Did UPN Give Muhammad Hassan A Better Legacy Than He Earned?

[The Brain]

At least among the IWC that is

Muhammad Hassan was a character that lasted about seven months in WWE in 2005. Despite his short run there are a lot of people here who regard him as some kind of legendary wrestler. Maybe legendary is too strong a word but I believe he is given more credit than he deserves. There have been a few guys that lasted a cup of coffee in WWE that I was a mark for. I would have liked to have seen Ludvig Borga and Waylon Mercy last longer and possibly have a solid run. While I’m a fan of those guys I recognize that their legacy is the smallest of blips on the WWE radar. I have no problem with people liking Hassan and wishing he could have stayed longer. I thought he was pretty good and enjoyed the way he played the role. I just think he’s overrated because people think of what they wanted him to accomplish rather than what he actually did accomplish.

I think Hassan has a bigger reputation than he earned because of the circumstances of his release. If there’s one thing wrestling fans hate it’s when outside media criticizes the business. In this case UPN (Smackdown’s network during Hassan’s tenure) was uncomfortable with the controversial Hassan on their network. WWE had to give into the pressure and write Hassan out of storylines and eventually release him. This upset the fans. They felt UPN had no right to become so directly involved in WWE business and shouldn’t have taken the character so seriously.

What if UPN didn’t step in and Hassan was released around the same time simply because WWE didn’t want him anymore? Would Hassan be looked at the same way? I believe Hassan is remembered for being better than he was because people were upset about how and why he was released. If he were released under normal circumstances he would probably hardly ever be mentioned around here.

When creating this thread I had one question in mind but another entered my head as I was typing.

1. Did UPN give Hassan a better legacy than he deserves?
2. Was UPN right to pressure WWE to get rid of Hassan?

One last side note. Can we stop the comparison between Hassan and Jinder Mahal? I don’t get it. These characters have nothing in common so I don’t know where these comparisons are coming from.

 

[Paralyzer Z]

At least among the IWC that is

Muhammad Hassan was a character that lasted about seven months in WWE in 2005. Despite his short run there are a lot of people here who regard him as some kind of legendary wrestler. Maybe legendary is too strong a word but I believe he is given more credit than he deserves. There have been a few guys that lasted a cup of coffee in WWE that I was a mark for. I would have liked to have seen Ludvig Borga and Waylon Mercy last longer and possibly have a solid run. While I’m a fan of those guys I recognize that their legacy is the smallest of blips on the WWE radar. I have no problem with people liking Hassan and wishing he could have stayed longer. I thought he was pretty good and enjoyed the way he played the role. I just think he’s overrated because people think of what they wanted him to accomplish rather than what he actually did accomplish.

I think Hassan has a bigger reputation than he earned because of the circumstances of his release. If there’s one thing wrestling fans hate it’s when outside media criticizes the business. In this case UPN (Smackdown’s network during Hassan’s tenure) was uncomfortable with the controversial Hassan on their network. WWE had to give into the pressure and write Hassan out of storylines and eventually release him. This upset the fans. They felt UPN had no right to become so directly involved in WWE business and shouldn’t have taken the character so seriously.

What if UPN didn’t step in and Hassan was released around the same time simply because WWE didn’t want him anymore? Would Hassan be looked at the same way? I believe Hassan is remembered for being better than he was because people were upset about how and why he was released. If he were released under normal circumstances he would probably hardly ever be mentioned around here.

When creating this thread I had one question in mind but another entered my head as I was typing.

1. Did UPN give Hassan a better legacy than he deserves?
2. Was UPN right to pressure WWE to get rid of Hassan?

One last side note. Can we stop the comparison between Hassan and Jinder Mahal? I don’t get it. These characters have nothing in common so I don’t know where these comparisons are coming from.

Why did UPN do this? I heard it had something to do with bombs in London?

Anyway hassan was indeed overrated as hell. He was good as his character I will give him that bit he was so annoying! His voice bothered the hell out of me for some reason. He was half decent in the ring but his mark in WWE is probably not praised by the casual fan Wwe universe.

I would like to hear the entire UPN/hassan story and yes he does have a.bigger legacy than deserved.

 

[Mr. HD]

At least among the IWC that is

Muhammad Hassan was a character that lasted about seven months in WWE in 2005. Despite his short run there are a lot of people here who regard him as some kind of legendary wrestler. Maybe legendary is too strong a word but I believe he is given more credit than he deserves. There have been a few guys that lasted a cup of coffee in WWE that I was a mark for. I would have liked to have seen Ludvig Borga and Waylon Mercy last longer and possibly have a solid run. While I’m a fan of those guys I recognize that their legacy is the smallest of blips on the WWE radar. I have no problem with people liking Hassan and wishing he could have stayed longer. I thought he was pretty good and enjoyed the way he played the role. I just think he’s overrated because people think of what they wanted him to accomplish rather than what he actually did accomplish.

I think Hassan has a bigger reputation than he earned because of the circumstances of his release. If there’s one thing wrestling fans hate it’s when outside media criticizes the business. In this case UPN (Smackdown’s network during Hassan’s tenure) was uncomfortable with the controversial Hassan on their network. WWE had to give into the pressure and write Hassan out of storylines and eventually release him. This upset the fans. They felt UPN had no right to become so directly involved in WWE business and shouldn’t have taken the character so seriously.

What if UPN didn’t step in and Hassan was released around the same time simply because WWE didn’t want him anymore? Would Hassan be looked at the same way? I believe Hassan is remembered for being better than he was because people were upset about how and why he was released. If he were released under normal circumstances he would probably hardly ever be mentioned around here.

When creating this thread I had one question in mind but another entered my head as I was typing.

1. Did UPN give Hassan a better legacy than he deserves?
2. Was UPN right to pressure WWE to get rid of Hassan?

One last side note. Can we stop the comparison between Hassan and Jinder Mahal? I don’t get it. These characters have nothing in common so I don’t know where these comparisons are coming from.

I honestly liked Muhammad Hassan. Haven't seen a character like his in years. He didn't need to be cocky, or someone who mocks the crowd to get Heat. He got natural Heat for his character, his mic skills were underrated, and he was pretty good in the ring.

The one problem I had with it is that he was actually Italian, not Arab American

UPN had a right to be a little upset, but they went a bit overboard. It was just a storyline.

WWE didn't have to release Hassan. They could've moved him to RAW, but I believe the media would've followed him there too.

Why did UPN do this? I heard it had something to do with bombs in London?

Anyway hassan was indeed overrated as hell. He was good as his character I will give him that bit he was so annoying! His voice bothered the hell out of me for some reason. He was half decent in the ring but his mark in WWE is probably not praised by the casual fan Wwe universe.

I would like to hear the entire UPN/hassan story and yes he does have a.bigger legacy than deserved.

Muhammad Hassan was working an angle with The Undertaker in July of 2005. He was supposed to be built up to take the belt of Batista at Summerslam that year. On that Friday, after 'Taker demolished Daivari in a match, Hassan had these 5 big guys in camouflage pants, combat boots, wearing black masks and black sweatshirts all attack The Undertaker to further the storyline.

Unfortunately for them, this was the same night the Bombings in London happaned. The network got a little carried a way and didn't want a character like Hassan on their network and pushed WWE to release him or they'd take some sort of legal action. I think that's how it went. Someone correct if I'm wrong on this part.

So, Undertaker beat Hassan at the GAB and gave him a Last Ride through the Entrance Stage, thus "killing" the Muhammad Hassan character for good.

Too bad too. He was supposed to beat Undertaker and beat Batista at Summerslam and become World Champion.

 

[CitiBoy7]

Exactly Mr HD he was projected to win the World title so how can a guy be overated when the wwe had plans for him to become champ. The guy was a in mix with Taker and moving on to Batista so creative most have seen something with him. Im not saying he was great because he didn't stay long enough to achieve greatness but its not like he wasn't a maineventer and lets not also forget he had a thing with cena too. I feel like maybe they could have just bury him for a year and have him come back with a new gimmick.

 

[Da Truth]

1. NO
2. NO
Hassan was nowhere near overrated. He was great in the ring, great on the mic, and he had that it factor. The WWE was about to push him to the moon. He was getting ready to be the top heel in the company, and he was set to win the World Title in August. Then there were rumors of long term plans of turning him face in couple years. So with that kinda of time being invested into a wrestler, hoe can he be overrated?? It had been said in articles that he lost the taste for wrestling after the UPN ordeal and asked for his release to pursue an acting career (I wonder how's that's working for him?) Even after the UPN created a fuss the E was said to have wanted to repackage him for a return later. So, the WWE sure didn't think he was overrated.

 

[NegativeFeedback]

I never understood why WWE didn't just move him to Raw. WWE could have really capitalized on all of Hassan's controversy by making him a focal point on Raw.

I liked Hassan's promo on Smackdown about how the news reporters are racist because they were saying that the masked men who attacked Undertaker were muslim, yet they were all masked and their ethnicity never revealed. He also complained that reporters keep calling him a terrorist when he in fact is a very happy muslim American.

The way the crowd would boo him even though he was saying the truth was amazing. Chris Jericho and CM Punk both proved that the best heels are the ones who preach the truth.

Hassan could have moved to Raw, and if the gimmick failed, WWE could repackage him. Why fire the guy? He was gold! WWE really screwed the pooch with that one.

 

[The Brain]

But what if for some reason Hassan was fired or quit around that same time that had nothing to do with UPN? I just think a lot of people think so much of him because of the circumstances of his release. I think people are upset that a network executive that doesn’t have anything to do with wrestling had the power to influence this decision. By supporting Hassan I think the fans are more supporting WWE in general against their critics. Hassan is just a symbolic face for that.

 

[Derf]

His release wasn't because of the WWE, or UPN. The bombings that happened around the same time as his beat down of Taker was just horrible timing for his gimmick, THAT is what ruined him. If anyone remembers, he was only on Smackdown for a few weeks when it happened, as he had just left RAW. Moving him back so soon wouldn't have made sence, and even if the same angle had happened on RAW prior to fridays bombings, I think they would have laid off the charecter for a bit anyway.

 

[mrhexum]

That's a tough question. I feel that he didn't have enough time to really make a judgement. The one thing I can say is that it was obvious they had big plans for him and that may be why people feel that way. Everyone has brought up the 'Taker feud, but, Hassan was used as the bait in a Hulk Hogan return as well, which to me screams they wanted him to be possibly the top heel in the company.

As I said, I don't think it's so much he was over rated. I think he is more looked upon for his potential and quick impact. He's more of a "what could have been?" than over rated.

 

[Foshinzo]

Exactly Mr HD he was projected to win the World title so how can a guy be overated when the wwe had plans for him to become champ. The guy was a in mix with Taker and moving on to Batista so creative most have seen something with him. Im not saying he was great because he didn't stay long enough to achieve greatness but its not like he wasn't a maineventer and lets not also forget he had a thing with cena too. I feel like maybe they could have just bury him for a year and have him come back with a new gimmick.

Jack Swagger actually won the World Championship and feuded with Chris Jericho, Edge, and Rey Mysterio...you can't really site title reigns, especially potential title reigns, as credibility to the star. Bulldog, Owen, Perfect, Piper, Arn Anderson were all great talents that never became world champions. Are you willing to say that Muhammed Hassan was at least as legit as they were?

I think it's pretty clear how I feel on the matter. Muhammed Hassan had, and I stand by this, a clearly effective gimmick and, obviously, it was probably too effective. Not only did he play off of some of our worst memories and our biggest fears of the time, as a nation, but he used his foreign nationality to potentially play off the racism (which is a conversation that I desperately do not want to start,) that we as a nation were privately (or not so privately,) harboring and, in some instances, still do towards the Middle East. When they pulled that stunt with Taker being attacked by what were clearly supposed to look like terrorists and Daivari sacrificed himself to glorify his master, Hassan, not to forget when he was carried off like a martyr afterward, that crossed a line that wrestling just doesn't need to cross and I'll admit that even I was a little offended and embarrassed to be a wrestling fan.

Look: we as adults (or at least teenagers,) like serious dramas because we're not children and our tastes have mostly matured. But, this wasn't about telling a compelling story; you offended people inappropriately; it was purely excessive. There is telling someone in the audience that his haircut makes him look like a homosexual. That's clearly a line being crossed, but you're (hopefully,) not playing off a traumatic experience. With 9/11 and this past decade's War of Terror, a lot of very traumatic experiences have been irrevocably created and should just not be dug up on such a stage. So, no, UPN didn't do anything wrong when they refused to show the character. It's unfortunate that the man had his career ended in such a way, but it was something that the network had to do to save face and something the WWE just never should have done.

This is why I think people remember Hassan. Was he good? Yeah, he wasn't bad by any means. Should we glorify him as a victim of censorship in American television? Absolutely not. You can't just do that to people. It's one thing to glorify sex or violence on television, but thousands of people died in a horrible tragedy and you should never dig that up on people unexpectedly. I'm for mature television, but a pro wrestling show, especially one like Smackdown, isn't the medium for it and Hassan was cut because of that. We shouldn't victimize someone who took part in it, either, which is what we do when we talk about how Hassan was, "great." Yes, he was pretty talented and a loss to the company, but he wasn't a Hall of Famer waiting to happen or anything, and he was definitely released for a reason.

 

[zman21]

the guy had a brite future but will always be remembered for the way he was released. upn did give him a legacy but he would of made an even bigger one if he stood. now he is a high school history teacher probly bragging to his students how his last match was against the undertaker

 

[bxbigshow]

But what if for some reason Hassan was fired or quit around that same time that had nothing to do with UPN? I just think a lot of people think so much of him because of the circumstances of his release. I think people are upset that a network executive that doesn’t have anything to do with wrestling had the power to influence this decision. By supporting Hassan I think the fans are more supporting WWE in general against their critics. Hassan is just a symbolic face for that.

I think the question you asked can never truly be answered, or at least to your liking in my opinion. If you remove the UPN aspect of Hassan's release then it is very possible he wouldn't have been released.

He was let go because of UPN's public outcry over the in-ring incident after some subsidiary stations recieved phone calls. So IMO, it would've died out, and WWE's plans for Hassan would've went on.

I have never and will never blame UPN for Muhamaad Hasaan's release. I feel that WWE is soley responsible for that character/wrestler being let go.

Remember it was TAPED on a Tuesday, the bombings were on a WEDNESDAY, the show AIRED that THURSDAY. WWE had ample time to simply edit out the attack on Undertaker. They ran a crawl at the bottom of the screen with a 'parental warning' instead. Whoever made the decision to air that footage is responsible for us not having M.Hassan.

And I feel that that person was Vince McMahon himself. But I'll come back to that.

If instead of airing the match, they could've had someone in Stanford's WWE Studio on Wednesday tape a statement to air at the beginning of Smackdown. Since they use the studio on Wednesday's to do voice work for the taped smaller shows, (Heat, Velocity, the foreign market shows), they had someone available to say this (or something similar)....

"While in the main event on tonight's Smackdown, Muhammad Hassan unleashed a vile attack on the Undertaker too graphic to show. Due to the events that occured recently in London, and the sensitivity to those involved, WWE will not air the final moments of the Smackdown program you are about to see. Instead we will air the main event of this past Monday's Raw (HBK/Hogan vs. Angle/Carlito). [Now here's the hook] For thos who wish to see the actions by Mr. Hasaan you may view them at WWE.com"

This would've kept the incident off national tv, drove a ridiculously large number of people to the dotcom, and POSSIBLY avoid the pressure UPN and the like put on WWE.

BUT Mr. McMahon love a controversy that can get mainstream reaction, ESPECIALLY when it falls into his lap like this one. I feel HE made the call to keep it unedited KNOWING that there will be backlash. And he was willing to throw Hasaan under the bus to get that, if one mand has to lose his job for the week maybe to of WWE's name in the spotlight...so be it.

His mentality of "I can make another..." is not a gimmick. He knew that he can create a new major heel to go on with...he didn't need Hassan. It's the same mentality that some feel (Hart family) killed Owen Hart. He never wanted to do the zipline stuff but he knew that there was someone younger/behind him that will say yes in a heartbeat.

 

[frostbite2819]

It's not like the whole angle was Hassan's idea. Do you think he or especially Taker would have went through with it if it didn't have ole Vinnie Mac's backing?
Whoever thinks he should have been fired for the stunt is a fool. If so, then Davari and Taker should have been let go too for participating in the whole thing.
Regardless, Hassan was a star in the making and he had that it factor that heels just dont have today, save for the Miz and Ziggs.
I think he would have went on to be a huge star and possibly eventually a huge babyface for wwe, just because he had that intangible that made people perk up and watch, whether they liked him or not.

 

[pessimism101]

What I never understood about this whole situation is, if WWE taped SmackDown three days before the London Bombings and then aired it AFTER the london bombing occured, why didn't UPN and/or the WWE simply edit or cut the segment altogether before the program aired? There was enough time to do it and, even if there wasn't, surely they could have just cut to commercial like TSN did many times during episodes of Raw is War. I think UPN caused such an uproar because of complaints from viewers/the public.

As to the question, no, UPN did NOT give Hassan a better legacy than he deserved. The fact is, Hassan was one of, if not THE most despised heels in the WWE at the time and this was long before the "Terrorist Angle". At the end of the day, with or without UPN's involvement, Hassan was one of the most hated characters of all time. It's just unfortunate that he didn't get a chance to achieve the heights he most likely would have achieved.

 

[harrythem]

Hassan was shit and everything to do with him was shit. He was a shit wrestler with shit character direction pushed in shit derogatory segments....

When he first came in the character had promise, hell it was even seeming genius that he was a heel arab-american asking for a chance in the country he loved...But 2 weeks later he's your typical foreign heel getting enormous heat..The heat wasn't because he was a good heel, or he was given good stuff to work with, but simply because he was an arab hating on America. You look at Sgt Slaughter in 91 and the cheap heat he created because he backed Iraq and, it was to that level, except Slaughter was well past his prime (but at least he wasn't so f'n green that he had HAD a prime).

To show that Vince McMahon is still the cheap carney he always has been, even though he'd received untold grief because of the terrorist segment. He showed that he thought it was still a great idea by having them come out and try to do the same thing at TGAB!

So, yeah, he gets far too much praise for what he was and could've been. I'm personally glad that UPN pissed all over Hassan and, even better, stopped WWE lumping us with a modern day Slaughter!