Report: TNA star ‘keeping options open’ when contract expires

Mustafa Ali could be headed to another promotion in 2026.

Fightful Select is reporting that Ali’s TNA contract will expire at the end of 2025 and the 39-year-old is said to be keeping his options open. Fightful also notes that Ali would be “welcome back” in NXT as Shawn Michaels has long been an advocate of his.

Ali was an active member of the NXT roster when he was released from the company in 2023, even though he was scheduled to challenge for the North American title the following week at No Mercy. This was referenced in Ali’s recent program with current North American Champion Ethan Page, which saw Page defend the title against Ali at NXT vs. TNA Showdown.

During an interview with Denise Salcedo earlier this month, Ali said the promo he cut the week before Showdown about having been released before his title match in 2023 was something Shawn Michaels talked him into.

Ali said:

“I thought he was wrong initially and then I went out and as I’m cutting the promo I myself started to feel it and there was this pin drop silence. I think I said something along the lines of ‘My dream was on the horizon but that day Mr. Page, the sun did not rise,’ and you could just hear like everyone felt that was real.” 

“So when I came back, I looked at Shawn, I go, ‘You were right.’”