8 Things You Didn't Know About WWE's Mansoor
Who is the 50-man Battle Royal winner - and why might his win be controversial?
For the vast majority of readers, 'things you didn't know' about WWE's latest star Mansoor will encompass just everything - including his name.
As recently as Thursday, he wasn't even a bl, let alone a blip, on the wrestling world's radar, the tiniest most insignificant drop in WWE's vast and deep ocean of talent. That might seem to do the newcomer a disservice, but it's not entirely unfair. After all, beyond a smattering of NXT TV tapings, his only appearance for the company before the cameras was as a trainee at Greatest Royal Rumble - and we've all blotted that from the copybooks of our memories.
That all changed yesterday, when the apparent hometown hero upended the proverbial apple cart, shockingly dumping Elias to win WWE's enormous, farcical 50-man Battle Royal at Jeddah's Super ShowDown. What followed were genuine tears of elation from the Saudi Arabia crowd, and arguably the closest thing to a feel-good moment the company can possible produce on any of these sorry shows.
But beyond his name, many were still none the wiser about just who the flip this Mansoor character was. Unfortunately, turns out that 'feel-good' win might not be quite as feel-good as it first seemed.
8. His Independent Career
Mansoor was one of eight lucky participants who impressed WWE scouts during a tryout in Jeddah ahead of last April's Greatest Royal Rumble, to the extent that he was offered additional training with the Performance Center's squadron of crack coaches.
Truth is, the company already had their eye on the towering six-footer billed from Riyadh, the perfect totem for their expansion into the Middle East - and a positive bit of PR to offset the propaganda. But Mansoor is no local lad done good; he enjoyed a four year run on the indies under the name Manny Faberino, having first trained under the legendary Dory Funk.
Before joining NXT, Mansoor was a regular in promotions in his native California, including APW and Hoodslam. Perhaps his most notable opponent prior to his Full Sail enrollment was Flip Gordon, who he lost to at APW's Bay Area Bash last June.