10 Wrestling Facts We Didn't Know Last Week (Feb 12)

5. Muhammad Hassan Had An Inkling His Gimmick Would Fail

It was Jim Cornette who approached Mark Copani about the prospect of playing an Arab-American character in WWE. Debuting in 2004, the real-life Italian-American was only too happy to embrace the opportunity to play Muhammad Hassan. The gimmick would naturally play off of racial tensions in the United Stated, stemming from the terrorist attacks of 9/11. During an interview with Wrestling Inc, Copani revealed that he went along willingly with the Hassan guise, but also had his own reservations. In the end, he pretty much knew that it would be a hard sell, mainly due to the sensitive nature of the character. It's still stunning to learn that he chose not to voice this opinion, out of fear of hurting his chances in the company. Since leaving the promotion in 2005, Copani has had next to no contact with WWE. He's certainly never been asked to come back, meaning the Muhammad Hassan character was pretty much a death knell for his career overall. A big feud against The Undertaker was canned suddenly due to backlash over the content of Hassan's promos and segments. According to the man himself, the character was always destined to fall flat.