Former WWE Superstar Muhammad Hassan has confirmed the long-standing rumor that he was scheduled to defeat Batista to win the World Heavyweight Championship at SummerSlam 2005. He described the moment the plans were changed as “devastating” and “tragic,” a heartbreak that caused him to step away from the wrestling world for a decade.
A “Devastating” Heartbreak
At the height of his controversial run, Hassan was one of the top heels in the company and on a path to the main event. Speaking on The A2theK Wrestling Show, he opened up about the emotional toll of having his championship victory taken away.
“I was aware that that was the idea. It was a different level of heartbreak. It was almost, almost made me kind of numb and out of body in the sense that it was, it was devastating to think that I had worked so hard and come so far. I don’t really know how to describe it. I mean, I know there’s people in this world that have faced a lot greater tragedy than that, but from my perspective, it was pretty tragic. And I think the way it felt was I wanted to crawl into a hole and hide for 10 years, which is basically what I did, because it was hard to get over not being the world champion.”
Making the Most of a “Sh–ty Situation”
Hassan, who would have become the youngest World Champion in WWE history, explained that he was in shock for years but has since made peace with the situation and used the failure as a learning experience to build a successful life outside of wrestling.
“It would have been validation for all the hard work and dedication that I had put in and all the sacrifice that I made and my family made over the years. So when that was taken away from me, I don’t think I recognized it at first, because I was just so numb that it was almost like I was in shock for years, reflecting back on it now, it would have been cool, but everything that I did and everything that happened back then led me to this moment at some point, and for some reason… It’s what you make of it that’s important, not that it happened, it’s how you handle it and what you make of it. And so, you know, I’ve tried my best to make the most out of a shitty situation, and then I think I have succeeded… It was a shock, but I’ve moved past it. I’ve gotten over it, and I’m a lot better for it. I’ll tell you that.”
After his wrestling career was cut short, Hassan, whose real name is Marc Copani, went on to become a school principal and is now a Director of Human Resources in the Syracuse, New York area. His story was recently featured on Vice TV’s Dark Side of the Ring.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit The A2theK Wrestling Show with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
