What WWE Star Was Told When They Were Banned From TV
Controversial WWE star Muhammad Hassan has recalled the moment he knew he wouldn’t be seen on TV again.
Muhammad Hassan had a short but memorable run in WWE from 2004-2005. From his debut, Hassan was outspoken about the treatment of Arab Americans in the US in the years following the September 11th attacks and claimed to be held back in the company due to prejudice. The character also raised the ire of other stars by interrupting their promos to make his own.
After feuds with the likes of John Cena, Hulk Hogan, and Batista, Hassan began targeting The Undertaker. During the rivalry, Undertaker defeated Hassan’s manager, Daivari. Following the bout, Hassan summon masked men who attacked The Phenom with clubs and piano wire before carrying Daivari over their heads out of the arena. The angle took place on a pre-recorded episode of SmackDown on July 7th, 2005, the same date that a terrorist atrocity took place in London, England, resulting in the loss of 56 lives.
While the segment was removed from the UK broadcast of the show, it was shown unedited in the US and Canada. There was a widespread backlash to the storyline and UPN, which aired SmackDown, ordered the removal of Hassan from WWE TV.
Muhammad Hassan Recalls Finding Out He Was Being Removed From WWE TV
Hassan recounted his final days in WWE during a recent interview with Chris Van Vliet. The star says he wasn’t sure what would happen in the aftermath of the angle, but knew the writing was on the wall when Johnny Ace advised him not to go through with a house purchase.
“So I remember when we didn’t know where we were gonna go with it. I remember when they were getting a lot of pressure, the character was gonna change or come off TV. I remember talking to Johnny Ace, who was head of talent relations at the time, and I was like any idea what’s going on? I said something like I’m about to buy a house and he’s like, don’t buy the house.
“That’s when I knew, I was like okay, and I didn’t know what’s gonna happen after that. But after that, it was pretty quick. We couldn’t be on TV anymore. We did the pay-per-view with Undertaker in Buffalo and that was it. They wouldn’t even put the character back on TV in any capacity.”
Hassan’s final match in the company came at the 2005 Great American Bash. There, The Undertaker defeated Hassan before giving him a Last Ride through the stage, writing him off TV for good.
As well as ending Hassan’s career in the company, one WWE writer quit over the terrorist-linked storyline.
H/T to Inside The Ropes for the above transcription.