During a recent interview with WWE Deutschland ahead of NXT Great American Bash, Mustafa Ali shared some significant moments from his career before making his mark in WWE as an alternate in the Cruiserweight Classic tournament. He stated, "I think there was an issue with his visa or he just didn't show up. His name is escaping me, but thanks homie, thanks for the spot."

Reflecting on his initial tryout with WWE, Ali expressed, "I thought my career was coming to an end. I was on the independent scene, and I had a tryout with WWE a few years prior, and they were like 'no.'"

As one of the 10 alternates for the Cruiserweight Classic, Ali acknowledged, "I knew the end was coming soon because it just wasn't happening for me. I sent an e-mail to WWE just in the dark... If you don't go, you'll never know. So I went."