Mustafa Ali On Playing The Good Guy, Being An Alternate For The WWE CWC, Cedric Alexander's Mindset
Mustafa Ali spoke with WWE before his WWE Cruiserweight Championship match against Cedric Alexander at WrestleMania 34. Here are some of the highlights:
Not being portrayed as the bad guy:
"To me, it's a huge opportunity for representation. There are preconceived ideas and these barriers that have come along with a name like mine. [I'd be] typically portrayed as the 'bad guy.' I have a chance to knock all that down and show young guys and girls who look like me and have a name like mine, here's a guy like you that chased his dreams and wasn't worried about labels."
Initially being an alternate for the Cruiserweight Classic:
"I didn't know what happened, if I had done something, or they had forgotten about me. I frantically contacted William Regal to find out what happened. It was then I found out I was an alternate. I remember being so devastated. I remember being like 'Obviously, this is an opportunity for me.' But it was also an opportunity for me to prove that they made the wrong decision the first time. They should have had me on the original list, and I was going to prove them wrong. My mindset was to maximize every single second that I had. I knew that I didn't have nearly as much of the fan base or reputation as some of the other guys in the Classic, but I told myself 'You have to go out there and capture their attention right off the bat.' I felt like, after my performance, they were like 'keep an eye on this kid.'"
How his and Cedric Alexander's mindsets are different going into WrestleMania 34:
"The biggest difference between Cedric and I isn't our style, isn't our background; it's simply our mindset. Cedric believes he deserves to be at WrestleMania. He believes he deserves to be the Cruiserweight Champion. Cedric has the mindset that this already should have happened for him. I'm different. I'm the underdog, Cinderella story. I realize I've gotten here by a thread. I'm fighting for so much more than a championship, victories and celebrity status. I'm fighting for a purpose, fighting for those who can't. I'm fighting for the right for others to dream without any limitation, without any worries. Cedric and I are worlds apart. We are very close friends, we have very similar styles in the ring, but Cedric is one man, while I'm fighting for millions."
Ali also discussed his promos and family. You can check out the full interview by clicking here.