TNA Champion Visits AEW Dynamite Amidst TNA’s Growing Relationship With WWE

Multiple forbidden doors have been opened across the professional wrestling industry. Following AEW’s lengthy working relationships with the likes of Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide, Impact Wrestling, and New Japan Pro Wrestling, WWE got in on the crossovers by linking up with TNA earlier this year. TNA Knockouts Champion Jordynne Grace entered the Women’s Royal Rumble and went on to challenge NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez five months later at NXT Battleground, becoming the first actively TNA-contracted wrestler to compete for a WWE title. Since then, NXT’s Tatum Paxley wrestled on TNA iMPACT! while TNA’s Frankie Kazarian and Joe Hendry popped up on WWE NXT.

TNA Champion Visits AEW Dynamite

One TNA titleholder found himself backstage at AEW Dynamite.

As reported by PWInsider, TNA X-Division Champion Mustafa Ali stopped by the Wintrust Arena for AEW Dynamite this past Wednesday. Ali is a Chicago native and was likely able to stop by due to AEW being in and around his neighborhood.

It’s worth noting that TNA, when it was known as Impact Wrestling, previously had a one-year working relationship with AEW that extended from December 2020 until late into 2021. This partnership was mostly built around then-AEW World Champion Kenny Omega going on a belt collecting expedition, as he ventured to Impact thanks to his friendship with then-Impact Executive Vice President Don Callis. Omega would win the Impact World and TNA World Heavyweight Championships upon his arrival there, holding both throughout much of 2021. TNA has not worked with AEW in over two years and currently maintains what appears to be a fairly exclusive partnership with WWE.

Ali finds himself in a notable position within the current TNA, AEW, and WWE landscape. Despite being the TNA X-Division Champion, Ali is not under TNA contract. He is a former WWE superstar as well but had a polarizing exit from that company, as he had expressed creative frustration for years. Ali would eventually get released, but his cut came on the week of his scheduled title victory over then-NXT North American Champion Dominik Mysterio. After his 90-day no-compete clause expired, Ali began a pilgrimage across the greater wrestling world, competing in multiple indies as well as TNA and NJPW. Given that he is not under TNA contract, he is technically free to appear on AEW programming should he be booked.