Former WWE Superstar Announces Retirement
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Muhammad Hassan, one of the most controversial characters in modern WWE history, has officially announced his retirement from professional wrestling. The man behind the character, Mark Copani, confirmed that his brief return to the ring a few years ago was his final chapter as a performer.
Speaking on the A2theK Wrestling Show, Copani reflected on his short-lived comeback and his final decision to step away from the business for good.
Ex-WWE Star: "I Don't Think I'll Ever Step In The Ring Again"
After more than a decade away from wrestling, Hassan returned to the independent circuit in 2018 for a handful of matches. He explained that the experience was enjoyable but that his days as an active competitor are now definitely behind him.
"It was a lot of fun, just to be able to get back in a ring in front of a few hundred people," Hassan shared. "Just see if I could still do it, and I could do it, obviously not at the level I used to do it... I was done and kind of got it out of my system, and I don't think I'll ever step in the ring and wrestle again."
A Controversial and Unforgettable WWE Character
The Muhammad Hassan character debuted in WWE in 2004. He was portrayed as an Arab-American who was tired of the prejudice and stereotyping he and his community faced in a post-9/11 America.
The character was complex and effective; his grievances were legitimate and often sympathetic, but he delivered his message with the arrogance of a classic heel, which generated incredible heat from the live crowds.
COLOGNE, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 07: A WWE Logo at the WWE Live Tryout at the Motorworld on November 7, 2018 in Cologne, Germany.
COLOGNE, GERMANY - NOVEMBER 07: A WWE Logo at the WWE Live Tryout at the Motorworld on November 7, 2018 in Cologne, Germany.WWE pushed the character heavily from the start. He remained undefeated for months and was placed in high-profile programs with legends like Hulk Hogan, Shawn Michaels, and The Undertaker. He was widely believed to be on a fast track to winning the World Heavyweight Championship.
More news: WWE Superstar Announces Retirement Match
The Storyline That Ended a WWE Career
Hassan's promising career came to an abrupt and tragic end in July 2005 due to a case of horrific, real-world timing. On an episode of SmackDown, a pre-taped segment aired that showed Hassan "praying" on the entrance ramp before a group of masked men attacked The Undertaker on his behalf.
The same day that the taped segment aired, the tragic London bombings, a series of terrorist attacks, occurred. The unfortunate visual parallels between the storyline and the real-world tragedy led to a massive public and media backlash. The television network UPN pressured WWE to remove the character from its programming immediately, and Hassan's career as a top-tier star was over in an instant.
After leaving the business, Mark Copani went on to have a successful career as a high school principal.
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