No More Hassan

[Guest FromBeyondTheGrave]

No news on whether Daivari was kept or not?

 

MORE ON RELEASE OF MUHAMMAD HASSAN, HIS PLAN FROM THIS POINT ON, THE FUTURE OF DAIVARI & MORE

by Mike Johnson @ 7:32:00 PM on 9/21/2005

 

As Dave Scherer reported earlier, WWE announced today that Marc "Muhammad Hassan" had been released from his contract. There had been rumblings among WWE wrestlers over the weekend that the release was coming or had happened. Since being removed from WWE TV, Copani had moved to Los Angeles to try and break into acting.

 

According to one source, Copani felt that it was just a matter of time before he was dropped since there was nothing that WWE could really do to bring him back given the uproar over the Hassan character. Copani, wanting to put his energies into acting, had discussed requesting a release (it's unknown if he had ever approached WWE about one, however), so it seems to be a case of WWE pulling the trigger first to end the professional relationship.

 

One WWE source noted that Copani wasn't the most well liked person among some in WWE management, especially since (if you can believe this) he had turned down ideas that would have pushed his character even father across the line. There was also unhappiness that Copani had turned down their request to head to Ohio Valley Wrestling after his character was written off following a PPV match at the Great American Bash PPV. Copani had been asked to go there to brush up on his in ring skills, but opted not to.

 

For those of you wondering where this leaves Khosrov Daivari, he debuted in OVW at last week's TV taping under the name Sheik Daivari. Daivari is thought of as a strong performer and is well liked, so the feeling is he'll return at some point down the line when the right slot opens up.

[Jobber of the Week 0]

I never understood the over-sensitivity to what's essentially good guys and bad guys. The good guys should be good, the bad guys should be bad.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

This is actually the problem.

 

The crowd wants to get behind a bad guy, after so many years of Austin and Corporate Champ Rock and Brock Lesnar The Unstoppable Monster. It's how Hollywood Rock and Heel Shawn Redux got more heat in their four week heel turns than anybody has gotten in years.

 

They need to make a "good bad guy." They had it with John Cena but they watered it down again.

[humongous2002 0]

Cheap heat or not Hassan was more over as a heel in less than a year than JBL or Orton will ever be in their entire lives.

[Stephen Joseph 0]

Cue SJ with the "Guys, I know Hassan" insider info.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

What? Not much insider info to be said here.

 

I really don't get the feeling he cares much for the WHHHHEEE anymore anyways.

[Papacita 0]

That's the point of wrestling, they won't want to just go on there way remembering the asshole, they'll want to see him get his ass kicked. Set it up so he will, and they'll pay to see it. It's wrestling 101 that's only questioned because of WWE's quasi-fabe production style.

 

Xpac heat has never been proven, numbers didn't drop as he was used, people didn't leave whenever he came out for a match, ratings didn't plummet when he hit the screen. It's a myth that people like to use when they don't want to admit that the heel they're in love with isn't really liked by anyone.

 

Heels are supposed to make people hate them so those same people in turn pay to see them get beat up. The basis of all pro wrestling. You put limitations on what a person can or can't do to be disliked, and the business would of been dead by now.

 

First off, I'm a little unsure of your point, so I apologize in advance if I'm misreading you, but from what I can gather, you're arguing that cheap heat is good as long as it encourages fans to pay to see a wrestler get beaten up. Is that right?

 

If so, I agree with this logic. If pulling an angle such as Hassan's brings more money into WWE's pocket, more power to them. But generally, cheap heat angles don't work in today's environment because nowadays just about everyone can see through the product and everybody knows that wrestling's "fake." People don't boo guys like Hassan because they legitimately hate him; they boo him because they're supposed to, and while it's nice to have some fan response as opposed to having none at all, until they round out his character and give fans something more to attach themselves to instead of the basic "USA, USA" stuff, these kinds of characters are always gonna fall flat. And shock angles like the terrorist deal are bad ideas anyway because they do more to put heat on the promotion than on an individual wrestler. Sending a guy out on TV and having him use "the n-word" won't make people hate him, it'll make people angry at WWE for "crossing the line", and while I'd probably pay good money if it meant a chance to see WWE creative get beaten up, people would be more likely to turn on the product rather than paying for the new show, which is--obviously--counterproductive. Basically, cheap heat isn't bad, but it's not what you should be looking for if your goal is to make money.

 

As for the Hassan situation, I think it's a shame since I was one of the few people who actually liked him when he was around. I didn't so much care for his gimmick (the basic premise was interesting, but it was all wrong in execution), I did like how they were able to keep him relatively strong in the beginning of the year without necessarily shoving him down our throats like they did in the past. I liked his program with Shawn for what it was (I marked for the Davari win) and I'd have loved to see a major I-C program between him and Shelton. It sucks that the terrorist thing basically ended his career, especially since it was so unnecessary in relation to his character.

[dubq 0]

Oh, so Copani is his real last name? I was wondering how people got Italian out of Magnus.

[KingPK 0]

If so, I agree with this logic. If pulling an angle such as Hassan's brings more money into WWE's pocket, more power to them. But generally, cheap heat angles don't work in today's environment because nowadays just about everyone can see through the product and everybody knows that wrestling's "fake."  People don't boo guys like Hassan because they legitimately hate him; they boo him because they're supposed to, and while it's nice to have some fan response as opposed to having none at all, until they round out his character and give fans something more to attach themselves to instead of the basic "USA, USA" stuff, these kinds of characters are always gonna fall flat. And shock angles like the terrorist deal are bad ideas anyway because they do more to put heat on the promotion than on an individual wrestler. Sending a guy out on TV and having him use "the n-word" won't make people hate him, it'll make people angry at WWE for "crossing the line", and while I'd probably pay good money if it meant a chance to see WWE creative get beaten up, people would be more likely to turn on the product rather than paying for the new show, which is--obviously--counterproductive.  Basically, cheap heat isn't bad, but it's not what you should be looking for if your goal is to make money.

 

Nail on the head. This isn't the 80s anymore, where a heel can be all "America? Ptui!" and the fans will sell out the arena to see Hulk Hogan beat him up because A) There is no Hulk Hogan to do that (even though WWE seemed to think so) and B) The majority of the fanbase is much smarter and often sees right through guys that are all style and no substance.

[2GOLD 0]

Hassan's character was confusing at the start but I thought it had great potential. You had this guy, who felt he was being discriminated against because of who he was, and he was fighting to get his fair shake. Which is what the gimmick SHOULD have been but the WWE writers couldn't handle subtle. It is either black or white, no room for grey area angles in the E.

 

Hassan was playing his character very well but the writers were screwing it up left and right. First that little JR, "Love it or leave it" bullshit and then when they sold out the character on Smackdown by going with the cheap heat Undertaker angle that ended it.

 

God knows what they wanted him to do, probably had an angle where he blows up the Undertaker's car.

 

Mark really wasn't that bad as a heel. He was almost the main one on Smackdown and it was working nicely I thought. But they just hung his character out to dry.

[Black Lushus 0]

I agree with 2Gold...the Rumble was a perfect example of what his character was and how fans and his opponents should deal with him...not as an Arab, but as a loud mouth punk who had yet to prove himself and needed to be put in his place...

[jester 0]

Hassan's character was confusing at the start but I thought it had great potential. You had this guy, who felt he was being discriminated against because of who he was, and he was fighting to get his fair shake. Which is what the gimmick SHOULD have been but the WWE writers couldn't handle subtle. It is either black or white, no room for grey area angles in the E.

 

They should have reversed all expectations by making him a face.

 

I've said this before, but I think he should have been portrayed as a wrestler who just happened to be Arab-American. Have the heel make the issue out of it, not Hassan.

 

Vince could then claim that he has one of the more classier and least stereotypical portrayals of a Muslim American character on TV.

 

But no. He had to go with the generic evil foreigner who wasn't really foreign.

[I like Forums 0]

Yeah but his company and fanbase would've looked like racist yokells if they made Hassan a face but the audience boo'ed him anyway because he's an Arab (or a bad worker). It wouldn't have looked good at all if his face push crashed and burned.

[Just John 0]

That would have been fine. If the fans turned on him, then Hassan could have gone into the character he had, but it would have actually made sense.

[Guest JMA]

Speaking of Copani, does anyone know if his article on Wikipedia is accurate? Check it out here.

 

The article says that only Copani's father is Italian, but that his mother is of Arab descent (and he was born in Jordan). Is this true or made up?

[Guest Trecko]

Speaking of Copani, does anyone know if his article on Wikipedia is accurate? Check it out here.

 

The article says that only Copani's father is Italian, but that his mother is of Arab descent (and he was born in Jordan). Is this true or made up?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

"His theme song, intended to be a stereotype of Arabic singing, often plays at unexpected moments when other characters on the show are conversing, often interrupting their conversation and harkening Hassan's arrival. This aspect was often parodied on YTMND."

 

LOL. Thank you for this site. Seeing them break down everything about him is consoling in the times of being an angry Jets fan.

 

"On June 20, Hassan and Daivari interrupted the promo of WWE Champion John Cena to complain about how Hassan was "screwed" out of the Intercontinental Title; Bischoff took the opportunity to "punish" Cena (for a perceived lack of respect to Bischoff) by booking him against Hassan in a WWE Title defense. However, Hassan's bad luck in title matches continued, as Cena dominated him in a one minute squash match, pinning him cleanly and thus ending his "unpinned" streak."

 

Ah, and the rage returns. That was such a STUPID fucking match. It served no purpose for either guy. They should've done with Hassan, what they're doing with Kennedy (which is the RIGHT thing to do when pushing someone as actually being worth shit but not wanting to make the opponent weak), in having him him beat top tier guys, even if he's not fueding with them, but pushing the top tier guy's fued in the process. Cena/Jericho/Christian were fueding, if I recall, and should've interfered in the match. Instead I think they beat him down after the fact. Completely dumb.

 

*sigh*

 

I miss Hassan. :\

[SuperJerk 0]

- On this week's Donny Deutsch show, Vince McMahon blamed Marc Copani for the failure of the Muhammad Hassan character. Said the WWE Chairman, "Really, the reason this character didn't work for us is because of the individual playing the character, more or less."

 

(Source: PWInsider.com)

 

http://www.lordsofpain.net/news/2005_/arti.../1128035913.php

 

 

Wow.

[Guest Coffey]

That's pitiful & disgusting.

[Guest JMA]

So, is Copani's mother really of Arab descent?

[cameron chaos 0]

No. I don't believe so.

 

Interesting part of the new Rhino interview in Power Slam magazine

 

"I came up with the Arab American gimmick. Stephanie asked me in 2004 why I was growing my beard and I told her I wanted to change my gimmick to someone who had converted to Islam. I'm from Detroit, Michigan and we have a huge Muslim population here so I know all about this and could research it properly. I wanted to convert, like Muhammad Ali did, change my name and do stuff with American heroes like Sgt. Slaughter. Easy heat. I had lots of ideas and everyone loved it, including Jim Rosss and Pat Patterson, but the writers said it was too touch of a subject to use religion. Then they did the whole Muhammad Hassan and Daivari thing..."

 

Seems Haas and Rhino are singing the same song about the writers. There's a few other interesting things he mentions in the interview such as his heat with Bruce Pritchard, what Vince said to him after the match in New York where the fans chanted boring and Vince brought out the divas, what his original gimmick was meant to be coming into the WWF and his thoughts on the "invisible camera" during backstage angles, if anyone cares I might scan it in later.

[HollywoodSpikeJenkins 0]

No. I don't believe so.

 

Interesting part of the new Rhino interview in Power Slam magazine

 

"I came up with the Arab American gimmick. Stephanie asked me in 2004 why I was growing my beard and I told her I wanted to change my gimmick to someone who had converted to Islam. I'm from Detroit, Michigan and we have a huge Muslim population here so I know all about this and could research it properly. I wanted to convert, like Muhammad Ali did, change my name and do stuff with American heroes like Sgt. Slaughter. Easy heat. I had lots of ideas and everyone loved it, including Jim Rosss and Pat Patterson, but the writers said it was too touch of a subject to use religion. Then they did the whole Muhammad Hassan and Daivari thing..."

 

Seems Haas and Rhino are singing the same song about the writers. There's a few other interesting things he mentions in the interview such as his heat with Bruce Pritchard, what Vince said to him after the match in New York where the fans chanted boring and Vince brought out the divas, what his original gimmick was meant to be coming into the WWF was meant to be and his thoughts on the "invisible camera" during backstage angles, if anyone cares I might scan it in later.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

 

Sounds like an interesting read. Please scan it.

[Special K 0]

I think jester's idea for a face Hassan gimmick would have been pretty tremendous.

 

As to Vince blaming the worker for the failure of the angle, it's so fucking wrong. He may be implicit, but he gave decent interviews and wrestled shitty matches, the most any WWE wrestler can be expected to do now. Yeah, it's his fault he did that angle with UT. Not the writers'. It's so fucking fantastic that they gave him the camel clutch as a finisher. They could have given him a good finisher like the Dominator and called it 'the dirty camel-fucker'. Whatever. I'm over it. I haven't watched the WWE since the UT angle. Not so much for the angle, which I mantain was really distasteful, so much as WWE is fucking BORING.

[Guest MikeSC]

That's pitiful & disgusting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe --- but how many people here griped about his poor work in the ring?

[muzz 0]

That's pitiful & disgusting.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

Maybe --- but how many people here griped about his poor work in the ring?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

It's the WWE's responsibility for finding a reasonable worker for their gimmick, if he wasn't ready, he wasn't ready.

[Guest MikeSC]

Wasn't that, technically, Vince's statement? Not that the gimmick was poor, but that the guy behind it was a problem?

[SilverPhoenix 0]

Wasn't that, technically, Vince's statement? Not that the gimmick was poor, but that the guy behind it was a problem?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

The thing is, while his work in the ring was definetely questionable, at best (downright bad, at worst), he did pretty well, with what was given to him (assuming and considering that he would have no creative control), which was pretty cliche and stereotypical. It wasn't until the "Terrorist" incident on the Undertaker that the gimmick became a problem. Otherwise they would've had him co-headlining Summer Slam.

 

Seems like Vince is trying to absolve himself of the failure of this gimmick, and trying to put it on Copani, while the truth is...everyone is more or less responsible to varying degrees (Yes, I put most of the blame on Creative and Vince.)

[Guest MikeSC]

They couldn't have had him co-headline SS. People were griping about him long before then.

[SilverPhoenix 0]

They couldn't have had him co-headline SS. People were griping about him long before then.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I know that they were, but depending on who you beleived, UT was going to do the job at the GAB. And even if people were griping about him (which they were, and I was one of those people due to the stereotypical crap of the gimmick, not the person doing said gimmick.), it seemed like to me that they were committed to making Hassan a player on Smackdown, giving him a spot in the mythical title match, and giving him significant promo time.

 

Maybe its just me.

[muzz 0]

Wasn't that, technically, Vince's statement? Not that the gimmick was poor, but that the guy behind it was a problem?

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

I can see that he's saying Hassan's ability was a problem, but they took the risk of using him, otherwise Magnus/Hassan would still be down working on that in OVW. I agree that it was a problem, of course, but Vince just seems to be looking for a excuse that doesn't fall on the writing staff or whatever, when they really just cocked it up.

[Guest Trecko]

No. I don't believe so.

 

Interesting part of the new Rhino interview in Power Slam magazine

 

"I came up with the Arab American gimmick. Stephanie asked me in 2004 why I was growing my beard and I told her I wanted to change my gimmick to someone who had converted to Islam. I'm from Detroit, Michigan and we have a huge Muslim population here so I know all about this and could research it properly. I wanted to convert, like Muhammad Ali did, change my name and do stuff with American heroes like Sgt. Slaughter. Easy heat. I had lots of ideas and everyone loved it, including Jim Rosss and Pat Patterson, but the writers said it was too touch of a subject to use religion. Then they did the whole Muhammad Hassan and Daivari thing..."

 

Seems Haas and Rhino are singing the same song about the writers. There's a few other interesting things he mentions in the interview such as his heat with Bruce Pritchard, what Vince said to him after the match in New York where the fans chanted boring and Vince brought out the divas, what his original gimmick was meant to be coming into the WWF and his thoughts on the "invisible camera" during backstage angles, if anyone cares I might scan it in later.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

 

 

Hmm. Definitely sounds interesting. And I'm more inclined to believe Rhino at this point considering they did bill Hassan as from Detroit, Michigan, which would go along with what Rhino said. That sounds pretty fucked.

 

*waits for this to be scanned*

[Guest JMA]

No. I don't believe so.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I'm pretty sure the Wikipedia article is accurate. Copani's profile on Obsessed With Wrestling has him listed as originally being from Jordan, just like the Wikipedia article. It looks like he has Arab blood, in addition to Italian.

 

Does this make him an Italian-Arab-American?

[Guest JMA]

For the record, I think Rhino's idea would've worked better. They could've given him Daivari as well.