MUSTAFA ALI

I don't portray a terrorist. The American fans label me a terrorist. It doesn't matter what I claim to be: in their eyes, I am whatever they say I am despite the fact that I'm not committing any 'acts of terror.' I ask you, how am I portraying a terrorist? Because I look like a Muslim?

The biggest thing with the '205' guys is that we are trying to build the brand and each other, which makes it more difficult, but we are all stepping up to the plate.

Embrace your colour, heritage, whatever you want, but don't let it confine you. Just live without labels.

I'm oddly comfortable in the ring.

I think it's something much bigger than just pro wrestling and the industry I work in. It's across all media. You look at Hollywood movies: there's not the Muslim hero or the guy who looks like me and has a name like mine who is portrayed in a positive manner or in a leading role. So, growing up, I didn't have a role model that looks like me.

My wife herself had an upbringing where she wasn't allowed to pursue what she wanted to do because of her parents. She wanted to go into photography and journalism, but because classes ran so late, she had to be home at a certain time. We don't want that for our daughter.

When I was trying to achieve my goal, I started training. I became a character, and everyone was expecting me to become the 'Prince of...' or the Middle-Eastern, and I wanted to wear a mask, and I wanted to be like a luchador from Mexico. And people asked me, 'Why are you putting a mask on?' And the truth is, I did not want to deal with who I was.

I've always had this sense of responsibility to do what I can to help fix the world and help make this a better place to live.

My name doesn't exactly shout 'babyface.'

I won't tell you that I'm lucky to be here because I know I'm skilled, and I know I'm talented in the ring. That doesn't mean that I don't appreciate the opportunity.

I was in high school after 9/11 happened. I didn't get bullied. I didn't get treated differently, but I definitely felt people looked at me differently.

My favorite wrestler growing up was Bret 'The Hitman' Hart.

In the initial stages of my career, I was actually hiding behind a mask to hide who I was, but I was getting frustrated. I wasn't getting better bookings; I wasn't competing at bigger events.

Mustafa Ali is who I wanted to see when I was growing up. I'm not wearing anything on my head; I'm not saying anything in Arabic. I'm just going to come out as Mustafa Ali.

I want the next 16-year-old kid who looks like me to know he's not automatically the bad guy. Hopefully, that kid can look at Mustafa Ali and say, 'Hey, he's not the bad guy, and I don't have to be, either.'

What happened was like any guy on the indie scene - I've been wrestling for 16 years; everybody thinks I'm this new, young. I'm like, 'I'm 32. I've been at it for 16 years. I just couldn't get to the next level.'

People like things that make sense to them; your perspective is your reality.

I'm a proud Muslim. I'm proud to have a Pakistani origin. And I want this country to accept me. I want to bring to light the fact that we are all the same.

Anything worth changing is not easy to change.

I loved wrestling, and I wanted to go out and entertain people and all that stuff, so I get trained, and when they decided, 'Hey, you're ready for a match, and you've got to start thinking about a character,' I was thinking this guy and this guy, and they go, 'No, no, no - you're a Muslim. You've got to be a bad guy.'

If anything, who I am and my background helped propel me and helped me stand out.

There were days I'd wrestle at 9 o'clock, and afterward, I often didn't shower and would just throw on sweatpants. I had my police gear in the car and would rush to get to the station by 10:30, clean myself off as best I could, and be ready for my shift by 10:59.

I feel it's a lot easier to hate or dislike someone that you see as different. It is a lot harder to hate them when you see they are just the exact same as you.

I was like, 'Prince, prince. Prince Ali. People know that from 'Aladdin.' I'm a big fan of Muhammad Ali. I can't be Muhammad Ali. I'm looking up royal - Mustafa. Mustafa's a royal name. Prince Mustafa, OK fine.' Prince Mustafa Ali came from that, and it's an easier name for people to remember, too: Prince Ali.

The main events of '205 Live' are always among the discussion as far as top acts of the week in the world.