Ultimately, Copani would go from being a fan to being drawn to pursue wrestling as a career, following an introduction to Ohio Valley Wrestling and its budding superstars, thanks to dirtsheets and the rise of the internet. He’d deepen his wrestling knowledge thanks to a college roommate who had a library of old tapes as far back as the 1970s, taking him from appreciative fan to a student of the craft with a desire to seek out the next level.

“I truly fell in love with the art form of wrestling and so it went from ‘I kind of want to do this,’ to ‘I love this, maybe I’ll do it,’ to ‘I’m gonna do this,'” he explained. “And facing another year in college, or at least another year, or taking a chance and packing up all my things and moving to Louisville, I chose to take a chance on myself and that’s how I ended up in Louisville.”

Copani would enjoy a run as OVW Heavyweight Champion before WWE came calling in 2004 looking for someone to portray the Hassan character and the rest is history. While his time as Hassan in WWE only lasted a short while, released from his contract a little less than a year after his debut, his run was a memorable one and the character is remembered as one of the most hated in recent history.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit The False Finish with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.