Former WWE Superstar reveals identity of masked man involved in controversial Undertaker segment leading to a firing
The Undertaker has been involved in many feuds during his illustrious career. One such angle ended in a distasteful fashion through no fault of anyone involved. The feud between The Deadman and Muhammad Hassan was forced to end prematurely due to terrorist attacks in London.
In 2005, Muhammad Hassan was scheduled to feud with The Undertaker, with the two locking heads at the Great American Bash. In the build to that match, Teddy Long pitted Daivari in a one-on-one match against The Deadman on an episode of WWE SmackDown.
The match saw Daivari lose to The Undertaker on a pre-taped episode of the blue brand. After the match, Hassan began praying on the ramp, calling out five masked men to assault Taker. One of the masked men pulled out a piano wire and choked him out.
Unfortunately for Hassan, the episode was aired after the London bombings took place. Hassan's character came across as distasteful, and he was written off TV and eventually released from the company. Speaking to WrestlingNews.co, Mike Knox addressed the segment and delved into why WWE went ahead with it anyway.
"It was probably one of the higher-rated shows that year, you know what I mean? Telling people to watch out because something crazy is gonna happen." (3:34)
During his conversation, Knox also revealed the name of the man who used a piano wire to ensure The Undertaker passed out.
"That was Val – Val Venis," said Knox. (0:36)
How did WWE make The Undertaker take care of Muhammad Hassan?
Muhammad Hassan received a lot of flak for what happened on the episode of WWE SmackDown. He tried explaining himself, but the video was not allowed to air on TV, leaving very little room for the audience to acknowledge what had happened.
Terrorists led by Muhammad Hassan attack The Undertaker 😬 https://t.co/RFuCXw4ZXi
Hassan went on to face the WWE Hall Of Famer at the Great American Bash. At the PLE, The Deadman beat Hassan and sent him through the stage with a Last Ride. It was reported that he had sustained many injuries and was eventually written off the show.