Matt Hardy rates Mustafa Ali as the most valuable man on TNA’s roster, and thinks a world title run is coming for him.
Hardy, who works behind the scenes at TNA as well as on screen, made the case on The Extreme Life of Matt Hardy.
“Mustafa Ali is an absolute MVP. He’s a rock star, because not only is he the guy out there leading these matches and everything else, he’s the guy leading the storytelling in his group, and he has put so much thought in place. I have so much respect for him. Mustafa is a huge deal, and he is playing a really prominent and very important role in TNA right now.”
On whether the TNA World Championship is in his future, Hardy was unequivocal about the destination and specific about the route.
“That day is destined to come. It’s just to come as a babyface as well.”
He also credited Ali with building the wrestler who has since taken a title off him.
“Jason Hotch, the guy that he’d been working on specifically to build with this whole story, this was his brainchild. He has a ton of potential too. I think Jason Hotch is going to be a big deal.”
That story has moved since the episode was recorded. Hotch beat Ali for the TNA International Championship on the July 30 Impact from the Liacouras Center in Philadelphia, the first major singles title of his career, after Ali let the locker room vote for his next challenger and they picked his own stablemate. Ali had held the title since retaining against Uhaa Nation and Rich Swann at Slammiversary in June.
Order 4 has fractured since. Hotch has walked away from the group and defends the championship against Ali inside a cage at Lockdown on August 23 in Chicago.
Separate reporting has described Ali as working extensively behind the scenes to develop younger talent and assist with scouting, which lines up with Hardy’s account of the Hotch story being his idea.
Nic Nemeth is the reigning TNA World Champion.
