Mustafa Ali still hopes to do a 205 Live “reunion,” but he isn’t sure how likely it is to happen.
Ali recently spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about his tenure on WWE’s 205 Live brand. Earlier this summer, Ali told Justin Dhillon of The Wrestling Classic that one of his goals was to organize a 205 Live roundtable. He went into more detail about his memories of competing on the brand, noting how he looks back on that time fondly.
Despite having doubts about being able to get everyone together, whether it’s due to contract situations or other reasons, Ali thinks it would still be great to reminisce about the show.
“We just have so many fun stories and I don’t think—I think it will be extremely difficult. Because obviously, a lot of the 205 Live guys are with AEW. A few are with TNA, a few are still in WWE. Some are scattered, some vanished off the face of the Earth. For me, I look back at it very fondly, because it was like kinda being in the trenches with these guys. We were like the unwanted redheaded stepchild; nobody will claim us. So, we bonded together.”
Ali says he has so many stories, like earning Roman Reigns’ respect, or getting pulled aside for praise by John Cena and The Rock. He also mentioned sharing a story about wrestling Daniel Bryan on SmackDown, with the whole 205 Live roster watching in the Gorilla position.
“It meant a lot to me. So, yeah. It would just be nice to sit down and kinda reminisce. And I think there’s a 205 Live fandom, I know there is, because I get their messages all the time. And I think it would be a fun, one-night-only event. A round table, shoot the breeze, recap some fun stories,” Ali said. “We had some fun times. And I think fans would love some behind-the-scenes stories and shenanigans and whatnot.”
Mustafa Ali on 205 Live being appreciated after it ended
Ali agreed that 205 Live might be more appreciated now since it’s gone. He noted that while the show was always recognized for its in-ring work, taping it after SmackDown didn’t help matters. Either way, he knows the show helped a lot of talent, including himself.
“Nostalgia is a hell of a thing. But the thing is, I think when you actually look back at 205 Live, you go, ‘Man, this was some kickass wrestling.’ It’s the lack of crowd participation. Because again, a lot of the crowd would leave after SmackDown. But recently, I posted a highlight clip of Cedric and I, highlights of us in 205 and then at WrestleMania. And the amount of nostalgia and the fans like, ‘Oh my! Bro! This was peak wrestling.’ It’s kind of the thing where you don’t know until it’s gone.
“But that weekly episode, man, at the end of the day, 205 Live did so much for so many people. Myself included. It was really a launching pad for a lot of guys’ careers. Cedric, Roderick Strong, Buddy [Matthews]. Tony Nese and Ariya doing well on AEW. Just so many guys, Tozawa is still kicking it. So, at the end of the day, it was a huge launching pad, and a huge opportunity for a lot of unsigned talent.”
During the interview, Ali also revealed a hilarious hidden camera prank that went on for months while he was in WWE.
Mustafa Ali returned to NXT on Tuesday night’s show, which also featured a “summit” between NXT and TNA. Catch up on everything that went down on NXT here.
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