was like, 'What if we focused this. What if instead of feuding with someone, the feud was internal?' And this is what we got. And I am very proud of that.'
TNA Slammiversary takes place at the UBS Arena on Long Island on Sunday, July 20.
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