Mark Henry reveals surprising reason for leaving WWE for AEW

WWE Hall of Famer and current AEW star Mark Henry has said that he had something to prove by making the jump from WWE to AEW.

The World's Strongest Man signed with Tony Khan's promotion back in 2021 shortly after making his debut at that year's Double or Nothing pay-per-view. Aside from his role as a talent scout and coach, Henry has lent his talents as a commentator and conducts the weekly main event interviews for AEW Rampage. It was here where he coined his catchphrase, "It's Time For The Main Event."

Henry also had an accomplished career with WWE, but there was one role he wanted to play that the company wouldn't allow him to. He told the Attitude Era podcast that jumping to AEW was a message to prove that he had what it took to be on the executive side of a major wrestling company.

"I never went back and forth. I left [WWE] after I retired. I wanted to be more on the executive side, they wouldn't hire me on the executive side. I didn't have enough experience, the technical education, and going to AEW proved that I knew what I was doing. I was helping other people at WWE with their jobs. People were like, 'Hey, man, can you help me with this?' I was always helping. When it came to scouting, I could see something and go, 'That's not right. Fix that, fix that,' and then it was good," said Henry. (H/T Wrestling Inc.)

Henry signed a multi-year contract when he joined AEW.

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Mark Henry recently named AEW star as the best heel in the business

Mark Henry knows a thing or two about being a heel. During his world title run in WWE, Henry would induct wrestlers into his Hall of Pain, which included him targeting top stars to get his point across.

The World's Strongest Man recently spoke about AEW World Champion MJF, stating that The Salt of the Earth is his choice for best heel in the business because he remains true to himself and doesn't give in to what fans want. MJF recently made headlines for throwing a drink on a young fan at AEW Revolution.

A rub from Mark Henry is certainly enough to solidify a wrestler as a top guy. Do you agree with Henry choosing MJF? Sound off in the comments below.