4 things you probably didn't know about Mansoor - Saudi Arabia's fastest rising WWE Superstar
WWE has become a true global company, and features Superstars who hail from different countries around the world. With the company increasing its presence in Saudi Arabia, they’ve recruited a number wrestlers from the country itself to help grow the product in the region.
One Superstar who has managed to become a breakout performer and become the first Saudi-born person to compete inside the WWE ring is Mansoor. Mansoor started off by trying out for the company and soon ended up becoming an NXT Superstar in a matter of months.
He followed it up with a successful showing at his first major pay-per-view appearance in Saudi Arabia, where he outlasted 50 other men in WWE’s largest-ever Battle Royal at Super ShowDown to emerge victorious in front of a huge home crowd.
The high-flyer is once again scheduled for a match during this month’s outing to Saudi Arabia, where this time he will battle Cesaro in a one-on-one match.
In this article, we're taking a look at four things you probably didn’t know about WWE’s fastest rising Middle Eastern Superstar, Mansoor.
#4 His Independent wrestling career
Mansoor’s claim to fame came after he impressed at a WWE tryout in Jeddah last year, at a time when the company was trying to increase its presence in the Kingdom. The move allowed him a spot in the WWE ring during the Greatest Royal Rumble, where he got the chance to address the WWE Universe on the mic.
However, Mansoor was already performing some high flying moves in the ring before he joined NXT. He was a regular in promotions in California, including Hoodslam and APW. Mansoor trained under Dory Funk jr. and performed on the independent circuit under the ring name Manny Faberino and even won the East Bay Pro Wrestling Championship once.
The training and performances paid off as he came under WWE’s radar at the right time and managed to go on to make a huge impact at the WWE Super ShowDown.