Muhammad Hassan (wrestler)

Muhammad Hassan (born Marc Julian Copani on November 7, 1981) is a retired American professional wrestler. He is best known for his controversial character in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) in 2004 and 2005.

Hassan debuted in WWE's developmental territory, Ohio Valley Wrestling (OVW), before being called up to the main roster on the December 2, 2004, episode of Raw. He was portrayed as an Arab-American who, along with his manager Khosrow Daivari, was frustrated with the prejudice and stereotyping he faced in the aftermath of the September 11th attacks.

His character quickly generated heat, often interrupting matches to deliver impassioned promos about his perceived mistreatment. This led to feuds with established stars such as Chris Benoit, Edge, and Shawn Michaels. Hassan's matches often featured Daivari interfering, and he also frequently employed the use of masked men, seemingly of Middle Eastern descent, to aid him.

The character became embroiled in significant controversy following an episode of SmackDown! aired on July 7, 2005. In the segment, Hassan led several masked men in prayer on the ramp, before the masked men attacked The Undertaker. This segment aired on the same day as the 7/7 London bombings, sparking widespread outrage and accusations of insensitivity.

Following the controversy, WWE significantly toned down Hassan's character, and he was quickly written off television. He was "defeated" by The Undertaker at The Great American Bash on July 24, 2005, in what would be his final match for the company. The character was effectively buried after this loss.

Copani subsequently retired from professional wrestling, citing burnout and the negative impact of the Hassan character on his personal life. He later pursued a career in education, becoming a teacher. While he made brief wrestling-related appearances in later years, his professional wrestling career effectively ended in 2005.