The Story of Muhammad Hassan in WWE

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The story of Muhammad Hassan in the WWE is quite peculiar. The gimmick portrayed by Marc Copani in World Wrestling Entertainment was seen as provoking yet smart, a heel character whose main gripe was the social climate in the United States. Along with Shawn Daivari, Muhammad Hassan would become one of the most intriguing characters of the WWE’s “Ruthless Aggression” era that ended up getting canned due to mounting pressure from the UPN Network.
Marc Copani had received his wrestling training from Nick Dinsmore and Danny Davis at OVW. After spending around 2 years working as Mark Magnus, the WWE called Marc up to the big leagues. The character Marc would portray was Muhammad Hassan, a gimmick that many say was “too smart” for casual wrestling fans and a gimmick that garnered a lot of media attention. In the end, due to a Smackdown segment with The Undertaker, the WWE maybe went too far and the company was forced to release Muhammad Hassan from his WWE contract.
Topics and matches included in this video:
00:00 - Mark Magnus in OVW
04:09 - The Muhammad Hassan debut vignettes
06:40 - Hassan’s WWE debut & Jerry Lawler Match
11:25 - Hassan begins moving up the WWE ladder
13:26 - Hogan / Michaels vs Hassan / Daivari
15:51 - The Undertaker segment on Smackdown
18:09 - Fan feedback after Hassan’s departure
- Much More!
#WWE #Documentary #Wrestling

[@Arcangel2992]

The man’s only fault is that he did his job so damn well. Truly underrated.

[@TheBeardedOneBass]

I wish he would comeback to wrestling as a new character. His talent is rare.

[@ComicBookGuy420]

Apparently he had a lot of issues backstage

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

His mother was of Jordanian descent, so that gives credence to giving him the Arab-American gimmick.

[@SteRDLK]

He's not underrated if everybody says he's underrated.

[@michaelcoulter1725]

I hope Triple H brings him back but I highly doubt it

[@chenzen000]

Muhammad was the face, american crowd was the heel

[@alonsoarana5307]

Top 10 Anime Betrayals

[@jasonepps1365]

Thanks WWE should bring back the character Muhammad. As a baby face

[@juancarlosch1511]

Damn. Well put!

[@samsonmorrell]

💯

[@dstoi]

💯💯💯💯

[@beardifull462]

Probably one of the greatest underrated heels of time

[@lunchtablebastard2315]

One of my childhood memories

[@tehjboney3291]

The gimmick was too controversial he would’ve been a good manager for Great Khali than an actual competitor similar to how Lio Rush was to Bobby Lashley

[@brianmichaelseymour6913]

The man, Marc Copani, was amazing in this character, knew how to get heel heat, and in hindsight (so many years later), we can come up with ways that he could have kept going like he deserved. This was a case of a controversial character and horrible timing in the world. Would love to see him back in the ring, even as himself.

[@ruxcooking]

Vince should've been careful with him and his booking. This dude could've been killed

[@freddfuchsftg5676]

Facts bro. Loved to hate the character back in the day. Underrated is an understatement. 💯

[@jeremyberry4907]

That theme of his was a lowkey banger as well

[@ironman2326]

It was brilliant

[@JayBelAir420]

I fuked wit it

[@Sasfoot]

Hell yeah. I've always said that without the chants, the theme was actually pretty dope.

[@OreoandLadyshorts]

YES! 🙌🏻

[@MrBeardsley]

Hassan was a rare example of a “foreign heel” gimmick done well, at least up until that ill-advised Undertaker segment. He wasn’t just coming out and doing the usual “I hate America” stuff, he was actually justified in his anger and resentment which gave the character a lot of depth. Even an eventual face turn against a character like JBL or Jack Swagger wouldn’t have been out of the question. But of course WWE did what they often do and leaned too hard in the wrong direction, and rather than take time to rethink things they just abandoned a talented worker with a lot of potential. Fun fact, in the early 2010s Copani cowrote a graphic novel called Assassin and Son with the late Shad Gaspard that went on to win a bunch of awards.

[@ComicBookGuy420]

I was actually surprised they didn't redo the Iron Sheik vs Slaughter patriotism angle

[@HHHBFResurrected]

Exactly what I was going to post. The anti-American foreigner gimmick (well technically not foreign) done properly. Unlike the usual variety that gimmick had mileage, as you say stick him in the ring with JBL & the dynamics get very interesting. The Taker segment took away the nuisance of it, the imagery unintentionally turned it into a generic foreign heel gimmick. I'm inclined to believe he was meant to compete but lose in the World Title match at Summer Slam because that one segment accelerated the gimmick to the end game of all foreign heel gimmicks. Losing a co-main event in Washington sounds about right. It's a shame it ended the way it did. The original concept was inspired & the dude portraying it was REALLY good.

[@Noobsaibot21]

@@HHHBFResurrected To be honest, I really do think they could have written their way out of it. Just the timing. Those bombings made any hope of rescue impossible

[@cjvaye99]

wait shad died???

[@Noobsaibot21]

@@cjvaye99 He drowned last year in lots Angeles but managed to save his son's life in his last ever act. The man was a textbook father.

[@at3479]

Talk about getting screwed over. Not his fault yet he had to be the fall guy

[@zemox2534]

That goes without saying.

[@kaiserrino8774]

The heel potential with him was through the roof. Unfortunately the circumstances ruined him.

[@Venemofthe888]

if he didnt get drafted to SD they could of possibly gotten away with it due to RAW being on a different TV deal than SD. Hell the segment might not of happened

[@camerondalton1495]

@@Venemofthe888 Perhaps, but there was absolutely no way he was getting that title off of Cena. By the point, the main event scene on Raw was becoming stacked with guys like Micheals, Kurt, Big Show, and Edge. Hassan wouldn't have gotten a chance.

[@Ketahmine]

@@camerondalton1495 This is true but WWE should have just not backed down on the angle to be honest, the never did with old slaughter traitor angle

[@camerondalton1495]

@@Ketahmine But things have changed since the feud with Slaughter. WWE had to deal with sponsors and networks getting mad. More so then they did back in days of WWF. It's funny, WWE will hold their ground on certain issues, but other times they will fold when the public pressure becomes too much. I don't know how they could've kept the Hassan character without making major changes and not putting the title on him at Summerslam.

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

@@Ketahmine WWF back in the early 90's was privately owned. It wasn't until 1999 that it became publicly traded. WWE now is owned at a majority 60% by its sponsors (meaning, NBC-Universal [i.e. Universal Studios] for RAW & NXT, FOX Sports [which, like FOX News, is the only part of 20th Century FOX not under the Disney umbrella since last year's buyout] for Smackdown, the controversial Susan G. Komen for the Cure, Make-a-Wish Foundation & WWE's own Conner for the Cure organizations fighting against cancer, the Special Olympics, etc.), so it has to "play it safe" more often than not.

[@Cameron_611]

No one could gain heat like Muhammad Hassan. Sad thing was he wasn’t completely wrong nor much of a heel and that’s why people hated him because they hated the cold blooded truth.

[@mafiaz187]

Mark played this character brilliantly!

[@thehoshangkoul]

In just 7 months, he built an unforgettable legacy. Muhammad Hassan was one of the best characters in WWE History

[@BirdGang6]

His poise at 25 is still unmatched to this day. He was feuding with dudes like Hulk Hogan and Shawn Michaels months into his pro career and he never looked like the moment was too big for him. He could have been an era defining heel for the WWE

[@elbertellis6340]

Muhammad Hassan was great. He would’ve been a great character for many years if the WWE didn’t think all foreign character have to be evil.

[@AntiHeroWithHeroTendencies]

WWE sh*tted on Muhammad Hassan a.k.a. Mark Caponi . . . WWE were too concerned about him playing the role of being Arab American MORE than him being an accomplished wrestler . . . Thank you, WWE . . . For ASS RAPING another wrestler from becoming another great champion/greater wrestler

[@Suspinded]

It frustrates me how GREAT of a heel the character started, only to end as a stereotypical foreign heel fashion, to end up getting killed because of that stereotype shift. Plus "Hassan's Theme Interrupts Everything" was a classic early 2000's era meme.

[@Xehanort10]

Vince without fail whether a heel wrestler's from another country in either real life or kayfabe always defaults to the "My country and the people from it are great but all other countries and the people from them suck" gimmick.

[@THEEPICSTUDIOS]

Him, MVP, Mr. Kennedy, and Chris Masters could’ve all been huge

[@jms7265]

True

[@ibushi5467]

Hassan, MVP and Kennedy can easily generate heat and they are booed by fans because they're assholes. Masters could have been the Kurt Angle type of wrestler who can deliver great matches. They're also worked their asses off on the company. Backstage politics truly are dangerous when it comes to wrestling.

[@JerseyJeff84]

All were unique gimmicks and fun to watch. You had: the microphone dropping from the ceiling for Kennedy, MVP's entrance, and the weekly "Masterlock Challenge."

[@AntiHeroWithHeroTendencies]

MVP sucks . . . Mr. Kennedy was the next big wrestler . . . But WWE abandoned WRESTLING and fully adopted "ENTERTAINMENT". . . Chris Masters was too worried about his physique more than being a wrestler AND a champion . . . Muhammad Hassan was GREAT in both the ring AND promos . . . But WWE wanted to play the "September 11" angle and F*CKED OVER the one man they groomed to be an Arab American

[@orlandoordasjr3210]

That’s True 💯

[@ArticulatedDoom]

The amount of love this man has gotten after the fact is insane. Nobody is lying, either. The man had skill, in the ring, on the mic. Truly the dude was shafted. He was a great heel

[@mrwhopee]

Such an awesome talent, his theme alone was instant heat ALEYAYAHAHEEEAAAAAYEHAAHHHH, followed by intense booing, and he (his character/script) was actually retrospectively correct about the wars. Glad he became a principal instead of a path of destruction so many released talent end up going down.

[@MarkDaddy69]

LOL, I never knew he wasn't an Arab, just an Italian guy from New York.

[@NinjaStudent-yo5ws]

Mark Pilny I thought he was Arab until I discovered him on google in 05

[@samsager7106]

I always thought it was common knowledge that he was actually Italian

[@NinjaStudent-yo5ws]

Sam Sager possible, I was realizing it after looking him up

[@booba6730]

Your media they just fighting arab and Islamic

[@weaponx100]

Nice pic Mark!

[@christophergordon6250]

I'm not got to lie; Muhammad Hassan and Carlito were my favorite wrestlers in 2005.

[@mrsinister8943]

Those two were mine also along with Jericho. It ruined wrestling for me how Carlito and assan ended. They had so much potential and were very entertaining.

[@ajdynamo7166]

I was in 8th grade during his run. I used to record Raw and Smackdown on VHS back then. I'm pretty sure I still have some tapes with him on them.

[@AmateurBarbarian]

I remember when he disappeared from TV I was like...he was right all along.

[@saveThe90s88]

Right about what?

[@AmateurBarbarian]

@@saveThe90s88 That the WWE was hating on him and trying to get rid of him because of who he was and what he represented.

[@liamversionone6491]

Could’ve been a really interesting take on the “foreign heel” trope but they decided to go with the safe route which ended up ruining his career and getting a lot of heat on the company.

[@tehjboney3291]

He would’ve just been a good manager to The Great Khali maybe that gimmick would’ve gave him so heat

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

Safe route? Excuse me, but turning Hassan from a misunderstood Arab-American fighting perceived injustice into a stereotypical terrorist archetype on the night of the 2005 Londing Bombings was an ill-conceived move on WWE's part. A gimmick like Hassan's could've gotten the poor man killed, especially in hardcore patriotic parts of America.

[@liamversionone6491]

TherealRNO The safe route in terms of making him a stereotypical foreign heel like they usually do instead of actually making an interesting character.

[@scarface1736]

I remember watching that Smackdown episode where the masked men choked out the Undertaker. I was just about to start middle school at the time and that segment freaked me out like crazy. I also remember my friends and I later that year wondering what had happened to Muhammad Hassan and we legitimately thought he died at the Great American Bash. Good times

[@tayshunsmith666]

I remember that that look real we now that WWE is fake

[@Kas58223]

The most over heel image if he was given the WWE championship the heat he would have gotten

[@xfghkhjfsejid]

I can't imagine how paranoid he became walking the streets after this gimmick. Imagine a company like the WWE ruining your life!

[@criminalmindsgirl2936]

I stopped watch wrestling by 2002, so I was unaware of this dude until some years later. It's a shame what happened to his career.

[@FilmdudeJC94]

Same, I stopped watching 2003 and got back into in 07 after the Benoit Murder-Suicide

[@bloodeagle6458]

Actual racism at work and he wasnt even arábic bet if they would have done that to his actual italian ethnicity nothing not even one complane

[@dmw1280]

@@bloodeagle6458 i stopped watching Wrestling full time between 2002-03. I was familiar with The Hassan character because someone told me about him, and I knew some folks who were wrestling insiders who told me that Hassan was actually a Italian American. I was like Vince you did it again.

[@AntiHeroWithHeroTendencies]

WWE MURDERED his career BEFORE it even began . . .

[@AntiHeroWithHeroTendencies]

@@bloodeagle6458 Mark wasn't racist at all . . . WWE put that on him and S*IT-CANNED him for it

[@gunnerboyd]

One of the greatest heels of all time. In 05' the heat he had was massive. They really dropped the ball on this guy, he could've been huge, absolutely huge!

[@tayshunsmith666]

Because of his gimmick he was Italian actually he born in United States from Detroit Michigan

[@Y2Kaynen87]

WWE deserves part of the blame for the failure of the character. The fact that they shifted his character from an Arab-American convinced that he was being wrongly persecuted towards one with actual terrorist overtones went against everything his character stood for. Even if the London bombings hadn't occurred, that Undertaker strangling segment might still have made UPN massively uncomfortable.

[@georgemunro9640]

How often do you hear of a heel that drew so much heat it resulted in the character being completely wiped out from the WWE with heat he got made a furnace seem cold

[@jasonwohlers8527]

As you said, Hassan was possibly too good at being the heel and Vince pushed the character too far. A double edged sword, but there was no denying that he got the heat he wanted

[@VERDICTInsanity]

He was one of those guys like The Miz who backed up their mouth with more mouth, I liked him he seemed dangerous as a heel, quite like Triple H in the Attitude Era, seemed dependable in the ring too as they only give HBK wrestlers who are safe workers

[@bloodeagle6458]

Do not compare him to the miz the miss is a poor excuse of a wrestler he and cena and others are the reason wrestling is whare it is today damn near dead

[@AFKNEWS99]

He was a real heel and the best they had at that time,WWE failed to produce any heel like him later on, it's sad how his career ended he was just money for WWE

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

No. The UPN told WWE they would cancel Smackdown if the Hassan character stayed on TV, especially in the wake of the London Bombings.

[@zdarrah]

I ran into him at a wegmans in Syracuse NY last year, hes a principle in Fulton NY and just a real humble guy. That terrible timing was such a shame and is easily one of the biggest what ifs in modern wrestling

[@cbrocafe]

He had a great mic skills, great in ring work, and a great look but couldn’t survive as a character because ‘Murica

[@RyZeN37]

He was my principal in my school!! Love this guy

[@kishore16966]

Best foreign heel ever.. Not even the hogan era or bruno era has has produced this kind of super heel!

[@thorvalentinehatesytalgori2632]

It was so stupid how Mark was treated by the 'boy's' and the office. He was really good at his job.

[@superrobz]

Wrestling Bios doing a video on one of the most controversial characters in wrestling? This gonna be good!

[@Ai14106]

It was so idiotic how fans would chant USA despite him saying that he's an Arab American

[@TheSuperTroller]

Tbh it really proved his point and he really was the face

[@wormX666]

That’s the majority of the u.s society lol

[@Ai14106]

@Recep Akın That American patriot Bret Hart

[@bashamd96]

The chant doesn't care about that it's not aimed at cheering on the face or is nationality relevant it's meant to mock the anti American heel no matter the race gender nationality or whatever else by being patriotic despite what he says about the country

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

@@bashamd96 *it's not aimed at cheering on the face* Unless you're peak 1980's "Real American" Hulk Hogan, Sgt. Slaughter as a face or "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan in general, of course.

[@jeremyraymo9582]

Great guy. We worked together at UPS after he left WWE years later. We even went to the same high school. He was let go at UPS after he went after a supervisor

[@mikeoxmall7917]

I remember this guy and everything about him was good,mic skills, wrestling talent and he could have great matches with the top stars

[@EbonAvatar]

I had so much fun booing MuHan back in the day. I didn't appreciate how good he was back then but I do now. You were too good for us, man

[@solascripturaPR1517]

Muhammad Hassan: Arabic character....Italian heritage, born in Syracuse, NY. Yokozuna: Japanese sumo wrestler.... actually Samoan, of the A'noai Family. WWE Logic

[@zemox2534]

Santino Marella: Italian character.....Canadian born wrestler.

[@DeaDGoD_XIV]

Roddy Piper: Scottish brawler, also Canadian born and raised

[@robertprince2651]

This heel gimmick was spectacular. Such a solid worker.

[@kelvin04110]

Another Good episode of Wrestling Bios keep up the good work dude

[@AltimaMantoid]

You really made me appreciate this character and angle. There was so much potential here and it's a shame to see it cut short

[@Perfection_Personified]

Damn, it's refreshing to hear you say you're only going to focus on the man and his work and not throw your opinion around and make it more important than the video. I love how respectful and well informed you are, every video is amazing man and you're doing an awesome job.

[@orlandocolon877]

The best controversial character in wrestling history in my opinion

[@The_General_Zubas]

8:35 which he was actually Speaking Persian, not Arabic. But that just goes to show you how Creative saw an opportunity and took it when it comes to Social Commentary. This is exactly why D Bry got over as an Eco Friendly heel.

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

That & most people hate the whole preachy "Do as I say" heavy-handedness of things, no matter whether it's valid or not.

[@acewillingham]

If none of the controversy surrounding his character didn't happen he most likely would have gotten a push he was a straight-up heat magnet during the ruthless aggression era he got so much heat from the fan back in the day something that most heels wish they could get these days.

[@MrJobsworth1979]

Nice to see he has done well after his release

[@pedrogates3189]

Keep the videos coming I look forward to them every week ...

[@Eric-wu7bp]

Another one of my topics for wrestling bios to cover, thank you 👍👍

[@KIrvin_The_Scholar]

Would of loved to have seen a heel faction with him, Jindal Mahal, Davari & the Great Khali as just an imposing enforcer. Hell, throw in Mustafa Ali. They could of been like a modern day Nation of Domination

[@TherealRNOwwfpooh]

Ironically, Saudi Arabian star Mansour is the face what Hassan could've been if he was given the right opportunity & not shoehorned into the terrorist thing.

[@SteRDLK]

Why would Arabs team with Indians and a Pakistani?

[@KIrvin_The_Scholar]

@@SteRDLK Just for the hell of it. If the WWE can push Jinder, who is Canadian as being from India then they can make it work. Same.way stone Cold use to be a Hollywood blonde

[@user-iq7hw2qf6e]

Dk why ur putting an arab and 2 indians in the same equation

[@KIrvin_The_Scholar]

@@user-iq7hw2qf6e not everyone in the nation of domination was black either. If you remember Crush & Owen Hart were members. I'm just thinking of guys who weren't really used all that well that could have benefited from being in a stable together. Like what the Hurt Business did for the late stages of Shelton Benjamin & Ced Alexander's career.

[@MrBrownsugar85]

I was watching in 2005 and he legit blew me away. For a rookie he was insanely talented and could have been a huge star in WWE. He would have been an excellent WWE champion. I still get bummed out when I think of how they did him dirty

[@Will_kid_cortez]

I can picture him coming back next to jinder Mahal. That would be interesting

[@mitchellima4736]

I don't think so. There two very different characters.

[@Will_kid_cortez]

@@mitchellima4736 your right. I just enjoyed both of them at the time. I haven't been interested in so long

[@mitchellima4736]

@@Will_kid_cortez that's fair.

[@scottypimpinentertainment7160]

Mitchel Lima no the Original jinder mahal (2012) when he wore a turban

[@mitchellima4736]

@@scottypimpinentertainment7160 yeah but Hassan was an American Muslim who felt betrayed by the way he was treated in the wall of 9/11. Jinder Mahal was an Indian wrestler. At best a decent foreign heel. I don't see the connection outside of ties to the middle East. But even that isn't really a thing as India isn't in the middle East. So I guess them both having Asian ties. Idk I don't see it.

[@MisterGravelrama]

Wow, this was so good. Intelligent, reality based, & well informed videos like this one are why I still enjoy wrestling (at least the older days that is). Thank you @WrestlingBios, I'm glad we found your channel.

[@darthrowsdower3554]

i loved Muhammed Hassan as a heel. At the time he grew to be my favorite superstar. the world championship belt would have looked great around his waist. but he got shafted because of an angle that was absolute poor taste. It seems at times that the creative staff does more to hurt the product than excel it.

[@110specops]

I love your work WB! Keep it up.. I've been waiting for this video a long time thanks

[@mrsain19]

UPN was the one complaining. never understood why they just didn't get some sort of clearance, and move him to raw. Spike wouldn't have cared.

[@PunjabHP]

Hassan said Spike didnt wanted him too after bombings and bruce prichard confirmed it

[@chadkennedy7855]

​@PunjabHP Just ask the Bar Rescue crew after they walk out of O' Face.

[@davidtoress7040]

This channel is quickly becoming my favorite Wrestling channel on KZbin. 💪

[@DarrylBlackberry]

Videos like this is why wrestlingbios is the best wrestling related KZbin page. Thank you sir

[@RealStab]

The best character. The best heel. The best music theme. Th best! The best! The best!

[@kwamedotcom3696]

I really enjoy the production value in your work

[@ahffah4852]

Man been looking forward to this one great video as always

[@stewartmeetball3417]

Freaking love this channel

[@ManlykefreshINC]

Say what you will about Mohammed Hassan, Mark Copani and Sean Davari did a great job in portraying these Arab American characters. They were great on the mic and got the nuclear heat a true heel needs Shame UPN and the WWE locker room turned on him

[@m.j.abbott1710]

Enjoy watching your videos, keep up the great work brother

[@joelarazza9976]

He was simply too good. He overshadowed veterans, he got mainstream attention. He was a threat to the top guys and WWE couldn't give up the storyline direction to a monster heel

[@BreadHart]

I just listened to the interview that Hassan did on the Chris Van Vliet podcast. Highly recommended.

[@jmonkey5807]

Listen sir.. you are an absolutely once in a generation speaker.. I randomly started watching you one night and somehow made it a tradition to watch a video while i shower.. the wwe network needs a “wrestling bios” show.. any wrestling company would be smart to grab you up for some kind if show!

[@Kevn112010]

Hassan was great, solid in the ring and great on the mic 🔥🔥🔥

[@truthseeker7001]

Gimmick aside, Marc Copani has to be in the top 10 most handsome wrestlers in history. With his classical good looks, Copani could have been a movie star.

[@mrsain19]

this was how good he and davari were: Hassan had extreme heat from the second he walked out, and of course during his promo. but soon as he handed the mic to davari and davari started spitting them bars in a foreign language, it went nuclear. and it was so entertaining and hilarious. not to mention they stayed interrupting ppl lol. just awesome booking, and hassan and davari made it pay dividends by being awesome on the mic and in the ring. had he gotten the chance to be the champion, any champion, but esp the world title, that would have had long term legs. Hassan could have held the title easily until mania or rumble.

[@RNC200711]

Another great story, your narration is top notch

[@dannyrivera8300]

You need more credit for the content you put out hopefully that 04 deadman return vid is on the way

[@mitchadmiral1210]

Nice, been waiting for this.

[@doublejumpvideogames....]

They really could do with him now...and he's only like 38 or something...

[@ReeseTheComedian]

Not happening today

[@joelarazza9976]

Him being behind retribution and as a far left wing supporter would be brilliant

[@michaelpreller4025]

@@joelarazza9976 Or a Far Right Qanon supporting Neo-Nazi who wears a "Blue Lives Matter" shirt. Would be pretty damn hilarious.

[@joelarazza9976]

@@michaelpreller4025 lol! That's actually hilarious. He could go on about how he warned us 15 years ago about how we weren't tolerant enough and now he's back to teach us conformity and how to respect authority. He'd be gone in two weeks for another 15 years

[@joelarazza9976]

@@michaelpreller4025 does that make big boss man a monster heel right now?

[@The_General_Zubas]

6:07 and OMG when that Entrance Music hits, That Heel Pop!!! WHOOOOO!

[@blafhoest]

It's strange. This happened while I was still really invested in wrestling but for some reason I don't remember much of the whole Muhammad Hassan run. I remember the build up with the vignettes but the rest was a blank. The CVV interview and this video filled in a lot of blanks, thanks for that.

[@garethhayes2552]

Genuinely talented in the ring, & stellar on the mic, Mark Copani/Muhammad Hassan got the short end of the stick from the WWE. The guy did NOTHING wrong, except play the role he’d been given very well indeed. The WWE screwed up badly with the Muhammad Hassan character, but Mark Copani ended up paying the price

[@thescentrovert9857]

Been waiting for this one.....this guy was a heel that got REAL HEAT...his entrance music was enough on its own to get those American crowds truly angry at him! And Daivari running his mouth in his language was icing on the cake!

[@jaxonedwardson458]

wrestling bios another gold episode on your next video maybe you can talk about some of your favourite wwf/wwe stage design

[@TheGodOfGravy]

I love the sympathetic villain in all media. Hassan is no exception. A middle eastern Mr Freeze; a man who has suffered, seen his loved ones suffer and lost much of what he had in life and now wants to take out his anger on a world he sees responsible by destroying all that they love and enjoy. Brilliant stuff.

[@micjab]

Well done video!

[@warchief13]

His theme song was everything to me.

[@chadkennedy7855]

I can't stand that creepy music.

[@Noobsaibot21]

One of the greatest heels of all time. And all because he kinda wasn't one for the most part. Had one of the very best lawyers going too - Tommaso Ciampa..... I mean, Thomas Whitney Esq.

[@mrf19741]

The Muhammad Hassan character was a great heel-heat generating character & Mark Copani played the role brilliantly to the hilt! It's a damn shame that his push was stopped by forces beyond his control.

[@orlandocolon877]

That was great amazing job 👏👏👏

[@SirPrincemarsallis]

Definitely one of my favorite characters of all time! And I mean... he wasn't wrong...

[@briandelgado6599]

The modern day Iron Sheik! Should have been world champ! At least beginning with the US title imagine building him up like that! He would have been the most popular heel and would of had a long run!

[@LegateGiles]

If they hadn't ruined everything with the terrorist thing, Muhammad Hassan could have had one hell of a babyface turn.

[@MikesAutoDetailing]

Great video

[@TheGodOfGravy]

A vicious heel is one thing, but a heel that who’s not unjustified is something very special.

[@LakeLyfe315]

Syracuse! Dude joins WWE then returns home to be a high school principal!

[@joelarazza9976]

Maybe Shawn Michaels didn't want him there because his friends beat him outside a bar and caused him to lose his smile

[@claymathewselevator8121]

Jerry Lawler was also The Rock and Mark Henry’s debut opponents

[@wolfieform9514]

Another brilliant bio 👍😎👍♥

[@BlackburnBigdragon]

Frankly, they should have brought this character in as a babyface, in my opinion. They were very correct with this character who represented the problems that Middle Eastern people, especially back then, and even now, face with dealing with the paranoia, and racism in the US, and elsewhere. Instead, they just went for that same old trope of the "Arab Villain" who would get the audiences chanting, "USA! USA!" at him. And then... having his henchmen dressed the way they were... there really was no excuse other than they really wanted to stoke that racist/xenophobic, fire in the fans in order to make a quick buck. Its such a shame too, because he was such a talented worker. The entire concept of this character was a failure from the get-go.

[@AshMundo]

One of the best heels post attitude era. His promos were on top!

[@laktosefrei]

Daivari spoke persian in his promos. Its the same as if someone is supposed to play an american but his promos are in german

[@samsonmorrell]

I was 25 years old & I'm from New Zealand. I 100% believed everything Hassan said was a shoot. That dude could cut an awesome promo. He was done dirty.