Mansoor Explains Why He Looks Up To WWE's Sami Zayn

Mansoor made history when he became the first Saudi Arabian wrestler signed to WWE in 2018. He has since departed from the promotion alongside his tag team partner Mason D. Madden (FKA Mace in WWE), bringing their act to the indies last month. Mansoor looked back on his growth throughout his WWE tenure during an interview with Denise Salcedo, explaining how he took much inspiration from Sami Zayn in the process. 

"Basically, [Saudi Arabia] had told Vince [McMahon], they were like, 'We'd prefer to have big stars,' Mansoor recalled, having made regular appearances at Saudi events previously, his appearances were no longer required by Kingdom officials. Sure enough, his last appearance in the nation came against Mustafa Ali at Crown Jewel 2021. He continued, "It is what it is. I took it as a challenge, like Sami Zayn, who I look up to tremendously ... [He] is a guy who has Arab heritage and he's Muslim but it was never all he was, and I think that was the point that people were trying to make to me. It's amazing to be proud of that and for that to be a part of you because it'll always be a part of you because it's who you are, but when that's all you are it's difficult for people outside of that cultural sphere to connect with you, and because WWE is a global company and because you have to appeal to the most amount of people you can."

Mansoor explained that the Maximum Male Models gimmick gave him a chance to become more than the Saudi wrestler brought in, giving the WWE crowd something to connect and interact with, as opposed to the uncertainty they may have felt towards him previously.