Abb Takk News
News Ticker Sports TRENDING

Mustafa Ali becomes first Pakistani to sign with WWE

Mustafa Ali became the first Pakistani to compete in a World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE) ring, as part of the Cruiser weight Classic tournament on the  WWE Network in July.  Despite losing in the first round of the tournament, he impressed the authorities, and five months later, he has now become the first Pakistani to officially sign with the world’s biggest pro wrestling promotion, WWE .

ma3

Ali is part of the new show dedicated to cruiser weight wrestlers, 205 Live, said the WWE  website. He wrestles on the show alongside some of the best cruiserweight wrestlers such as Japan’s Akira Tozawa, Israel’s Noam Dar, veteran Brian Kendrick and the reigning defending  WWE  Cruiserweight champion Rich Swann. “Alright, I am done, on to the next chapter. Thank you everyone. You’ll never know what this scene means to me,” Ali tweeted implying his official entry into WWE.

ma-1

In early December, Ali received farewell from the independent wrestling circuit of Chicago, where he has performed for years. In fact, it was there that he established his name as one of the best all-round performers and ruled the Chicago wrestling scene with amazing performances.

In an earlier interview Ali said, “To wrestle for WWE is such a huge deal to me. It’s what I grew up on. It’s what I chased for 13 years. It’s what I’ve broken bones for. It’s what I’ve missed birthdays for. To be able to live that moment of standing in a WWE ring is … I don’t know how to describe it.”

Now that the dream has come true, it remains to be seen how well Ali fares with the WWE crowd. Three years ago, he had a tryout with the company and was told, despite his wrestling skills, he didn’t look the part. However, the massive success of cruiser weights such as Rey Mysterio and Eddie Guerrero, who have gone to become world champions, means Ali stands a chance at becoming the champion and being in the main event of the grandest stage of them all, Wrestlemania.“If you get in the wrestling business and that is not your goal, you won’t last,” Ali said.

ma2

It is important to note that Ali, so far at least, has not been given a stereotypical gimmick. No turbans or religious associations, just a Pakistani whose actions speak louder than words. In fact, in the promo released by WWE, Ali challenges stereotypes and attempts to break away from them.

In 2006, WWE brought an Indian wrestler The Great Khali and pushed him to the moon. Putting him in big matches against the likes of The Undertaker, Kane, John Cena and Batista, and keeping the world championship on, the company expanded their fan base in India. A decade later, it seems that WWE may be pondering over bringing their product to Pakistan.