In an interview with ComicBook.com, Ali chatted about losing his last name as he established his place on SmackDown’s roster. “In the scheme of things, it doesn’t matter,” said Ali.
“I saw the … I don’t want to call it outrage, but the public concern about it and a lot of people pointed it out… was it a thing that Mustafa was too hard? WWE has been in this game for a very, very long time and they know how to market their guys.”
Ali went on to note that he’s heard more cheers since he went from Mustafa Ali to just Ali. Before the switch, both sides of the arena were chanting different things, leading to everyone being muffled out.
“Ever since they dropped my first name, the chants have gotten louder I’ve noticed. And it can be for a number of reasons, it’s easy to remember, what not.”
He went on to say that the name Mustafa has a personal meaning to him, but the man behind the name hasn’t changed one bit.
RELATED: Ali Says Money In The Bank Is ‘More Than Just An Opportunity Of A Lifetime’
