6 Wrestlers Discovered In The Most Unusual Of Places

3. Mustafa Ali (Policeman)

Mustafa Ali
WWE.com

Years before tangling with Daniel Bryan, Samoa Joe or Randy Orton, Mustafa Ali was tackling criminals on the streets of Chicago. He said during an interview with ESPN that sleep came at a premium, but he juggled indy wrestling dates with graveyard shifts on the beat. It must've been exhausting.

Then, a chance commentary call changed his life forever.

It was originally supposed to be Brazil's Zumbi who competed in WWE's 2016 Cruiserweight Classic. When he pulled out, someone recommended Ali, and his fortunes changed from there when Daniel Bryan told the world on commentary he was actually a cop.

WWE were reportedly impressed by the idea that Ali had balanced his real-life job with an appearance in their tournament, and they offered him a contract shortly after his loss to Lince Dorado. Finally, after four years of hating it, Mustafa was able to leave police work behind.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.