This past week on SmackDown Live, WWE fans were treated to a fantastic, first time ever match between Daniel Bryan and Mustafa Ali. 

The match between the two superstars was the first blue brand match of the night, and it showed off the technical skills of both competitors in the ring.

It ended up being a great match, but it finished with the WWE Champion coming out on top ahead of his title defense against AJ Styles at TLC: Tables, Ladders, and Chairs later on tonight.

Bryan vs Ali was one of the more enjoyable matches on SmackDown this week, only being beaten out by the main event of Asuka vs Charlotte Flair, but the match itself reminded many fans of the famous match between Kurt Angle and John Cena, which was Cena's WWE debut.

Of course, Ali has been on the main roster before as part of 205 Live, but this was one of the first times he made an appearance without 205 Live branding behind him.

As a result, many fans saw the comparisons between Bryan vs Ali and Cena's debut vs Angle. Angle himself has now been asked about the similarities.

During a Q&A on Facebook, via Wrestling Inc, Angle said on the comparisons: "I believe it had the same feel. The champ (Bryan) gave the new kid (or younger kid) a chance and the new kid stuck with him the entire match.

"Nothing more exciting than to see a heel champ lose (or almost lose) to the young buck. Great storytelling. Both matches had that."

What this match for Ali means for his WWE future remains to be seen. He's unlikely to follow the same path as Cena in the business, but it looks as though WWE is ready to move him away from the 205 Live scene and have him more involved on the main roster.

The United States title picture on SmackDown hasn't been as exciting as it could have been recently, so there could be a spot for him to thrive in that scene.

Also, Monday Night Raw has been underperforming over the past couple of weeks, so we can't rule out the possibility of Ali being moved and pushed on WWE's red brand as well. Either move would be good for him.

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