#3.) He had to fight through stereotypical gimmicks
Ali started wrestling at a young age and from the get-go, independent promoters pushed for him to portray a heel, being a racist stereotype. All of this was just because Ali is a Muslim. In Lillian Garcia‘s Chasing Glory podcast, Ali said:
Every single person in the Chicago independent scene said, ‘You’ve got to be a bad guy. You’re a Muslim. We’re gonna make money. We’re gonna call you Sheik Abdullah something. You’re gonna wear a turban
Ali got so uncomfortable that he began wearing a mask and wrestling as a luchador so as to not give out his identity. Ali, unfortunately, went against his own beliefs and portrayed a terrorist-like character, being Anti-America. He even wore a turban as well. However, it disturbed Ali so deeply that he vowed to never do it again. This is why he fights even now to break stereotypes.
Next page: 5 things you need to know about Mustafa Ali
