Mustafa Ali’s return to the ring on the September 24 edition of TNA iMPACT ended with the TNA International Championship still around his waist, but his celebration came at a steep apparent cost to Order 4.
Mila Moore walked out on Ali during a backstage segment and made clear that John Skyler was leaving with her. The development followed a period in which Ali had been openly berating his own stablemates while preparing for his first match since TNA Wrestling’s Lockdown pay-per-view. Ali responded to Moore and Skyler’s departure by ordering Agent Zero to follow them, leaving the status of the faction in a state of uncertainty.
Later in the night, Ali successfully defended the International Title against Trey Miguel and Jason Hotch in the main event. Tasha Steelz attempted to assist the champion at his direction, only for Ali to use her as a shield against Hotch before ultimately retaining the title through underhanded means.
It was a defining night for Ali: a successful comeback from major injuries, a championship retention, and another demonstration of the ruthless attitude that appears to be driving Order 4 apart.
For more background on this topic, read Elayna Black Secures TNA Knockouts Television Title Match With Four-Way Victory.
Ali returns after Lockdown injuries
The September 24 main event marked Ali’s first in-ring appearance since Lockdown, where he suffered a punctured lung and fractured ribs in a Cage match against Jason Hotch. Those injuries had kept the reigning TNA International Champion out of action, putting a temporary stop to his momentum as one of the promotion’s most calculating titleholders.
Ali did not return quietly. Rather than using the time away from the ring to reinforce the relationships within Order 4, he spent the lead-up to his comeback taking verbal shots at Moore and Skyler. The tension became impossible to ignore on iMPACT, as the champion’s treatment of the people closest to him led to the group’s most significant visible split to date.
Moore’s decision to leave was presented as a direct response to Ali’s behavior. She did not simply distance herself from the champion; she also stated that Skyler was coming with her. The two then walked away together, a move that stripped Ali of two members of his faction in one moment.
Ali’s instruction for Agent Zero to follow them suggested that he was unwilling to simply accept the departure. Whether that order leads to an attempt at reconciliation, intimidation, retaliation, or further conflict remains to be seen. What is clear is that Moore and Skyler no longer appeared willing to operate under Ali’s leadership at the close of the segment.
Order 4’s internal issues spill into the main event
Ali’s title defense put him in the ring with both Trey Miguel and Jason Hotch, two opponents who gave the returning champion no easy path to retaining the International Championship. Hotch’s presence also carried additional significance given his Lockdown Cage match with Ali, the bout in which Ali sustained the punctured lung and fractured ribs that sidelined him.
The match took another turn when Tasha Steelz appeared at ringside. Ali ordered Steelz to retrieve the International Title belt and bring it into the ring. As she attempted to hand the championship to him, Hotch came off the top rope with a double foot stomp.
Ali avoided the impact by pulling Steelz into Hotch’s path. The maneuver underscored that Ali’s self-preservation came before the well-being of his allies, even those still standing beside him after Moore and Skyler’s exit. Steelz absorbed the consequences of Ali’s decision while the champion created the opening he needed to take control.
Ali then sent Hotch out of the ring, eliminating one of his challengers from the immediate action. With the referee’s attention not preventing him from using the title as a weapon, Ali struck Trey Miguel with the International Championship belt and retained the title.
The result kept Ali’s reign alive, but the manner of victory was entirely in line with the champion’s conduct throughout the night. He relied on Steelz when it suited him, sacrificed her safety when danger approached, and used the title itself to put away Miguel. Ali left with the championship, but not with any evidence that he had learned from the growing resentment around him.
Steelz is left with an uncomfortable message
The aftermath of the match was just as telling as the finish. Ali did help Steelz to her feet after using her to absorb Hotch’s aerial attack. However, any appearance of concern quickly disappeared. Ali carried Steelz, then deliberately dropped her so he could celebrate his successful title defense.
That final act continued the pattern established by Ali’s treatment of Moore and Skyler. His allies appear valuable to him only as long as they can contribute to his success or his image. Once they are injured, frustrated, or inconvenient, Ali has shown little hesitation in casting them aside.
For Steelz, the situation is especially notable because she remained involved with Ali after Moore and Skyler had already walked away. Her assistance was requested in the championship match, but it resulted in her being placed directly in harm’s way. Ali’s post-match celebration made the hierarchy within Order 4 unmistakable: the titleholder sees himself as the priority, regardless of what happens to anyone supporting him.
The question now is whether Steelz will continue to stand by Ali after the events of September 24. No departure was announced during the show, and she remains associated with the faction based on what unfolded in the main event. Still, Moore’s exit established that Ali’s allies can reach a breaking point, and Ali gave Steelz plenty of reason to reconsider her position.
What Moore and Skyler’s exit means
Moore and Skyler walking out does not necessarily provide every answer about Order 4’s future, but it dramatically changes the group’s makeup. Ali entered the night as the faction’s dominant voice and reigning champion. By the end, he had seemingly lost Moore and Skyler, while Agent Zero had been sent after them and Steelz had been physically mistreated during the main event.
That is not the profile of a stable moving forward with unity. It is the profile of a group being tested by the actions of its leader.
Skyler’s decision to depart alongside Moore is also important. Ali had spent time verbally attacking both of them, and Moore’s declaration meant that Skyler’s split from Order 4 was not framed as an isolated disagreement. The two left together, presenting a potential alliance outside Ali’s orbit while also depriving the champion of additional numbers around him.
Agent Zero’s involvement could become a key factor. Ali gave a clear instruction to follow Moore and Skyler, but the immediate outcome of that pursuit was not established on the show. The order nonetheless raises the possibility that Ali will not let the walkout end without a response. If he continues to treat his former allies as enemies rather than people who were driven away by his conduct, the division could quickly develop into a more direct confrontation.
Ali survives, but his empire is unstable
From a strictly competitive standpoint, Ali accomplished what he needed to accomplish. He returned after a punctured lung and fractured ribs, entered a demanding three-way championship main event, and retained the TNA International Title against Miguel and Hotch.
Yet the episode also revealed how unstable his position has become outside the ring. Ali’s survival instincts and willingness to exploit others helped him secure the win, but those same traits have now pushed Moore and Skyler out of Order 4 and put Steelz in an increasingly precarious position.
Ali’s return therefore delivered two very different outcomes. The champion is back, healthy enough to compete, and still holding the International Title. At the same time, his faction may be coming apart around him. The more Ali treats allies as disposable tools, the more likely it becomes that his title reign will continue without the support system that helped establish Order 4 in the first place.
For now, Moore and Skyler have made their choice, Steelz has been given a harsh reminder of Ali’s priorities, and Agent Zero has been tasked with tracking down the members who left. Ali may have ended September 24 with the International Championship, but he enters the next chapter of TNA iMPACT with far more enemies, far fewer trusted allies, and a faction whose future is very much in doubt.
Darryl Polo
Darryl Polo is a passionate wrestling fan covering WWE, AEW, TNA and beyond. He loves great rivalries, breakout stars and the moments that keep fans talking long after the bell. How we work.