Posted on 02/28/2005 5:13:35 PM PST by quidnunc
Every once in a while, this great city, which spends a lot of its time being ever so cosmopolitan and knowing about the rest of America, shows you something truly foreign and inimitable from the mother country.
Last week, it was "Muhammad Hassan", a brand new character in World Wrestling Entertainment, appearing at Madison Square Garden for the first time. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) is the current form of WWF, that very American invention of waxy, muscle-bound men in tight leggings who pretend to fight each other in front of large, baying crowds.
Muhammad Hassan's shtick is that he is an Arab-American who has become embittered by the treatment of Arabs in the US and around the world since 9/11. He travels the country, performing in WWE "Raw" (one of the sport's two divisions) berating fans for their prejudice against his people and fighting "loyal American" wrestlers to show his anger.
Hassan, who in real life is Mark Copani, an Italian American from upstate New York, made his debut on January 9 with his manager Khosrow Daivari (real name Shawn Daivari). Since then he has been undefeated in singles matches and has dumped his original costume of business attire for a keffiyeh and a pair of black underpants and knee-guards adorned with gold, Arabic letters. According to WWE, he is only going to become "more and more pedantic" in pursuing his Arab identity as time goes on. As Gary Davis, vice president of corporate communications for WWE told me, Hassan has "really gone off the deep end".
What, is the Iron Sheik busy?
this is so silly it hurts my brain.
then again, that is an operational definition of the entirety of pro-wrasslin'
He's with Nikolai Bolkoff, at the local buffet.
IIRC, I think he died in real life, and where is Sgt. Slaughter?
What movie was Tora Tonoka(sp) in?
Hated Sheik dead at 76 DETROIT (AP) -- The Sheik is dead.Professional wrestling villain Edward (The Sheik) Farhat pioneered the "hardcore" school that dominates the field today, and generations of fans loved to hate him.
He died Saturday in Williamston near Lansing at age 76 of heart failure, said his son, Edward Farhat Jr.
Jan. 20, 2003: Full story
My dad took us to wrestling starting when we were about 5, 6...my first memories were of Sweet Brown Sugar and Jimmy Superfly Snuka with Mean Gene Okerlund hosting Florida Championship Wrestling.
I dont remember what movie he was in...
I'll say a fake prayer.
Where is Haystacks Calhoun?
I remember Atlantic wrestling in the late 70's and early 80's.... Steve Patapaw, Nature Boy Nelson, the Cuban Assasin, the Great Molumba... these guys would go to the pub and drink together afterwards. It was a riot, and, IMO, a lot more fun when it was small and local.
Aw, C'mon. I'm in the Lansing area and I knew his wife Joyce Farhat. The Shiek owned Big Time Wrestling in the '70s, and she would bring all of his old videotapes to our Cable Television Public Access Studios in the 1990's to air on the public access channel. I'll say a real prayer.
Yeah, it was a different feel back then...
But, of course, when I was a kid, I was convinced it was real, and when I heard so and so wrestler was seen playing cards with so and so enemy wrestler, I became upset.
What about Bobo Mongrel? I thought he was an Arab.
Kamala, the Ugandad Giant...I'm sure had never been to Uganda, or knew where it was on the map.
Bring back Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling! The Mighty Igor, Baron Von Raske (the king!), Jimmy "Superfly" Snukka, Ricky Steamboat, Arn and Ole Anderson, The Samoans, Rufus "Freight Train" Jones, Junkyard Dog...those were the days.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.