Has it been 4 years?

[Doctor Awesome]

i was just watching a replay of this past weeks Impact, and during the promo by Daivari i hought back to Mohammed Hassan and his very short run in WWE. at the time if you had told me that Daivari would be the one out of that twosome with a job i would have asked you where you bought your crack!

personally, i thought that beyond the character, the guy that was MH (i think his name was something like Mark Magnus) had a good amount of talent; the look, very very good mic skills, athletic and could sell very well, something i think that tends to be overloooked too often. within 6 months he got more heat than anyone in WWE programming, obviously the sensitivity of the gimmick's content was very close to home, an undoubtably was his demise. when the program with Taker got started the WWE really pushed the envelope with the storyline and brought some very negative media attn to the company, leaving them with no other alternative than to kill the messenger. it seemed very harsh to release the guy when he was only doing what he was told, and really, it was a loss for the company because he could have been repackaged over time and been a real asset to the company. it was said that when he left he went to pursue acting.....well.......has anyone in the L.A. area seen him bartending or waiting tables cause i am yet to see him get his big Hollywood break.

So my question is this, after 4 years have passed, do you think that the WWE did the right thing in releasing Mohammed Hassan for the sins of the father and if he had not been let go what type of role do you think he could play in today's modern WWE if he were repackaged?

 

[CuddleBuns84]

Well I think their was more then just him portraying an anti-American role. It was the death threats, and him taking his role way too serious. Backstage politics and his rage got the best of him. I don't think he would of went over that well. He was getting too popular, too fast, the Goldberg effect if you will. Usually superstars that do that, never really pan out that well. Anyways I don't think he would of been a good repackage. I do think he is a good talent, but no to his repackage, because it get's too political. I hate being political, because it makes me whiny, and others get whiny. So no!

 

[Paradox100]

In 2005, i was still young, and went by the face/heel wrestling watching. I thought he was a bad guy, and that he deserved to be fired. I look at it now, and I know he was a good talent. Of course, knowing people in the Army changed my look on the character itself, (not on mark at all) When he was a "political terrorist" it was great. But when terrorists came in, it became too much. It even got Mark on the front page of some of the countries biggest news papers. I think Mark was screwed over from that point on. I think they should have killed off Hassan, and 6 months later, bring back Mark Magnus. Marks would know he was Hassan, but a lot of people wouldn't know the difference, and he could still have a good career. I think he was wrongly fired, he didn't do anything wrong. He was following the script, and doing his job. I bet he felt very uncomfortable doing the storyline. I think they were wrong firing him

 

[drobs85]

Hassan was a great wrestler, alot better than some of the wrestlers they have now. But that dumb mistake of letting him go just goes along with the rest of their dumb ass moves. They let brock go, goldberg, rvd, king bookah, Kennedy, Umaga, Lashley, Jeff hardy, had let chris masters go before resigning him, lance cade, do i need to continue the list. Wwe just isnt smart. Just imagine if these wrestlers were still here. Just pisses me off win i think about all the talent they let go.

 

[zackattack]

Hassan was great and prolly wouldve been world champ by now. However WWE did not let Hassan go. Hassan quit after UPN wanted him off of SmackDown. WWE had plans to remake hassan into a new character and he left. Also to the last post WWE just doesn't let good talent leave there r always reasons. Like Jeff Hardy both runs he was burnt out and wanted 2 leave but in his first run refusing to go to rehab was his way out. Lashley quit to try MMA, Umaga didn't want to go to rehab and Masters kept failing drug tests and Lesnar, Goldberg and Booker all quit and RVD wasn't happy ad Cade had a seizure on a plane right after Jeff Hardy was escorted off a plane for being accused of being intoxicated and Vince went on a tiraid and made a mistake so get your stories straight before you say WWE just releases talent

 

[Doctor Awesome]

WOW! i think zackattack might actually be Pat Patterson, very defensive. lol but he is right, in most cases there are many factors that go into a wrestlers release. with many of the guys stated above it had to be done, one way or another. in the case of Hassan, he could have recieved a little more support from his employers regarding the media frenzy. i don't recall reading anything about NBC/USA calling for Santino's job when on a live RAW episode in Phily i was @ where he said "Philadelphias is known for only being the home of the Tom Hanks movie w/"the a.i.d.s.!" my point is, he was just doing his job so he should not be the one to recieve the heavy scrutiny, the creative people that wrote/approved that should have. but alas, talent is viewed as expendable, and the puppetmasters that pull the strings are one in a million. bullshit.

 

[HBK-aholic]

I'm not sure about the love fest that Hassan is getting in this thread, he really wasn't that good. He wasn't bad specifically, but I love how memories become distorted and people actually believe he was a 'great wrestler'. If he returned it wouldn't be bad, but where people are getting how great he is from I don't know.

Hassan was a great wrestler, alot better than some of the wrestlers they have now. But that dumb mistake of letting him go just goes along with the rest of their dumb ass moves. They let brock go, goldberg, rvd, king bookah, Kennedy, Umaga, Lashley, Jeff hardy, had let chris masters go before resigning him, lance cade, do i need to continue the list. Wwe just isnt smart. Just imagine if these wrestlers were still here. Just pisses me off win i think about all the talent they let go.

How stupid are you? The WWE can't hold people against their will, you know. If a wrestler chooses to leave, such as Jeff Hardy has done recently, how is that the WWE's fault? They hired him, and he decided not to re-sign just yet. The WWE has pissed you off how exactly?

 

[AdamBenjamin]

Hassan was a great wrestler, alot better than some of the wrestlers they have now. But that dumb mistake of letting him go just goes along with the rest of their dumb ass moves. They let brock go, goldberg, rvd, king bookah, Kennedy, Umaga, Lashley, Jeff hardy, had let chris masters go before resigning him, lance cade, do i need to continue the list. Wwe just isnt smart. Just imagine if these wrestlers were still here. Just pisses me off win i think about all the talent they let go.

I really fail to understand exactly how dumb this monstrous publicly owned Corporation "isn't smart." Especially taking into consideration their current numbers- Even all these years after it peaked. The current legitimacy of the "big" 3 is a huge debate for another thread though, and probably is, I would assume."

I've been sort of checking in every few days looking for something on here I gave a crap about enough to actually make my first post on, and this is definitely worth it.. Mark Copani was definitely a very naturally gifted worker, just based on what we got to see in that short time. It would be stupid for anyone to assume the kid was anything but green at the moment, at least at the level he was at, would be completely ludicrous. That said, I think this whole "Goldberg Effect" example used in this situation is a very bad example. Bill Goldberg was brought up in the business in one of the most unprofessional and nontraditional environments this business has ever had to offer. Coming out the way he did, around the people he was around.. Well, it was bound to happen. Mark Copani, however started with the best. The WWE trainers and agents and development staff is nothing less than the best, or they wouldn't be where they are after all of these years. The bottom line is the guy wasn't even around long enough for the whole "Goldberg Effect" thing, if you ask me. If anything, I think the intensity of the reactions toward the angle probably scared him (because of said green-ness) and naturally forced him to consider other career options, with acting being the easiest alternative for him, I guess.

But for your question, and repackaging? I believe they could have absolutely kept him in one of their territories for a bit and repackaged, after a longer hiatus than most workers will go through after so much bad PR.. But the other option would have been to release him, and quietly and slowly bring him back in a year or so later. It wouldn't be the first time they've done that. Definitely wouldn't be the last. I wish he had went to the circuts and learned how the business works on a personal (indie) level. Sometime working with the guys down here getting down and dirty, would have made sure that guy was great.. But, I suppose the wrestling gods didn't have that in the works for him. Oh well!

 

[Deexter Jorgan]

Muhammed Hassan was arguably one of the best WWE heels that never to hold the WWE championship.

From his first appearance on WWE Raw in 2004 with his powerful promos and amazing heel heat his meteoric rise in the WWE was something purely intriguing, it has not been duplicated.

His eventual release from the WWE was due to the writers and booking team taking his gimmick a little to far, the wwe brass attempted to have masked men accompany him to the ring and aid him in his feud with the undertaker, costing him his number one contenders spot at the WWE World heavyweight championship and giving Hassan the chance at his first World title since entering the WWE.

Alas that never came into fruition due to the 7/7 bombings and the media painting the Hassan character as unsympathetic and the WWE's handling of the situation as poorly, UPN did not want hassan on Smackdown and the WWE was forced to literally kill off the character leaving Hassan and Dalvari with no brand to call their own.

My two questions on this matter is

Did the WWE react appropriatly?

and what would have happened to the Muhammed Hassan gimmick if the WWE was able to edit the terrorism scene out of the WWE smackdown broadcast and UPN would have never requested his release?.

I believe that Hassan would have still been one of the WWE's top heels, probably becoming one of the top drawers on the raw brand, he would have had multiple WWE championship reigns and would probably have had a permanent place in WWE history.

He had all the tools to be a main eventer and would have had a solid run with anyone he would have feuded with, he even made some of the most mediocre wrestlers get over because he was just that hated.

Its sad to think the future he could have had If not for that one screw up.

 

[fatcap88]

I wish he was still there..no doubt he wouldve have the best fueds with jeff hardy,edge, batista rey mysterio and he probably wouldve been a tag champ with the great khali...all im saying is tht wwe did not handle this in a proper way..he wasnt even a terroist it was a gimmik ..i just hope one day he will return

 

[BigT_HolyShit]

Awesome Thread Deejish, the exact reason why i joined this Forum. I was hoping to make a thread on Muhammad Hassan. Kudos.

On topic, the heel heat this man generated was paramount. Hassan's precense in the ring was pure gold. He had the perfect elements of a heel and the "look" that main eventers, in my opinion, need to have.

The WWE did drop the ball with Hassan and in my opinion overreacted to the situation. Although the times were not the best for Hassan to be on-screen, especially with the Masked-scene to take place, i just think that the segment should have been edited out, Hassan given a week or two off-screen and return to his heelish ways, with a more family-friendly (PG ERA) persona. Not being stupid and referring to the attacks as justified and so forth.

I believe he would have been great and I itch myself that one day he may return (out of the question, but hey we can dream). Fuck he was gold.

I also think Sheikh Abdul Bashir is a mold of Muhammad Hassan and Davari did realise the potential of the Hassan character (complete with the arms open kneel down in the ring upon entrance).

I love hearing the crowd hate a guy and man i miss the guy.

 

[samboisdead]

Well the guys in mask was way to over the top and Vince and creative dropped the ball here. Releasing Hasaan like it was his fault was total bs by the WWE in my opinion though. Bring him back under a hood or something anyway you look at it the guy had talent. I loved the charachter though, as I loved it when Sgt. Slaughter did it, Iron Sheik, and the two million or so Russian charachters that dominated wrestling in the 80s but they just went to far with this one. The charachter has enough heat by himself he didnt need the hooded guys. If anything they should have brought in some people to go with him or something.

 

[flaboy]

I have felt like he could have been one of the top stars since he debuted in wwe. im like you he would of been good because he was hated that much. and when the network shut down that idea i think they should have tried him on one of the other networks usa or if it was spike and if it was then i doubt that they would of had a problem with his gimmick cause look at davari in tna now basically the same, but i think that we as americans get to wrapped up into what isnt real, i mean yes his gimmick during the bombing and 9/11 could raise some questions but come on this is wrestling its not like hes was running for president, in my opinion it could of been a way to draw more of a crowd and make a superstar. cause with all the events that where going on people need to find something to get their mind off of it so they here about this hassan guy on a commercial flip and watch it and as the storyline gets deeper they keep watching it and see the undertaker come out and beat the living shit out of them then there you go you got more viewers and the people watching it have more hope and are physched and even get a little laugh out of the comedy that takes place on raw or wherever im just saying that just because it was a bad time in america doesnt mean you couldnt find away to shine on it from another point of view, like with the bad economy today. if any of that makes any since.

 

[nbieclkl91]

I think he would've won the US title and start drawing heat by coming out and saying that he is us champion and it makes him sick that so many dumb americans have held it before him. he says that the us title is a symbol of how he is better then the americans blablabla. then the world champ batista would come out and say that he will never win the whc. hassan eventually bets batista and unifys the us title into the whc. nomore us title thanks to hassan. this would have made the cruiserweight title the second best on smackdown and it would probably still be here today along with the divas title.

 

[Guerrero38]

Man with out a doubt he would have been big..I can say for a fact that he would have been the best Heel ever I mean they could have moved him to RAW but I guess that wasent an option because john cant wrestle cena was the wwe champ at the time and they dident want to take it off of him..I believe Hassan would have been a better wwe champ than john cena..Bullshit what happend..

 

[DW16]

I really liked the Hassan character, he was one of them heels you couldn't imagine being a face. He would've been a world champ by now but the creative team took his character too far. I wonder what would've happened if his character was present in the PG Era though.

 

[rob316]

I believe he would have been a great heel also. I heard he is a actor or a writer now & doesn't want to return :-(. Would be very intresting to see how the PG era would have been with him.

 

[anklebreaker]

Kudos on this thread. These are the kind of threads that I am looking for. Been waiting fro someone to touch on this topic for quite some time.

All I can say is that there is no doubt in my mind that Hassan would have been a Main event juggernaut if he were allowed to stay. He had the look, the ring prowess and the stick skills. The heat this guy could garner was unprecedented. The fact that his goons had to wear the masks would have made for entertaining tv down the line in terms of bringing new guys in and shocking viewers on PPV with inevitable screw jobs, alliances, etc. Although i'm aware that they sampled with that idea a few times before his departure.

I can't tell you how awesome it was on smackdown when hassan and his terrorist thugs came out and beat the shit out of taker. The best part was when Hassan had that piano wire around takers neck. Despite Taker selling it extremely well, till this day, I have never seen anyone dish out that kind of punishment on the dead man. They made that spot look so real. When that wire was around his neck, you could almost feel takers life slipping away. That moment was without doubt kayfabe at its absolute greatest. And that's the kind of stuff you'll never forget.

 

[worthyantdawg]

Where in the blue hell did this Muhammad Hassan love-fest come from?!? LOL! Ok in all seriousness I am indeed a fan....of Mark Copani.

I'm fully aware that Copani developed a bit of a cult-following, however I was never a fan of the character. Why you ask? It was old hat. The anti-America thing was done to death (St. Slaughter, Iron Sheik, all the Russian characters from the 80s and early 90s, the Hart Foundation, and many more. Now the World Elite in TNA). Alright I will agree that Hassan was played well...but I think this following of Hassan is not so much about the character...but about the wrestler playing him.

Mark Copani in my eyes had the "it" factor. He was talented in the ring and on the mic. Personally I think he would have evoked whatever reaction was intended from the audience with ease no matter what his gimmick was. If he played heel (as he did) with any gimmick...he would have been disposed as he was. If he was a face, he would have been one of the most loved wrestlers at the time. Some of you may disagree with me on him be able to be an effective babyface...however I really believe he would have been because he just had "it".

I know he has no intention to wrestle again, however if he did I think he should come back and feud with Santino. Mark is half-Italian so he could attack Santino during one of his skits, then later he would tell the audience what his real name and real heritage is and that Santino is a disgrace to the Italian community and to the WWE altogether. I believe such a feud would help Santino as well and elevate him to be taken more seriously as a in-ring competitor. Of course keep him the comic relief both in the ring and in the back, however when he wrestles against Copani we will get to see Santinos real wrestling ability. I think what I am trying to say is that Copani could use his "it" factor to not only put over (not meaning job) Santino and anyone he faces...but also elevate himself to the next level after such a feud with Santino ends and then finally get his chance at one of the Heavyweight Championships.

 

[a7xoff]

Wow it's been a while since I heard about Hassan, but I'm actually glad this topic came up. Hassan was easily one of the best heel characters that I have seen since watching WWE. His mic skills were great and his promos were simple enough that basically no matter what he said he was guarenteed mass heel heat. Of course WWE took this character a little over the top and I can't blame UPN for not wanting him on the show. For WWE to release him though I think was wrong. They could have easily repackaged him with another gimmick and it would have probably worked just as well.

Lets face it the guy had what it took to be a heel main eventer. If he was still in WWE today I would like to think that he would still be in the main event scene if not upper mid card. I could see him feuding with guys like Cena, Mysterio, and other patriotic to their country faces. I know that he claims he doesn't want to wrestle anymore, but I for one would certainly like to see him back in WWE. I know it probably wouldn't happen, but I read somewhere a while back that WWE had left the door open should he want to return.

 

[EGfan4life]

I really liked Muhammed Hassan. I liked his character, heel or not. Isn't the reason we watch pro-wrestling to see what happens next time? Well he did that for me, because he was always up to something. These days I couldn't care less about what's going on. I think ECW is probably the most talented show. I like Abraham Washington, Goldust/Sheamus feud is believable, and well because Shelton is on there.

Back to the point, Hassan was a dominant heel and was written off due to some bombings or whatever? Ridiculous. The media is the first to exploit shit. Why does the WWE have to suffer for it? It's a show. You don't see them banning movies like collateral damage or movies like saw. They are all about terrorism. So it's whatever. Hassan was THE best heel to never hold the big one.

 

[rayisawesomeness]

Man with out a doubt he would have been big..I can say for a fact that he would have been the best Heel ever I mean they could have moved him to RAW but I guess that wasent an option because john cant wrestle cena was the wwe champ at the time and they dident want to take it off of him..I believe Hassan would have been a better wwe champ than john cena..Bullshit what happend..

Hassan being a better wrestler at the time might be a little too extreme but I guess that's what every Cena hater thinks. But yes, this man had legit heat with anyone, my family would boo the living hell out of this man whenever he stepped foot in a ring. Sadly, he moved from SD to Raw and got fed to Cena and eventually lost all his steam. I'd like to see him in TNA someday but he's stated that he's interested in a career in acting. I wish him the best.

 

[Bobloblaw]

I think they could of taken it a lot farther and would of been great. I like the approach they went with that storyline, it was very smart how they just didn't give him the typical heel gimmick. They gave him a reason for his character to be bitter, about how Arabs or even in a lot of cases anyone from the middle eastern decent were treated post 9-11.

The evolution of him was well played out, and they had a talent that could pull it off. Much smarter than the old Iron Sheik gimmick of just coming out and trashing America. It's a shame that such a dumb overreaction ruined what could of been one of the best storyline/talents.

 

[Ice537]

Well I hate to break it to all of you but WWE didn't release him cause of UPN but because he asked to be. They took him off TV but they were gonna find a new gimmick for him. He actually said he wasn't gonna wrestle for very long so he can get into acting.When they couldn't find something for him or weren't sure how to bring him back, he asked to be let go. I don't blame WWE for the character, it was a good one its these stupid people that don't realize its fake. He was Italian for heavens sake. It was an act and people are dumb, you can watch it in the movies or a tv show, its just the haters of wrestling. He was gonna be one of my favorite wrestlers. I really think they should of moved him back to Raw and filtered or mellowed out on his character for awhile. I mean I can see why it offended people but what the heck, if you are a WWE fan you know its a gimmick and if you weren't a wwe fan what the hell were you watching for? They could of done what TNA is doing now with divari and eric and the others its a great storyline. I can actually say its not all WWE's fault on this one, actually they only pushed the character thats it. WWE can mess up gimmicks/characters look what they did to Kane. Thats a whole other thread though.

 

[anklebreaker]

For those who say that hassan would have been as equally good a face as he was a heel are dreaming. What proof do you have to that effect? IMO if he really was pushed as a face there would be no need for daivari, because lets face it, without davari, Hassan would not have been as over as he was. Lets face it, what pissed you off more... when Hassan talked shit about america or when davari said the same thing in arabic. I can sure as hell tell you that when davari opened his mouth, the crowd was all over him.

And even if Davari was in the picture they would have been a tag team which the wwe would inevitably bury anyway.

If he was a face, what gimmick/character would they possibly have him run with? IMO not one the viewers give a crap about.