WWE issues RAW spoiler in press release

[Enigma]

New Arab-American Characters Make Debut on World Wresting Entertainment's Monday Night Raw

 

STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Nov. 1, 2004--The following statement was issued earlier today by World Wrestling Entertainment on parents.wwe.com:

 

WWE® is introducing two new Arab-American characters on Monday Night RAW. Muhammad Hassan and Khosrow Daivari are U.S. citizens who have grown up in America. They love their country. However, they now face a new and different kind of relationship with their fellow U.S. citizens as a result of being Arab-American in a United States still struggling with the tragic events of September 11, 2001. RAW will explore the challenges Hassan and Daivari face as Hassan tries to make his mark as a new WWE Superstar under the guidance of Daivari as his manager.

 

Trademarks: The names of all World Wrestling Entertainment televised and live programming, talent names, images, likenesses, slogans and wrestling moves and all World Wrestling Entertainment logos are trademarks which are the exclusive property of World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc.

 

Link to Press Release

[Guest The Shadow Behind You]

This is totally going to blow up in their faces like Chuck and Billy and Kenzo Suzuki (before they figured out their plan was stupid).

[JoeDirt]

RAW will explore the challenges Hassan and Daivari face as Hassan tries to make his mark as a new WWE Superstar under the guidance of Daivari as his manager.

They put it so nicely here. I'm sure it will be very deep, thoughtful, and poignant...

[bob_barron]

That sounds like a wacky sitcom.

 

Rudo will have a field day with this

[Fro]

That's not the gimmick in OVW, so I sure don't trust this press release. It's pretty much that they're funded by Saudis to "impose their values" on OVW.

 

Hassan (Mark Magnus) has good mic skills but is still really green in the ring.

[Stephen]

They should have brought Iron Shiek to mange this tag team.

 

I'm sure the promo they cut tonight will pretty much kill this press release.

[Guest Quik]

Aw fuck. Here we go again. I thought the cartooniness was going to stay on Smackdown? Here comes Benoit's next feud.

[RavishingRickRudo]

I'm conflicted.

 

On paper, this is better than the normal 1 dimensional characters the WWE normally has on television. That's what I want. But I seriously doubt they'll be able to handle the political and social issues that accompany such characters, oh let's say, gracefully, naturally, and without deviating into stereotypes like they have normally done with EVERY SINGLE ETHNIC CHARACTER THEY HAVE EVER HAD. They simply have not shown the skill to make this work beyond getting cheap heat and playing to the worst in people (intolerance, bigotry, etc) rather than the best (acceptance, tolerance, cultural understanding, etc). So what does it say about the WWE's fans when they boo these characters?

[Guest MikeSC]

I'm conflicted.

 

On paper, this is better than the normal 1 dimensional characters the WWE normally has on television. That's what I want. But I seriously doubt they'll be able to handle the political and social issues that accompany such characters, oh let's say, gracefully, naturally, and without deviating into stereotypes like they have normally done with EVERY SINGLE ETHNIC CHARACTER THEY HAVE EVER HAD. They simply have not shown the skill to make this work beyond getting cheap heat and playing to the worst in people (intolerance, bigotry, etc) rather than the best (acceptance, tolerance, cultural understanding, etc). So what does it say about the WWE's fans when they boo these characters?

Look at the bright side --- it might make the RAW thread considerably more entertaining.

-=Mike

[AndrewTS]

Wasn't the OVW character's name "Muhammad Hussein?"

[RavishingRickRudo]

I'm just reposting this for future reference...

 

I say have Hussien, or whatever this new Muslim character will be, just show up one day and start to wrestle. After his match, have some heels (preferably with a southen accent... Bradshaw...) come up and say "Git the hell outta here you Saudi bastard! We don't want your Palestinian ass here in the land of the free! Go back to I-rack before you fly another plane into our freedom loving buildings!", and then have a clean cut babyface show up (Charlie Haas?) and say "Hey man, he's just a wrestler like us trying to make a living. He's in America now, so he's free too." and have the Liberal Hippy Haas take Hussien by his side. Play this stuff up for a few weeks until a PPV with Hussein/Haas vs. Evil Hick Team.

 

Then have Hussien turn on Haas and lay all the Americans out in the middle of the ring.

 

Have him "terrorize" matches, where he runs out and obliterates everyone in the ring (wrestlers, refs, time keepers, announcers) to the point where GM Teddy Long questions whether or not he should even be having matches. Meanwhile, evil Hussien uses DIPLOMATIC IMMUNITY and the MUSLIM COMMUNITY to keep him from getting suspended. Eventually this leads to JBL turning face and telling Teddy that if he closes down Smackdown, then the terrorists win. So we have JBL stopping Hussien once and for all and turns him into a parking lot.

 

Then they could have Hussien, post heel turn, enter the building freely while old ladies get checked out in line to see if they are carrying any dangerous weapons.

 

And you could have all of his promos be cut in the same way OBL's videos were shot - in the mountains, pretty grainy video, with a rifle in his hand. He could also have an Al Jizeera Video crew with him documenting his stay in the WWE - which is why they're afraid to mistreat him, because it could cause an international incident.

 

AAAAAAAND you could have him take prayer breaks during matches - specifically when he's losing - and the ref would have to allow it.

 

There is so much potential here. I will be disappointed if they don't have the TV crew with him.

[Guest JMA]

That's a really good concept, Rudo. But I'm not sure I like the idea of JBL turning face. I think he works much better as a nationalistic heel than a patriotic babyface.

[Mole]

Woah, I might actually watch Raw tonight. Just to see how bad they fuck this up.

[RavishingRickRudo]

Obviously certain things have to change since this character is on RAW. I think Bradshaw will eventually be turned face by the fans once he loses the title, the character itself is too damn entertaining and different-from-the-rest for them not to cheer him.

[Stephen]

I'm just reposting this for future reference...

 

AAAAAAAND you could have him take prayer breaks during matches - specifically when he's losing - and the ref would have to allow it.

This would be sooooo good.

[Celtic Guardian]

RAW will explore the challenges Hassan and Daivari face as Hassan tries to make his mark as a new WWE Superstar under the guidance of Daivari as his manager.

 

Jeez, WWE makes this sounds like an Islamic version of "Amish in the City".

Somehow, I doubt it will be actually be depicted that way.

 

The fact that these characters will make their television debut during Ramadan seems especially intended to provoke controversy, much like the idea for the characters in the first place.

[RavishingRickRudo]

I hear they've been doing it at house shows, so I wouldn't be surprised to see it here.

[Guest combat_rock]

Aw fuck. Here we go again. I thought the cartooniness was going to stay on Smackdown? Here comes Benoit's next feud.

Here comes Georgia native Chris Benoit to defend the honor of the USA! Just listen to that southern drawl!

[RavishingRickRudo]

I still can't get over the WWE saying "Raw will explore the challenges _____ face". I'm almost expecting them to say next week "On a very special episode of RAW, Eugene discovers the dangerous of drug addiction"

[Gary Floyd]

So, will Hussein's finisher be called the Suicide Bomb?

[Hunter's Torn Quad]

When they tag up, will they be the new Twin Towers, ala Bossman and Akeem ?

[Gary Floyd]

I still can't get over the WWE saying "Raw will explore the challenges _____ face". I'm almost expecting them to say next week "On a very special episode of RAW, Eugene discovers the dangerous of drug addiction"

"Tonight, on a very special Raw, Gene Snitsky learns the importance of a woman's right to choose."

[NoCalMike]

And here I was about to lift my boycott of WWE programming........forget it.

[The Czech Republic]

Damn you WWE! I wanted the week off and now I have to watch Raw.

[razazteca]

Say hello to your future Raw tag team champions.

[The Czech Republic]

Ralph Nader and Doug Flutie are Arab Americans, by the way.

[razazteca]

So were D-Lo Brown and Headbanger Beaver Cleaver.

[The Czech Republic]

I thought HBC was just a kid from Jersey who wanted to have fun.

[razazteca]

He was a mole for the evil doers of the Middle East. When he graduated high school he decided not to hide his faith anymore and started to wear his chin-strapped turban in public.

[Guest MikeSC]

Ralph Nader and Doug Flutie are Arab Americans, by the way.

Nader is an Arab-American?

 

I knew they were nuts.

-=Mike