In 1996, a young, innocent, baby-faced kid entered the professional wrestling world at the height of the most competitive era in the history of the sport, The Monday Night Wars. Right after he competed at the 1996 Summer Games, Vince McMahon and his World Wrestling Federation signed the 24-year-old prodigy to a ten-year contract, hoping his strength and Olympic background would translate into money in the ring and now, some 20 years later, it appears that signing was indeed a good investment.
Throughout his career, Mark Henry has been up and he's been down, but never out. He's been the type to embrace any situation, regardless of the ridiculousness involved, and he would own it. While some, including this writer, feel that Mark hasn't won nearly enough championships over the course of his career thus far, it's important to note that Mark Henry is the type of superstar who is not defined by the number of title reigns.
I believe that in the future, when fans look back and analyze the history of this great industry, Mark Henry will be remembered and revered for his contributions in the ring, not just by championship belts he attempted to strap around his 54-inch waist.
So, that brings me to the million dollar question, is Mark Henry worthy of one day entering the WWE Hall of Fame? My short answer to that question, is YES! But now, allow me to elaborate as I give you 10 reasons why that once his career has concluded, Mark Henry will get that very nod.
10. Longevity
I recently read several studies that were done on professional wrestler averages. The studies ranged everywhere from the number of title reigns to average wins per year. However, the one study that stuck out, was the average career length for each professional wrestler. The average this particular study came up with, was 7 years, and that was being generous. Essentially, the study stated that the average number of years that each wrestler was competing at a professional level, was roughly seven years.
With this in mind, Mark Henry surpassed 20 years of being with the WWE, this year. I know that today's wrestlers have access to more modern studies, medical expertise and so on. But, very few compete at the highest level as long as Mark Henry has, and just as he said before..."there's still a lot of gas left in the tank."
9. There's not just one "Olympic Hero!"
Let's face it; when wrestling fans think about the connection between the Olympics and pro wrestling, the first name to come to mind, is Kurt Angle and rightfully so. However, Mark Henry 'ain't no slouch when it comes to Olympic exposure.
Mark came into the WWE, fresh off of his appearance at the 1996 Summer Games. He's also represented the United States in the Pan-American Games, where he's won Gold, Silver, and Bronze. Henry also competed at the 2002 Arnold Strongman Classic, where he finished first overall.
Mark has a laundry list of other instances in which he proudly represented the Stars and Stripes with the utmost pride.
8. Nation of Domination
During the famed Attitude Era, no other faction was quite as relentless and menacing as the Nation of Domination. Backed by their motto, "by any means necessary," The Nation held back on no one and lived up to that very motto.
In 1998, Henry turned on his friend, Ken Shamrock and became the newest member of the Nation of Domination. For the next two years, Henry would serve as the unofficial muscle and enforcer for this legendary stable.
7. Company Man
Most people despise that term, but not in this context. WWE writers have thrown every type of silly storyline possible at Mark Henry. In a business fueled by enormous ego's, most would have snarled at the idea of taking on some of the tasks which were tossed at Mark. But, not Mark.
In fact, he not only accepted and owned insane angles, such as the Mae Young, "Hand Henry" storyline, but he made these crazy angles work. He also found a way to minimize the cringe factor and turn these storylines into pure entertainment, regardless of how ridiculous they truly were.
6. The Hall of Pain Era
Throughout the mid-2000's, Mark Henry went on a complete warpath. Week after week, Henry began inducting WWE Superstars into his infamous, yet menacing Hall of Pain. He became the most intimidating force in professional wrestling, despite not necessarily being a top title contender.
At this point in his career, the mission was about much more than championship gold. It was about hurting people. Period.
5. ECW Championship
In 2008, Mark Henry was drafted to WWE's watered down version of ECW. His first match under the ECW banner was a Triple Threat Match versus Big Show and Kane, for the ECW Championship. In that ECW debut bout, Henry came out on top, winning his first recognize world title, the ECW Championship.
Sure, ECW was years removed from its prime, but the company made an attempt to do whatever they could to continue celebrating the brand. Mark Henry was an intricate part of that attempt and he surely gave it all he could.
4. True Brand Ambassador
Throughout the years, a select number of WWE superstars have been selected to represent the company in one way or another. Mark Henry was selected this year, to be WWE's brand ambassador for the Rio Olympic Games.
Not only has Mark served as the Olympic ambassador, but he has taken on the responsibility, unofficially, on multiple occasions to provide a positive example all over the world. Mark is an example of someone who has done things the right way, throughout his entire career. Whether it be an anti-bullying campaign, the Special Olympics or something like Make-A-Wish, Mark Henry has always been a positive example for others to live by.
3. World's Strongest Man...no, seriously!
It's been his catchphrase from day one, "The Worlds Strongest Man." But for Mark Henry, it's more than just a moniker, it's a reality. At the 2002 Arnold Classic, Arnold Schwarzenegger himself stated that Mark Henry was the strongest man he's ever met. Throughout his weightlifting/powerlifting career, Henry set and shattered a number of world records as well.
Also, multiple publications have mentioned Mark Henry as one of the strongest men on the planet. In fact, Flex Magazine did an article entitled "10 Strongest Humans To Ever Walk The Earth." Mark Henry finished number 2 in that particular ranking.
During Mark’s time as an Olympian and amateur weightlifter/powerlifter, he set and broke a plethora of national and world records. To this day, some still stand, but even at the ripe old age of 45, I wouldn't want to test his strength!
2. World Heavyweight Champion
As it stands, when he retires, Mark Henry will have only two Championships under his belt, that were recognized as true world titles- the ECW Championship and the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Of course, he also held the European Championship as well, but of all of the mentioned title reigns, the WWE World Heavyweight Championship reign will undoubtedly be his biggest achievement.
Mark defeated Randy Orton at the 2011 Night of Champions pay-per-view, to capture the World Heavyweight Championship. Mark became the first African-American to win this title during his 15 years with the company, at this particular time. He also became the fifth African-American in history, to win the World Heavyweight Title overall.
1. W.S.S. - Worlds Strongest Swerve!
It was the heel swerve heard 'round the world. On June 17, 2013, the wrestling world awoke to a massive amount of re-tweets, re-posts and other congratulatory remarks about Mark Henry and his alleged retirement announcement. Throughout the day, Mark convinced most of the world, including this writer, that he was indeed walking away from the business. Some of the tweets he sent out that day included:
To Magic Johnson: "Hey Ervin, don't miss my retirement tonight on USA Network Raw is war."
To The Rock: "Bro, don't miss the show tonight, time has come."
About two hours prior to Raw, Mark tweeted the following: "I know everyone wants answers, too emotional. Give me a few.”
Needless to say, by the time Raw went live, the entire wrestling world was convinced Mark Henry was calling it quits. True to the integrity of Kayfabe, Henry bamboozled the whole world.
When the time had finally come, the then WWE Champion John Cena called Mark Henry to the ring. As the World's Strongest Man made his way to the ring, dappered down in a sharp, salmon colored suit, fans throughout the arena cheered and chanted for Mark Henry, for what they assumed to be one final time....not so fast, my friend!
In one of the most brilliant heel moments ever televised, Mark Henry planted Cena on the canvas, hoisted the belt high in the air and proclaimed: "I still gotta lot of gas in the tank!" It was the most flawlessly executed swerves these two eyes have ever witnessed. In an instant, Henry went from being adored by the masses, to having a tanker truck load of heat. The way he pulled that one off, all while incorporating the social media world throughout the day, it was something that will likely never be duplicated.
In Conclusion....
Mark Henry isn't someone who has always been on top and he's certainly lost more than his first share of matches. However, throughout his two decades with the WWE, he's always been relevant. Not many wrestlers can say, or will ever be able to say they collected a WWE paycheck for 20 consecutive years. He's seen them come and he has definitely seen them go, but all the while, he's always found a way to keep his spot with the company. That in itself is an accomplishment all alone.
Just like in 2006, when Mark set his sights higher than ever. During a March, 2006 episode of Smackdown, Henry made a run-in during a title bout between The Undertaker and Kurt Angle, resulting in a DQ, which infuriated The Deadman. One week after attacking the Phenom, Mark found himself challenged to a casket match at Wrestlemania 22, against The Undertaker. Despite a losing effort, it was yet another monumental moment for Mark Henry. The mere fact alone that Henry figured out a way to enter a feud with one of the greatest of all time, at one of his best periods of his career, it was an achievement worthy of praise all alone.
Henry isn't someone who is loved by all. In fact, most who read this will likely not have Mark Henry atop their list of all-time favorites. As for me, I can recall three instances in which I met him in person and each of those times, he was extremely polite to me and the other fans around. Nevertheless, Mark Henry is absolutely a Superstar who deserves your respect, at the very least.
Mark Henry has always been up for whatever challenge that came his way. Whether it were main event feuds or need for someone to play mop-up duty and job out for an up-and-coming talent, he's always stepped up to the plate.
It's obvious that Mark Henry is in his final chapter of what has been a storied career. With that in mind, I, personally look forward to seeing what he is capable of doing as an NXT coach, should he take that route as expected. I believe Mark has a wealth of knowledge to pass on to future generations. Regardless of his future intentions, Mark Henry has always been one of those who does things the right way and leads by example.
For generations to come, fans and future superstars alike will be grateful for the tremendous effort put forth, as well as the contributions made by the future Hall of Famer, The Worlds Strongest Man....Mark Henry.
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