Mark Copani was officially released on 9/21, with the Wrestling Observer reporting that WWE is saying Copani turned down going to OVW or Deep South to work on a new gimmick, which was reportedly as a masked Mexican luchador. A wrestler close to Copani apparently told WWE that he was hoping to be fired and then sue WWE for wrongful termination, so WWE is happy to have resolved this without any messy legal issues. They reportedly gave him a lump sum from his contract in exchange for the promise not to sue. Copani had heat with WWE who felt he turned down angles they asked him to do, and they felt that the worker, not the gimmick, was what led to it failing. At one point it was planned for not only Muhammed Hassan to face Batista at Summerslam for the World Title, but also for Steve Austin to come out of retirement to face him. This was of course before UPN ordered him off SD. He’s currently trying to get work in Hollywood, while Daivari is working at OVW and will likely come to RAW eventually.
Credit: Wrestling Observer Newsletter (click here for subscription information)
