WWE News: Mustafa Ali opens up about his Cruiserweight Title match at WrestleMania and more
What’s the story?
WWE Cruiserweight star Mustafa Ali was recently in conversation with WWE.com ahead of his Cruiserweight Championship match at WrestleMania 34 in New Orleans, and he discussed a host of topics during the interview.
In case you didn’t know…
Following the firing of Enzo Amore from the WWE, the company decided to host a Cruiserweight Championship tournament in order to crown a new champion.
Cedric Alexander defeated Roderick Strong in the semi-finals in order to book his ticket for WrestleMania 34, whereas, Mustafa Ali pulled off a win against Drew Gulak.
The heart of the matter
While speaking with WWE.com, Mustafa Ali spoke about a myriad of topics and below are a few highlights from the interview:
Not being portrayed as the bad guy:
According to Ali, he believes that his upcoming Cruiserweight Title match at WrestleMania 34 will prove out to be a huge opportunity for him in terms of representation, as he gets the chance to make an example out of himself for all the youngsters of this generation.
"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."
Being an alternate for the Cruiserweight Classic:
Ali recalled that he was indeed a devastated man, when he initially found out that he was an alternate for the Cruiserweight Classic. However, despite that, the former JAPW Lightweight Champion was determined to prove everyone wrong as he had the mindset of maximizing every single second of his opportunity.
"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.'"
The difference between his and Cedric Alexander’s mindsets heading into WrestleMania:
In addition, Ali noted that the difference between him and Cedric isn’t their in-ring style or the background they belong from, it is simply their mindset heading into this year’s WrestleMania in New Orleans.
Furthermore, Ali claimed that Cedric has the mindset where he believes that he should be WWE Cruiserweight Champion, whereas, as for Ali, he believes that he is the underdog of this Cinderella Story.
"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."
What’s next?
Cedric Alexander and Mustafa Ali will square-off at WrestleMania 34 in a week's time in New Orleans, in order to determine the next WWE Cruiserweight Champion.
Author’s take
Mustafa Ali and Cedric Alexander will certainly steal the show, regardless of their place on the WrestleMania match card.