Some WWE fans are likely still adjusting one week after the company released a plethora of talent. Though, there were executives who did not see all of the departures coming, as was evidenced by recent booking decisions.

Shawn Michaels had no idea that Mustafa Ali was being let go until shortly before it actually happened, forcing him to quickly process the information and pivot.

“I found out right before he did,” the senior vice president of talent development creative said, per Fightful's Jeremy Lambert. “I will say this, I'd be lying to you if I said it didn't take us by surprise. That's one thing I'm learning here is that main roster and NXT are totally separate rosters. I think the world of Mustafa, had a great working relationship with him in the time that he was here, I will miss him. That's what we do here in NXT. We'll adjust.”

Michaels' current role in the WWE primarily revolves around running NXT. The brand is gearing up for No Mercy this Saturday, which will be the company's first event since Endeavor became the official new owner on Sept. 12. Mustafa Ali was scheduled to face Dominik Mysterio for the NXT North American Championship before his release. Trick Williams won a match this past Tuesday to become the new number one contender.

While many of the departing wrestlers were being sparsely used, Ali was gaining a bit of momentum on NXT. He had previously been removed from the main roster after months of scrapping in the midcard on Monday Night Raw. Try as he might, the veteran just could not sustain a consistent push.

When it first became clear that the WWE was cutting ties with multiple talents, Ali was bound to be in jeopardy. The 37-year-old requested his release in January of 2022 after not agreeing with his creative direction. It was denied.

So, Shawn Michaels presses ahead following the loss of one of his most reliable in-ring workers. It is a cold aspect of the business he knows well from the other side. But handling such situations from a position of power will require great finesse and adaptability from the legendary HBK.