Mustafa Ali Says Samoa Joe Came Up With The Idea For His Reveal As The Leader Of RETRIBUTION In WWE

Mustafa Ali reflects on being revealed as the leader of RETRIBUTION in WWE four years later.

On October 5, 2020, Mustafa Ali was revealed as the leader of the renegade faction RETRIBUTION on WWE Raw. His time as the leader of the group did not facilitate any major growth for his character or any of the members of the group. However, the gimmick was a major part of WWE programming during the global pandemic.

Reflecting on the moment he was revealed as the group’s leader, Mustafa Ali said on social media that the original idea for the revelation had been different. Ali revealed that Samoa Joe suggested doing it the way that it came across on television after Ali had asked him for advice. At the time, Joe was a commentator on Monday nights.

And yes folks, everyone involved was aware of all the obstacles with the names, masks and the lack of story. We made the best of the opportunity.

— Mustafa Ali (@MustafaAli_X) October 5, 2024

Mustafa Ali and Samoa Joe are both out of WWE now. Joe currently works for AEW, while Ali continues to carve out his own path on the independent circuit.

Mason D. Madden, known in the group as MACE, recently spoke about the group’s original plans. Learn more here.