Mustafa Ali was recently a guest on Chris Jericho’s podcast, Talk is Jericho. During the interview, Ali spoke on a wide variety of topics about his career.
One of the most interesting parts was when Ali revealed the feedback that he recently received from Vince McMahon.
Here is what he said (h/t to Wrestlezone for the quotes below):
“Vince has always been very positive feedback. I actually met with him a few times to introduce myself and what I represent like, ‘Hey I just want to let you know that this is my background. This is what I think is cool. This is how I think the company can leverage me,’ so I’ve talked to him before, but this was the first time he gave me very specific direction on how he thought I could make money in WWE. I came back and he gave me feedback about the promo and this and that and he goes, ‘The one thing I wish you would have changed – you’ve got to remember, a guy like you, you’re always fighting from under. You have this rare quality to get actual empathy from the crowd. That’s so hard nowadays. Nowadays people are whatever. I feel like you have the ability to make them go, ‘Man, he’s really taking a beating.’’ He goes, ‘That’s where you’re gonna make your money,’ and he’s kind of like pointing at my chest when he’s saying that. He goes, ‘That’s how you’re gonna make your money.’
I was like, ‘Holy crap,’ and it’s crystal clear direction now. This is what he sees me as, ‘OK, I can do that boss.’ He’s like, ‘Alright, good job.’ That was the most clear, ‘This is what I want from you’ that I’ve gotten. ‘OK, that’s what you’re gonna get.’ I never got that before. We’d go back, ‘Hey guys, thanks for working hard,’ and he’s right back to the monitor [laughter]. This was stand up, look me in the eye, ‘This is what I want. This is what I see you as.’ I’ve got a direct order. That’s what I’ll do.”
On a related note, check out some of the funniest backstage stories about Vince.
