Catch Up On Must-See Mustafa Ali Matches You May Have Missed

One of the hottest Superstars on either roster right now is SmackDown Superstar Mustafa Ali, who competed in the No. 1 Contender match for the WWE Championship that was won by AJ Styles on Tuesday’s episode.
Though many in the WWE Universe took notice when Ali challenged WWE Champion “The New” Daniel Bryan in his SmackDown debut and then pinned Bryan in a tag match after that, a lot of WWE fans who don’t subscribe to the WWE Network or don’t pay attention to 205 Live likely missed many great matches involving Ali, who was known as “The Heart of 205 Live.”
With that in mind, AllWrestling.com has compiled a list of must-see matches involving Ali that you should check out if you haven’t already watched them or ones you can watch again to revisit some of his best moments. Here’s the list in no particular ranking:

1. Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy, 205 Live, No Disqualification Match (July 3, 2018)
Though Ali scored the first victory in this rivalry in the Cruiserweight Championship Tournament that punched his ticket to WrestleMania, he and Murphy have done a lot of magnificent work together in the ring.
Here’s a description of the match provided by WWE.com: It was a nearly 30-minute contest that rocketed #205Live to the top of Twitter’s worldwide trends. If Buddy Murphy using the steel steps to launch himself over the turnbuckle onto Ali outside the ring or Ali hitting the Spanish Fly from the fan barricade onto the announce table doesn’t make you jump out of your seat, Ali superplexing The Juggernaut off the steel steps should do the trick. Those three moments are just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the thrills delivered in this contest that pushed both Superstars to the brink. Ali emerged victorious, but it took a jaw-dropping tornado DDT off the steel steps in the center of the ring to do it.

2. Mustafa Ali vs. Cedric Alexander, 205 Live (January 23, 2018)

Despite Alexander having a championship opportunity at Royal Rumble 2018, the title was vacated just five days before the event. As the Cruiserweight division waited for a new General Manager and with the fate of the title hung in the balance, Alexander and Ali set out to put on a show for the WWE Universe.

The close friends pushed each other to their physical and mental limits and challenged each other to venture beyond those boundaries. Alexander emerged victorious, but he made sure to help his friend up to his feet and raise his hand after the match. The bout perfectly captured the true nature of the Cruiserweight division and set the tone for the future of 205 Live.

3. Mustafa Ali vs. Drew Gulak, 205 Live, Best 2 of 3 Falls Match (July 18, 2017)

WWE 205 Live has not seen a rivalry as bitter and intense as the one between Drew Gulak and Mustafa Ali. The Heart of 205 Live’s high-flying ability literally flew in the face of Gulak’s plan for a better WWE 205 Live, which advocated for competition that was more technically sound. Having previously met four times with two victories each, a 2-out-of-3 Falls Match was the perfect way to truly determine whose in-ring philosophy was supreme.

Ali scored the first fall early, using his incredible agility to secure the win. This enraged Gulak, who unleashed a flurry of powerful strikes, keeping The Heart of WWE 205 Live grounded. The Philadelphia Stretcher’s angry attacks proved useful, and despite Ali nearly securing two falls in a row, Gulak locked in the Gulock to level the playing field.

With momentum in his favor, The Philadelphia Stretcher continued to mount pressure, attacking Ali with precision strikes and holds. However, the ever-resilient Ali fought back, and the two competitors brought the WWE Universe to their feet.

4. Mustafa Ali vs. TJP vs. Drew Gulak vs. Tony Nese vs. Kalisto, 205 Live, Gauntlet Match (April 24, 2018)
When it came time to decide who would face Cedric Alexander for the WWE Cruiserweight Championship at the Greatest Royal Rumble event, WWE 205 Live General Manager Drake Maverick didn’t disappoint, announcing a Gauntlet Match to determine who would earn the opportunity.

The match started with Mustafa Ali facing former WWE Cruiserweight Champion TJP. Their unique styles clashed as Ali relied on his agility, and TJP used his technical prowess to weaken The Heart of WWE 205 Live. Despite The Cruisergreat’s efforts, Ali fought through multiple submissions holds to eliminate TJP.

Ali then faced his longtime rival Drew Gulak, who capitalized on the damage TJP had already caused. Relying on his resilience, The Heart of WWE 205 Live nearly scored another victory, but Gulak countered an 054 and sent Ali crashing into the steel steps, allowing The Philadelphia Stretcher to apply the Gulock for the win. Gulak advanced to the final match, but lost to Kalisto.

5. Mustafa Ali vs. Cedrick Alexander vs. TJP vs. Noam Dar vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher, 205 Live, Fatal 5-Way No.1 Contender to Cruiserweight Championship Match (February 7, 2017)
Former WWE Cruiserweight Champion Rich Swann was set for a rematch against the reigning champion Neville when an injury forced him to relinquish his opportunity. With Neville in need of a challenger,Cedric Alexander, Mustafa Ali, Gentleman Jack Gallagher, Noam Dar and TJP stepped up for a Fatal 5-Way Elimination Match for the right to slug it out with the champion at WWE Fastlane.

Any alliances were quickly tossed aside as the five Superstars collided for the ultimate opportunity. While chaos ensued early in the contest, Gallagher eventually took control and performed one of the most memorable aerial maneuvers in WWE 205 Live history. With his four opponents on the outside, the British Superstar grabbed his trusty umbrella and launched himself off the top rope to the floor.

Taking out his competition in such a manner gave Gallagher an advantage that he fought to maintain throughout the remainder of the match. The biggest obstacle for Gallagher was former champion TJP, who wore Gallagher down with his incredible technical abilities. A series of stinging British headbutts put Gallagher back in the fight, and with TJP dazed, the Gentleman delivered a running dropkick for the win.

6. Mustafa Ali vs. Hideo Itami, 205 Live, Falls Count Anywhere (October 24, 2018)
Hideo Itami repeatedly demanded “respect” from Mustafa Ali and the fans. The Japanese star was in control for long spells of the match, notably when he locked in a submission on the announce table and when he launched Ali shoulder-first into the steel steps. Ali had a lot more offence in the latter stages, especially after landing a cross-body to the outside from the top rope, while both men used the steel steps to their advantage at different stages. In the end, Itami failed with a brutal attempt to trap his opponent’s head between two sets of steps. Ali then hit an incredible tornado DDT off the steps before putting Itami through a ringside table with a top-rope 0-5-4 for the win.

7. Mustafa Ali vs. Hideo Itami, 205 Live (September 26, 2018)
This NXT TakeOver-worthy match was all about Mustafa Ali trying to defeat Hideo Itami one-on-one for the first time. Hideo connected with several strong kicks and looked on course to get the victory when he hit a Falcon Arrow from the middle rope. However, Mustafa turned things around and landed an impressive 450 splash onto Hideo’s midsection on the ring apron, resulting in a double count-out draw.

8. Mustafa Ali vs. Gentleman Jack Gallagher, Cruiserweight Championship Tournament First Round
With the bout at a stalemate, the tension mounted, and the technical showcase briefly turned into an exchange of aggressive strikes. However, with Gallagher on the outside of the ring, Ali charged forward and slid under the ropes, only to be ingeniously caught in the ring apron by Gallagher.

Attempting to prepare his patented 0-5-4, Ali was met on the top rope by Gallagher, who once again targeted his opponent’s arm. First using the ropes and then driving Ali shoulder-first into the ring post, Gallagher began to show his familiar brand of cruelty, relentlessly targeting Ali’s limb.

With one good arm, Ali tried to fight back, pulling out all the stops with a high-flying maneuver to the outside. Unfortunately, Gallagher moved out of the way, and Ali crashed to the arena floor. Gallagher took advantage and again brutally targeted Ali’s arm. The Chicago native refused to give in, even after being dropkicked off the top rope into the barricade and being driven shoulder-first into the corner of the barricade. Gallagher continued to assault his opponent’s arm, but Ali remained resilient, refusing to give in.
Finally, Ali countered a high-risk move from the top rope, landing on his feet. Even with an injured arm, Ali found the determination to charge forward, stunning Gallagher with two fast-paced strikes before executing the 0-5-4 for the incredible victory.

9. Mustafa Ali vs. Buddy Murphy, 205 Live (May 8, 2018)
Ali defeated Murphy in the Cruiserweight Championship single-elimination tournament and that was the only loss Murphy has suffered in the cruiserweight division to that point.

The Best Kept Secret began to work the shoulder and arm of Ali. He was able to do this more so after Ali missed his 0-5-4 splash from the top.

Murphy won the match after ramming Ali’s shoulder into the post and giving him “Murphy’s Law”.

10. Mustafa Ali vs. Hideo Itami, 205 Live (August 7, 2018)
Itami scored the victory in this one by getting Ali in a Tree of Woe before hitting three running dropkicks to set up the pin. This was a hard-hitting match that Drake Maverick sold by coming out post match and demanding medical attention for Ali, who could be heard saying “What year is it” after the match.