A predictable entry to top the list, yet one it is almost impossible to overlook as the worst incident in SmackDown's fifteen year history. Muhammad Hassan seemingly had everything in his favour in 2005: a great look, a marquee feud with The Undertaker, and a boatload of heat. The only drawback was his outdated foreign gimmick, one in especially poor taste given the fragile political and cultural climate of post 9/11 America. As well as dangerously controversial, Hassan's Arabic gimmick was also wildly inaccurate. The worker's real name was Mark Copani, just about the most Italian-American a person can sound. In typical WWE fashion however, the company were determined to sacrifice decency and good sense for a big reaction. In fairness to Hassan, he handled his promos in a mature and progressive manner, claiming that the crowd treated him unfairly due to his ethnicity. The only problem is that he was also a dastardly heel, therefore justifying the negative reactions thrown his way. The WWE might have gotten away with it if their timing wasn't so appalling. In one of the most notorious wrestling broadcasts ever, Muhammad's manager Daivari was easily defeated by The Undertaker in a squash match. Hassan then strode out onto the entrance ramp and dropped to his knees in prayer, as a team of masked men in military fatigues charged the ring and beat down The Undertaker. They then lifted Daivari over their heads like a martyr and carried him to the back. This would have been a highly controversial angle even at the best of times, but the fact that the London bombings occurred between the taping and airing of SmackDown sparked national outrage. Under fire from several media outlets across the globe, the WWE were forced to drop Hassan and Daivari from their programming entirely, sending them back to the developmental program to adjust their characters. Although Daivari would return to manage Kurt Angle and The Great Khali, Hassan was sadly released, an unfortunate victim of the worst incident in SmackDown's lifetime.
