SmackDown Live star Mustafa Ali was recently interviewed by Sports Illustrated. Ali explained why he’s grateful for Daniel Bryan, and also discussed wanting to break down Muslim stereotypes in professional wrestling. The highlights can be found here:
Believing Daniel Bryan has been a big advocate of his behind-the-scenes:
I’ll never get a straight answer from him, but the inclination I have is enough reason to believe that Daniel Bryan is involved, more than he’ll ever say he is, with the recent interest in me,” said Ali. “I know he brought the idea up of bringing me to SmackDown, and I’m extremely grateful for the opportunity.
How Bryan serves as a role model to the guys on 205 Live:
Bryan is the guy who watches 205 Live and he’s a big advocate for it,” said Ali. “He went through the same ringer that a lot of the 205 Live guys are going through right now, being a smaller size and having to prove we can not only hang in the ring, but also capture the WWE Universe’s attention. If anyone understands the enormous mountain that cruiserweights like myself have to climb, it’s WWE champion Daniel Bryan—who not only climbed that mountain, but now stands atop it.
The Muslim stereotype in professional wrestling:
I was that 16-year-old who loved WWE and I wanted to be a pro wrestler, but I didn’t understand why I had to be the bad guy,” said Ali. “I wanted to be like Jeff Hardy, I wanted to be like Rey Mysterio, but I was told I had to be the guy who screamed terrible things about America and attack people from behind.
His goal:
I want the next 16-year-old kid who looks like me to know he’s not automatically the bad guy,” said Ali. “Hopefully that kid can look at Mustafa Ali and say, ‘Hey, he’s not the bad guy, and I don’t have to be, either.’ Everyone in the world, regardless if they’re Muslim or not, does not have to adhere to the label society slaps on you. No one defines you but you, and that’s what I’m fighting for.
Related: Mustafa Ali On The Damage Of Terrorist Characters, Changing His Gimmick
