The Undertaker was a part of several amazing moments in WWE history. Sadly, a couple of them are not remembered too fondly, and one of them is not re-aired for a very politically incorrect purpose.
Muhammad Hassan was as an Arab-American character who expressed frustration and anger towards the negative portrayal of Muslims in America, particularly in the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks. Muhammad Hassan’s character was designed to challenge stereotypes and provoke conversations about prejudice and discrimination. While initially generating attention for his controversial storylines, including confrontations with other wrestlers and confrontational promos, the character was ultimately phased out due to concerns over its portrayal and the sensitive nature of the subject matter.
Mike Knox recently spoke to Wrestling News about how the London bombings ruining Muhammad Hassan’s WWE career after his angle with The Undertaker, and how he was the man under that mask, before everything was pulled.
“Wrong place, wrong time brother. It was instant. It was like one of the next shows, I think, or maybe a couple of weeks later. We’re gonna powerbomb this fool through the stage and we’re never gonna see him again…Thanks Mr. Taker…Yeah, it’s Dude, like you were saying [it was] to close too close to home, you know, like too real.”
Before that show started, WWE aired a warning about the segment. Mike Knox gave his theory on why WWE aired the segment even though it was taped a couple of days before. He said, “It was probably one of the highest-rated shows that year, you know I mean, telling people to watch out because something crazy is gonna happen.”
The Undertaker will be remembered for a lot of things, but his story with Muhammad Hassan will never be touched on by WWE again. They won’t even draw attention to the gimmick in a highlight video, so it’s safe to say that one if locked away in the vault.
We will have to see if The Undertaker ever makes another memory in the ring. Odds are, he won’t be involved with another angle that is half as controversial as Muhammad Hassan’s story.
What’s your take on Muhammad Hassan in WWE? Did the company make a mistake by pulling the character? Sound off in the comments!
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