Muhammad Hassan discusses his brief return to the ring.
In 2018, Hassan shocked the world of wrestling by competing in three seperate matches for The Dynasty, an independent promotion in New York.
This was a huge return for Hassan, who hadn't wrestled in 13 years at that point. In a new interview with Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp, Hassan recalled doing some interviews that led him back to the ring.
"Yeah, it kind of did. Again, I hadn't talked about it. I had a really good interview with them. They were great. It really gave me a lot of perspective on myself and what I had been doing for the last decade or so. Someone reached out to me after that interview and asked if I wanted to come and do an appearance, which I hadn't done a lot of appearances at that point. I really still haven't, but it was local and it was kind of like, ‘Okay, I'll come to an appearance.’ When you got there, you always bring your ring gear. I got in and I had been in a ring in a long time. So I got in with some of the kids that were down there, rolled around a bit and he offered me a match and it was just that spontaneous. I was like, ‘Sure.’ I had no intention of making a comeback. I wasn't trying to break the internet. It was just like, ‘You know what? It’s a Saturday night. I haven't wrestled in a decade. Let's see if I could still do it.’ From that point, I did one or two more matches with some of local talent. But that was it. I don't have any plans of going back. But yeah, that interview kind of springboarded my desire to kind of get in the ring and just relive it a little bit. It was fun. I'm glad I did."
Hassan then talked about some of the public praise of his look, with many fans saying that he looks great for his age.
"It's funny because I'm 45 and I've kind of grown up working out and nutrition and I've always been very big on that even when I was in college, I used to write down everything I ate and calculate my protein, my carbs, my fat. So I appreciate that compliment. I will tell you that I can run in a straight line and I can lift weights and anything that deviates from those two very simple things, I will be popping joints and falling down. I mean, I'm pretty sure I have a broken foot right now from playing basketball with my son. A broken finger. It's just the older I've gotten, the less time I have to dedicate to some of more important things to staying agile and in ring shape such as stretching, things like that, but, I still enjoy working out. I still enjoy running and I still enjoy the nutritional aspect of it. So physically, for all aesthetic purposes, I look like I'm in great shape, but to be in ring shape, to be able to go, and to be able to get in there and move, it's a whole other beast. I don't think I would last very long in a ring today."
Hassan went on to talk about some of the differences between wrestling on the independent scene and in WWE.
"I felt okay. The rings are a little different. They're a little smaller. So they're a little stiffer. The first couple of bumps, like anytime you do it again, it jars you a little bit. I didn't bump a lot. This was seven years ago still, but the fact that I was older and being a baby face, I didn't have to do a lot of bumping and feeding like I would as a heel. So I felt pretty good. Definitely been some lagging injuries and I was in wrestling for such a short time. If you look at guys who I came up with, Randy Orton and John Cena, and those guys, I don't know how they pull themselves out of bed every day. I've had two neck surgeries, actually three in the last year, and I was only in wrestling for five years. The amount of punishment that you put your body through, it really takes a toll after a while. Like I said, I was very fortunate that I was out of there pretty quick. I can’t imagine some of these guys. I've experienced it. I've seen some of my friends and when you're younger and you watch some of the older veterans kind of get up and walk around and you see the pain that they're in, it just becomes part of your day. But at the same time, I could not imagine getting in the ring three or four days a week at 45 years old like some of the guys that I see do it."
Fans can check out Fightful's full interview with Muhammad Hassan in the video linked at the top of this article.
Also, check out our YouTube channel to watch other interviews with stars like Gabe Kidd, Prince Nana, Steve Maclin, Daria Berenato, and more.
