One really couldn’t think of a greater moral compass for a wrestling company than Bryan Danielson. He by all accounts, has the perfect balance of life – one that exists outside of wrestling (which is pretty key if we’re being honest – wrestlers and fans alike). He’s got a family to keep him grounded, causes to be an advocate for and plenty of books to read. He can disassociate from pro wrestling, a career he’s still absolutely passionate about, but bring in out of the ring elements for better synergy.

Even that considered, he’s a team player, extremely considerate and a modern wrestling oracle to pick the brain of. You factor in Jerry Lynn, those two are the ultimate good cops.

You need a bad cop.

A heavy. Someone who doesn’t take any kind of nonsense, looks at the bottom line for what it is. Does “they” or “their actions” or what they’re doing help the growth of the company? If they don’t do such, cut whatever fat there may be. There should be two credible sheriffs in town and that “bad cop” onus should not be burdened upon one of your top on-air talents.

That’s also not saying Tony Khan should recruit a “yes man, either. Being a billionaire, he’s probably got a few already and they’re certainly not helping to grow the product. However, if Tony could take himself out of the equation, and put the trust in the team he’s assembled, he would do wonders for his company. A company that quite frankly, is failing to hit its mark in certain ways.

In addition to a heavy, there’s so many established names who could help better the promotion if he gave them full autonomy to regulate like Nate Dogg and Warren G. And instead of just one, why not make it two? Here are some “tag teams” behind the scenes that Tony Khan could utilize (two of which who currently aren’t under contract).

Jake Roberts & Arn Anderson

Who was equally excited and intrigued at the possibility of Jake Roberts back with a pro wrestling company? Who was also equally disappointed that Arn wasn’t made the most of during his tenure here? Both he and his son Brock were not re-signed when their contracts expired and it feels like a missed opportunity by Tony Khan on both names, who seemed to only associate them with Cody Rhodes’ time here.

How much could that young talent learn from “The Snake” or “The Enforcer”when it comes to promo skills, ring psychology and real life problems?

Re-sign the Andersons and designate Arn and Jake as your Dusty Rhodes to your NXT. Let them filter through the good and the bad before they’re Dynamite ready and don’t let anybody tell them “no” either.

Jeff Jarrett & Jim Ross

Tony Khan admittedly says he overworks himself and that’s why Bryan Danielson appointed Jimmy Jacobs to help as an assistant. Khan did tap into wrestling history when he signed Jeff Jarrett, first as a talent and then as the Senior Vice President of Live Events, but Double J wears a lot of hats. Khan has shown the capability of laying out a great (albeit very long) PPV, but weekly television programming is another story. Actually sometimes there’s so many stories it’s hard to pin good ones down, especially if you’re a casual viewer.

Allowing Jarrett and JR (who currently is away from television), to be your ultimate booking brain trust lends your company to the old school booking mindset, a structure AEW truly needs. Paring two names who learned from the best in the territory days is really only going to help a show that’s too fast-paced and too cluttered.

Karen Jarrett & Mickie James

If you watch the AEW women’s division, you know it feels neglected. Major names and pinnacle storytellers like Thunder Rosa and Britt Baker are currently not competing, and the announcements of any women’s match feels sudden without any pomp, circumstance or substance (with the exception of “Timeless” Toni Storm, of course.)

She may not be under contract with AEW, but Mickie James knows how to book an all-women’s wrestling show. She did that with NWA Empowerrr and she’s doing it again in 2024 in Australia as a part of Starrcast VI.

Karen Jarrett knows how to make the most of her on camera without even doing a hip-toss. Unfortunately for the women, many don’t receive the experience or the opportunity to let their personalities shine. Both these veterans tagging up would do wonders for bringing the AEW women back to relevancy.

Paul Wight & Mark Henry

Remember the aforementioned “heavy”? Taking it figuratively and literally with this these two. Both legends are currently signed with AEW, but not much is being done with either and it’s unfortunate. Wight is someone who’s main-evented and worked with main-eventers his entire career while Henry has been someone who’s wrestled all throughout the card.

You think a talent is going to go off-script or do a dangerous move for a forgettable pop if they have to answer to Wight or Henry afterwards? If they did it would most likely be their last time and that’s not even considering the name cache they. Make these two your “bad cops” and they would know how to maintain a healthy relationship in the locker room.

Matt Hardy & Chris Jericho

From how it sounds, AEW has its fair share of locker room leaders behind the scenes, but what about having two primary checkpoints who have shown the ability to adapt, innovate and sympathize?

Jericho and Hardy have formed friendships with anybody and everybody of whatever status or age, including the AEW EVPs. Maybe they already are, but making them the go-to mediators for any issues between boots and management could cultivate a solid structure within AEW’s loaded ecosystem of stars.

Jerry Lynn & Dustin Rhodes

Nobody should ever have a bad word to say about Jerry Lynn and if you do, you’re likely part of the problem. It’s been too awesome to have Lynn and Dustin Rhodes be a vital part of AEW’s growth and if there’s been chaos backstage, you can guarantee neither have been apart of it.

Giving them the opportunity to harness and harmonize your roster from an in-ring standpoint is likely something that has happened on several occasions. Both have an old-school upbringing, but very different styles, Make them have the final say as to what goes down between the ropes every Wednesday, Friday and Saturday.

Appreciate The Past & Look Forward To The Future

With all these legendary names behind the curtain or in the ring, it’s easy to say so many are being under-utilized, but the presentation of the current AEW product speaks to the notion that they’re standing on the apron. 

Give them the hot tag and let them take you home. That’s teamwork.

Comments, questions … complaints? Email Dominic at dpdeangelo@gmail.com

Dominik Mysterio is a heat magnet in WWE and one current AEW star thinks he knows exactly why.

On Monday’s episode of “Busted Open Radio,” Mark Henry gave his veteran insight as to what makes Dirty Dom so darn good at getting a reaction from fans.

“I put him in the same category as The Rock and the Harts and people that come from pro wrestling,” Henry said. “They have [a] legacy — Randy Orton. There are things that Dominik does that are just intuitive. You can tell he just picked it up. It’s not trained.”

Henry makes note that it’s just like Dom is playing with his wrestling toys as a kid and learning what makes a great heel due to his dad being such a great babyface.

“He knows what he’s doing. And all those years of watching his dad,” he continued, “and all those years of knowing what the bad guy did, knowing all of those things of what his dad had to fight through to get to be who he was. I think it’s paying dividends for him.”

Rey certainly had his share of heelish adversaries, perhaps most notably, Eddie Guerrero, who Dominik was the primary aspect of a storyline between his dad and his late Uncle Eddie. 

Now Dom Mysterio will be having a top babyface dance partner in CM Punk, who is set to face Dom at an upcoming WWE live event. Ironically enough, Punk was another name who Rey Mysterio had a notorious feud with.

Please credit Busted Open Radio and h/t to Wrestling Inc for the transcription.

WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has announced that the A&E Network will air a brand new documentary on his life. He revealed that the fans will be able to watch it when it drops in January 2024.

For the past few years, WWE has been putting out Superstar-based Biography episodes on A&E and one of those features WWE Hall of Famer Kurt Angle as well. The ‘World Strongest Man’ has also appeared in WWE-related A&E content prior to joining AEW.

As an athlete, Mark Henry has had a decorated career. He was known for being the strongest man in the world and was considered to be one of the most formidable opponents to face back in the day. Mark Henry is a former World Champion in WWE and was inducted into WWE Hall of Fame in 2018. 

Apart from his accomplishments in WWE, he is a two-time Olympian and Henry also had a very successful Strongman career. He was WDFPF World Champion (1995) and a two-time U.S. National Champion (1995 and 1997) and once held an American record in the deadlift.’

New documentary on A&E

Speaking on the Kurt Angle Show podcast, Henry revealed that there will be a documentary on his life that will be released in January 2024. The former WWE star added that the documentary will be almost 3-hour long. He said:

“There’s a documentary on my life being released in January. There’s a documentary on A&E about my life. People are going to find out a lot more about me than they’d ever heard. I don’t want to give nothing away, so just keep your ears open. It’s going to be big. It’s going to be one of the bigger ones they’ve ever done. There’s a lot of ground to cover, almost 3 hours.”

Notably, Kurt Angle will be a part of the documentary as well as he was interviewed for it. Fans will certainly be eager to watch the new documentary on Mark Henry. 

Is CM Punk truly a cancer to the wrestling industry, as some have claimed?

Punk has certainly been a controversial figure in recent months, following his inflammatory comments after last September’s AEW All Out Pay-Per-View.

It was these comments, as well as the backstage fight, that resulted in Punk’s second reign as AEW World Champion coming to a swift and unceremonial end.

Not a Cancer

After the infamous Pay-Per-View, Chris Jericho branded Punk a “cancer” and the same term was used by WWE’s Seth Rollins last month during a Royal Rumble week interview.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry discussed Punk, and said that while he may rub some people the wrong way, that’s only because Punk is passionate about his craft.

“He’s not a cancer. He’s opinionated, but he’s also a teacher and supporter. I’ve seen him do stuff he didn’t have to do. He just did it because he loved the business and he wanted to make that wrestler better.”

Mark Henry.

Punk remains the only person suspended after AEW All Out 2022 to still be suspended at this time.

Others who have spoken favorably of Punk following All Out include FTR’s Dax Harwood and AEW TBS Champion Jade Cargill.

Bringing Punk Back

CM Punk’s arrival in AEW saw the company’s ratings rise dramatically, and many believe that only by bringing Punk back can the company reach those heights again.

While Punk has some allies backstage, it has been reported that some top names have refused to work with the former World Champion if he is brought back.

Punk is currently healing from a torn triceps injury suffered at All Out, but should be 100% within two months.

h/t – Wrestling Inc

The altercation between CM Punk and The Elite has made the topic of backstage fights popular again. Mark Henry, who comes from a time when locker room disputes were a lot more common, thinks that things should be settled the ‘old school way.’

The former world champion talked about it on Busted Open Radio. He was asked about the backstage altercation and how he thinks it should be dealt with. Replying to it, Henry detailed what late wrestling promoter Paul Boesch used to do:

“I liked the old school version. Paul Boesch used to move all the furniture out of the way.” remembered Mark Henry, “Put the guys in a room and say, ‘Okay, you can settle it with your fists, or you can pull a couple of these chairs up. Sit down and talk about it. But if you do get into it physically, the one that loses, you’re out of here.’ I like that because 9 times out of 10 the guys usually just pulled chairs up and was like, ‘Man, what the hell?’ They talked it out.

Mark Henry continued, “Then they come out of the room shaking hands. like, ‘Well man that was a misunderstanding?’ ‘Well, you should have said that, we should have talked about this before,’ But prior, these dick swinging contests make the boys fight each other. You have to be able to put all your prideful things aside. Talk about it and get it out of the way.”

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If you use any quotes from the article, please credit SEScoops with an H/t for transcription

WWE Hall Of Famer Mark Henry has revealed the true reason he can’t compete inside the ring.

Henry joined “Busted Open Radio” with Bully Ray, as they welcomed Lex Lugar on the program to discuss him being featured in the latest “WWE Legends” on A&E. Henry was inspired by Lugar’s uplifting attitude despite being confined to a wheelchair.

In the interview, Henry was inspired to open up about his own injury issues. Henry took the opportunity to reveal that he’s suffering from nerve damage – that being the reason he can’t wrestle inside the ring.

Henry also revealed he suffers from “power surges” where he collapses and needs the use of a wheelchair.

This is certainly unfortunate, as Henry is one of the most iconic big men professional wrestling has ever seen. A veteran of the business for nearly thirty years, Henry had a stint with WWE lasting from 1996 all the way up until 2021.

That time resulted in runs with the World Heavyweight Championship, ECW Title, and European Title. Henry was eventually inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2018.

In May of 2021, Henry signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he currently serves as a commentator, as well as coach for talent.

Quotes via Wrestling Inc.

Mark Henry sees Brock Lesnar potential in All Elite Wrestling star Wardlow.

Henry was recently was recently interviewed by Sportskeeda and shared his high opinion of reigning AEW TNT Champion, Wardlow.

“The World’s Strongest Man” had nothing but praise for the young champion, who he claims has the same potential as past stars such as Brock Lesnar, Goldberg, and even The Rock.

“I think Wardlow is an unbelievable competitor,” Henry said. “And he’s going to be even better. The Wardlow we see right now, in a best of three, I think a Mark Henry might beat that guy. But in the next two years, Wardlow is going to be the most dominant force in pro wrestling since Brock Lesnar…”

Henry also compared Wardlow’s upside to megastars like Goldberg, The Rock and even Stone Cold Steve Austin.

That’s certainly high praise from Henry, a veteran of the industry of nearly 30 years. He’ a former WWE World Heavyweight Champion who was inducted into the company’s Hall Of Fame in 2016.

As for Wardlow, he has certainly been privy to one particular comparison throughout his run with AEW. That being a comparison to WWE Hall Of Famer and ex-WCW World Heavyweight Champion Goldberg.

Likely due to both men having such an intimidating size and physique inside the ring. Wardlow has certainly come into his own since splitting apart from the likes of MJF. He captured the TNT Title from Scorpio Sky on a July 6 episode of AEW Dynamite in a Street Fight.

One AEW star was set to make a video appearance on WWE Raw but it ended up being canned.

The June 27 episode of Monday Night Raw celebrated the 20th anniversary of John Cena’s WWE debut. A plethora of current and former WWE superstars paid homage to the “Doctor of Thuganomics.”

Even some current AEW stars such as Bryan Danielson and Chris Jericho were allowed to appear to share their well wishes to Cena.

One notable AEW name was left off the tribute show, however.

Mark Henry Denied WWE Raw Appearance

Dave Meltzer of the Wrestling Observer Newsletter reports that AEW personality Mark Henry had shot a video clip for the anniversary show. Of course, that didn’t end up making it on the USA Network broadcast.

At this time, there’s no word on why Henry’s video was omitted from the show.

Mark Henry had a highly praised feud with John Cena back in 2013. Henry claimed he would be retiring and gave an emotional speech.

When Cena went to hug him, Mark lifted him up and slammed him down to the mat for the World’s Strongest Slam. It was a red hot start to get their program going.

Bruce Prichard was said to have been the one to contact AEW President Tony Khan about using his stars for the anniversary show. Khan gave the green light and it was said that pretty much everyone WWE wanted to use was allowed to be on the show.

WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has said he wouldn’t have tolerated his wife being called “unprofessional” on live TV.

During this week’s Raw, Sasha Banks and Naomi walked out of the show, forcing WWE to scrap plans for a six-pack challenge main event.

On TV, Corey Graves said that the pair had acted “unprofessionally” ahead of the main event singles match between Becky Lynch and Asuka.

Speaking on the latest edition of Busted Open Radio, Henry discussed the call by Graves and though he didn’t call-out Uso by name, said that Naomi’s husband should’ve spoken in her defense.

“My issue was not even with the walkout, my issue was not even with the disagreement, or the disclaimer. My issue was with people on the show saying that was unprofessional because I’m going to tell you right now, if that was my wife and I’m working on that show, I’m walking down to the announce table and I’m going to say, ‘Hey, you stay professional. Do your job and then I won’t have to walk down here to the ring to tell you to not do that again.'”

On SmackDown, it was announced that Banks and Naomi had been suspended indefinitely and stripped of the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championships.

• WWE Pull Merchandise for Sasha Banks and Naomi (May 2022)

Thanks to Sportskeeda for the transcription.

WWE Hall Of Famer Mark Henry agrees with Bill DeMott, that Tammy Sytch (aka Sunny) should be removed from the WWE Hall Of Fame.

Recently, The Keri Anne DeMott Foundation sent out a press released and called for Sytch to be removed from the WWE Hall Of Fame. The release called for WWE to remove “repeat DUI offender and now killer of an innocent man, Tamara Sunny Sytch from it’s Hall of Fame.”

Bill DeMott Tweeted out the release along with the following message.

“When do we start holding people #accountable BEFORE they kill themselves or someone else? When do we decide as law makers and judges that we DO NOT get to decide who should and shouldn’t be punished? When do organizations speak up for EVERYONE not just influential cases? #WHEN”

All Elite Wrestling’s Mark Henry followed up with a response, agreeing with DeMott.

The DeMott family notably lost their daughter, Keri Anne Demott, to a drunk driver in 2016.

Sytch was arrested last week and charged with nine felonies. One of those included DUI manslaughter which left a 75-year-old Julian Lasseter dead. A toxicology report found that Sytch’s blood-alcohol level was 0.280 (g/100mL,) three-and-a-half times the legal limit while behind the wheel.

As of this writing, Sytch is scheduled to be arraigned in Volusia County Court on May 31. She posted bail this past Saturday and is not allowed to leave Volusia County, Florida.

Sytch was inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame in 2011. WWE has yet to comment on the situation.

Recently, Ray and Henry took to Busted Open Radio to talk about a variety of professional wrestling topics, including the current feud between Flair and Ronda Rousey.

Current SmackDown Live Women’s Champion Charlotte Flair is so good that WWE Hall Of Famers Bully Ray and Mark Henry want her to wrestle men.

Flair successfully retained her title against Rousey at WrestleMania 38 in Dallas, Texas earlier this month. Now, they’ll run things back in an “I Quit” match at WrestleMania Backlash on May 8.

In the build-up to the bout, Flair actually put Drew Gulak in the Figure Eight, forcing him to yell “I Quit” several times. Ray and Henry both loved the segment, and it even generated some interest in them wanting to see “The Queen” work against men in the ring.

Henry went as far as saying that Charlotte Flair has the potential to eclipse her father, two-time WWE Hall Of Famer Ric Flair.

“She has the potential to eclipse Ric if she’s allowed to wrestle men and have a run doing that and then going back to women’s wrestling and being the ultimate heel, like, ‘I left y’all because y’all beneath me.’

“That can be, you know, another 10 years of her dominance that can make people only think that when you hear the name ‘Flair’ that you think Charlotte.”

As for Ray, he agrees that Flair should be working against men as well, and even suggested she put more men in the Figure Eight heading into WrestleMania Backlash to build up the submission hold.

“I love the fact that she put the figure eight on a man [Drew Gulak] last night. I want Charlotte to wrestle men. As the matter of fact moving into this match, you know, put the figure eight on two more guys, three more guys, have guys tapping out left and right.”

Charlotte Flair and Ronda Rousey will compete for the SmackDown Live Women’s Title at WrestleMania Backlash in an “I Quit” match from the Dunkin’ Donuts Center in Providence, Rhode Island on May 8, 2022.

Quotes via Sportskeeda.com

WWE Hall Of Famer Mark Henry could possibly step back into the ring again now that he’s with All Elite Wrestling (AEW).

Henry ran with WWE for over 20 years after signing with the company back in 1996. During that time, he was able to pick up an ECW World Title, a WWE European Title run, and a World Heavyweight Championship run. Henry was later inducted into the WWE Hall Of Fame class of 2018.

In May of 2021, Henry debuted for AEW at Double or Nothing, where it was announced that he would serve as a commentator and coach for talent. Recently, Henry was interviewed by Sportskeeda to talk about a variety of topics, including his jump to AEW. When asked about potentially wrestling again, Mark Henry doesn’t sound too interested.

Instead, Henry seems more focused on helping mold the top stars of tomorrow from behind the curtains in AEW.

“I would say don’t hold your breath, because I do not want to get hit. And if somebody hits me, I will call the police,” Henry said (via WrestleZone). “A lot of it is just growing up. As you get older, you start thinking about how you can stay in the business that you love when your body starts to hurt and you don’t want to do whatever the sport is no more.

“That was my mindset. I wanted to continue to be around the business and make a living, but I also wanted to share my knowledge and I found myself to be one of the most studied people about pro wrestling and how it works. I wanted to share that and you’re not supposed to take gifts to the grave,” Henry pointed out. “So I wanted to, before I go to God, everybody that loves my business the way that I love the business to know what I know.”

With a wealth of talent currently on AEW’s roster, there’s no shortage of young stars for Henry to mentor. And with over 20 years of experience under his belt; having shared the ring with the likes of The Undertaker, The Rock, Chris Jericho, and so many more, they could learn a lot from the man formerly known as “Sexual Chocolate.”

Serena Deeb has been wrestling for almost 17 years. She is one of the best in-ring workers of the current era. Mark Henry believes that she doesn’t get the credit for being as good as she is.

The WWE Hall Of Famer recently had an interview with SportsKeeda. He discussed things such as Bianca Belair and Jade Cargill being future stars and more.

When asked which AEW talent he thinks is underrated, Henry took the name of Deeb. He explained that the female star is one of the most excellent wrestlers on the current AEW roster:

“Underrated? I think Serena Deeb. [She] is one of the most excellent wrestlers, not just male or female, but one of the most excellent wrestlers in the company. I don’t think she gets enough credit for how good she is,”

• Mark Henry: “Believe Me, There Will be a Cesaro Sighting”

Mark Henry has previously said that he is not done with wrestling just yet. He has teased getting back in the ring and having a retirement match in AEW.

When asked which AEW names he can see himself competing against, the heavyweight star took the names of Wardlow, MJF and Ricky Starks. He said that all three of them are very talented and they can work with anybody.

Mark Henry says we haven’t seen the last of Cesaro. The AEW broadcaster, coach and talent scout says wrestling fans will be very pleased when the Swiss Superman resurfaces.

In addition to his duties in AEW, Henry serves as a co-host of Busted Open Radio on SiriusXM. He dropped an interesting quote on Saturday morning’s episode.

“Believe me, there will be a Cesaro sighting, just not right now,” said Henry.

“When that day comes, the world of pro wrestling is gonna be like, ‘Holy cow, like, that’s the guy we always wanted to see.'”

– Mark Henry on Cesaro’s future

Cesaro departed WWE in late February 2022 after over a decade with the company. WWE attempted to re-sign Cesaro, but they were unable to reach an agreement. He is not bound by a 90-day non-compete.

Cesaro has long been regarded as one of the top wrestlers in the world. He achieved some success in WWE, but most wrestling fans and industry observers would agree he was underutilized throughout his run there.

It will be interesting to see if Cesaro finds his way to AEW. He has a long history with many AEW stars from their days in WWE, as well as in Ring of Honor and on the independent scene.

Several AEW performers have already acknowledged the prospect of Cesaro joining AEW. Former rival Eddie Kingston has already stated that Cesaro “Doesn’t Have The Balls” to join him in AEW.

Earlier this week, Dax Harwood re-tweeted this photo pitching a tag team dream match between FTR and the Kings of Wrestling (Cesaro and Chris Hero).

Credit to the Putting You Over podcast for sending in this tip.

Mark Henry believes it’s possible for Ronda Rousey to better embrace her babyface role.

Rousey has seemingly had a love-hate relationship with fans dating back to her days in the UFC. “Rowdy” often doesn’t take too kindly to jeers from crowds, which doesn’t bode well for her as a face.

Advice For Rousey

WWE has tried to spruce up Rousey’s babyface persona by using artificial crowd noise. During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry suggested a different approach.

“What can be done is you can start slowly intergrading her into doing the babyface things. You can have her do the community involvement and the association of being around the kids.

“She’s a mom now. She’s gotta make statements, ‘Hey, I gotta be better. I have to be better. I gotta be a better example for my family, for my daughter. I have to be a better example for the fans. I have to be a better example for the other women in pro wrestling.’

“Now, that tells me, ‘Okay, this person is on the nicer side of things.’ You have to keep her moving with a trajectory of positivity and success.”

Ronda has admitted that trash talk from fans has thrown her for a loop in the past. Rousey is set to challenge Charlotte for the SmackDown Women’s Championship at this year’s WrestleMania event.

Charlotte has been positioned as a top heel in WWE. It’ll be interesting to see how WWE handles Rousey’s promos throughout the buildup of this title match.

Do you think Ronda Rousey should be a full-blown babyface or a tweener?

Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article

Powerhouse Hobbs has received valuable guidance from a Hall of Fame big man.

Hobbs is currently a member of Team Taz. Many have high hopes for Powerhouse and believe he can one day make a bid for the main event scene. He certainly has his supporters and one of them is Mark Henry.

Piece Of Advice

Powerhouse Hobbs appeared as a guest on Tuesday Wrestling Tuesday and discussed who have been his biggest supporters in AEW.

“From the very first time I debuted on AEW until now, I’ve completely done a 180. Everything has changed. Cody Rhodes is a big influence on me. Mark Henry, that’s my wrestling dad.

“I have him on my phone as ‘Dad.’ FTR, Arn Anderson, Dustin Rhodes, obviously Taz, Billy Gunn. There are so many people that influence me, daily. There are so many people I can call and get advice from. It’s not just one.”

Hobbs then went on to reveal the key piece of advice given to him by Mark Henry.

“He let me know, like, ‘Hey, you need to change up the way you look. Stop eating carbs after 5 o’clock.’ Since then, my body has like, switched.”

Mark also works in AEW but he isn’t mixing it up inside the ring. He is known for his backstage interviews on Rampage these days but he also works behind the scenes.

H/T (transcription): ewrestlingnews

Jacob Henry, the son of WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry, has won the 6A District Heavyweight Wrestling Championship.

The World’s Strongest man posted footage of Jacob’s victory to social media.

You can see how proud Mark Henry is in this photo:

Jacob has quoted several AEW stars in recent social media posts about his victory, including Cody Rhodes and Sammy Guevara:

Jacob Henry also took inspiration from The Young Bucks by encouraging followers to check out his “New Bio!”

AEW stars Powerhouse Hobbs and Sammy Guevara took notice of Jacob Henry’s latest wrestling championship:

Jacob Henry To Follow In Father’s Footsteps

Mark Henry has noted previously that his son plans to follow in his footsteps and be a pro-wrestler. Jacob has said that even if he is a Pro Bowl level football player, he would still give it up to go into wrestling.

“If there is going to be a second-generation wrestler to come out of the Henry family, it will probably be my son Jacob, who is a superfan. He really loves wrestling and has said that he doesn’t care if he is a pro bowl player, he’s only going to play for about four or five years and then he’s going to quit playing football and start wrestling,” Mark said of his son.”

“I’m like, “Well, what if you end up being the best guy in the league?’ He’s like, ‘Well, I’m going to have to make enough money early so I can go and establish my life and I can do what I want to do, which is wrestling.’ I’m like, ‘More power to you. When you get there, hopefully, I will still be alive,’ but if I’m not here to enjoy it, I’m sure that the fans will really enjoy it.”

H/T to Fightful for the above transcriptions.

Mark Henry believes more wrestlers need to do a better job at negotiating.

For years, many have questioned the treatment of pro wrestlers. The talents are labeled as independent contractors, yet stars are often tied down to one company and are restricted. The same argument has been made in the world of MMA.

There’s also the issue of health insurance. WWE does pay off medical bills that arise due to an in-ring injury, but the performers do not have insurance.

Negotiations Are Key, Says Mark Henry

During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry expressed his belief that wrestlers won’t get what they want unless they put in more effort at the negotiating table.

“I’m permanently damaged. I sit here today a broken human being from being a pro wrestler. I’m not crying, I’m not having a pity party. I know what wrestling did to my body.

“There’s no NFL-CTE lawsuit that I’m gonna put towards wrestling. Even though if I had brain damage, the way that pro wrestling is designed you would’ve had to look out for yourself and not rely on them, the business, the corporation that you work for to look out for you.

“That’s why you say, ‘Look, I need full insurance to do this.’ Negotiate it in your contract. It’s about what you negotiate and all wrestlers say, ‘You need a union, you need this.’ No, you need to have some balls.”

WWE does provide a rehab program for all former talents who are struggling with drugs and/or alcohol. Drug use in the pro wrestling world is nothing new and WWE has reportedly opened its doors to those in need of assistance even if they’re in a rival promotion.

Whether or not WWE or any major promotion would make an exception if a talent wants to negotiate full health insurance remains to be seen.

Please H/T SEScoops with a link if you use any quotes from this article. Thanks to Putting You Over for the video.

Mark Henry is of the belief that things in the wrestling industry wouldn’t get much bigger than The Rock vs. Roman Reigns.

Reigns’ “Bloodline” angle has been praised by wrestling fans. “The Tribal Chief” was in need of a fresh coat of paint and he got it in the form of a heel turn back in Aug. 2020.

“The Head of The Table” aligned himself with Paul Heyman and The Usos to create the Bloodline faction. The story has evolved and Reigns turned on Heyman for re-aligning with Brock Lesnar.

Enter The Great One?

During an episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry said he feels The Rock and Roman Reigns beginning a feud would go down in history.

“There’s only one thing that can be changed and it’s really not even a change. It’s only one thing that can happen that can take it out of this world and make it — and that’s for The Rock to come and say, ‘No, you don’t run the family. I run the family.’

“If that was to happen it would be the biggest thing to happen in pro wrestling. Because this is already historically [a] top tier story without The Rock. You add The Rock, man you can put it right up there with [The Mega Powers].

“You can put it right up there with another thing that The Rock was involved in, The Nation. You can put it right up there into Stone Cold Steve Austin’s run and rise to prominence. There’s really nothing that it wouldn’t surpass.”

The question remains, can The Rock fit WWE in his schedule? As everyone knows, he is Hollywood’s biggest star and constantly stays busy.

“The People’s Champ” was able to make some room for WWE from 2011 to 2013. By the end of his return run, The Rock suffered torn abdominal and abductor muscles as well as a hernia.

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Mark Henry isn’t on board with Bully Ray’s recent take on Jon Moxley’s return promo.

Moxley was expected to make it to the finals of an AEW World Heavyweight Championship tournament. He likely would’ve gone one-on-one with Bryan Danielson. “MOX” ended up withdrawing from the tournament to enter an alcohol treatment program.

Jon Moxley Returns, Bully Ray Criticizes

Jon Moxley made his return on the Jan. 19 episode of Dynamite. Outside of one heckler who got verbally eviscerated by “MOX,” the crowd stood in silence to hear what Jon had to say. Moxley fired up the supportive fans and talked about how everyone has internal scars that they should be proud of.

Bully Ray took to Busted Open Radio to express his belief that Moxley was missing an apology in the speech.

“I would have liked to have heard just a little bit of accountability from Jon. I understand the whole demons thing and we always use the word demons as a creative word to get around the real issues.

“Whether it’s an alcohol issue, whether it’s a drug issue. In Tommy’s case, it’s an eating issue. Everybody has some kind of ‘demon’ that they have to get around.

“So, okay we have our ‘demons.’ These demons got the best of Jon for a time period where he had to step away from AEW. I would’ve liked to have heard him say a bit of an apology to the AEW fans.”

Mark Henry Comes To MOX’s Defense

Mark Henry, who works with Bully Ray on Busted Open, doesn’t agree with his colleague on the “MOX” promo.

“I have to disagree with our contemporary Bully Ray. He didn’t owe anybody an apology.”

Moxley was back in the ring on the Jan. 21 episode of Rampage. He defeated Ethan Page to get the show started. After the match, he had a staredown with Bryan Danielson.

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Mark Henry has shared his thoughts on the return of Jon Moxley.

Moxley was on the cusp of once again challenging for the AEW World Heavyweight Championship. He was expected to eventually move on to the finals of a number one contender tournament against Bryan Danielson but he ended up stepping away from wrestling for a bit to enter an alcohol treatment program.

The good news is, Moxley is back. He’ll make his return at THE WRLD ON GCW on Jan. 23. He’ll defend his GCW Title against Homicide inside the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City.

Mark Henry Thrilled With Jon Moxley News

During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry said the news of Jon Moxley’s return hopefully means he was able to fully recover in rehab and now has a clear mind.

“I was very happy to hear that because it told me a couple of things. One, that he’s back working and that he very likely is out of rehab and I’m happy for him on all counts and I’m hoping that he’s got a lot of clarity and understanding of where his life is going and who he’s working for, and I think that we’ll see an even better Moxley.”

Mark went on to say that when people try to self-medicate, it usually means something is amiss. He hopes Moxley was able to find the root of the issue.

“You wanna make sure that you’re doing everything for the right reason. That takes a bit of the sting off because usually when people are self-medicating regardless of what it is, something is awry, something’s not right.

“Sometimes you need counseling, you need somebody to say, ‘Hey, we know you’re doing something but why are you doing it?’ You eliminate the negative and you accentuate all your positives.

“I would think that the number one positive is that baby and his wife and a new house and all of those things are the positives. Now, let’s push those upward and we say, ‘That won’t work well with this going on. This right here, you have to eliminate and then all of this will be great.’

“I hope that he was able to find out, whether it’s anxiety, whether it’s fellowship with the boys.”

There’s no word on when Moxley will be making his AEW return. With the GCW announcement, many feel Tony Khan may want to get Mox on television first for the Jan. 19 episode of Dynamite.

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Mickie James could be bound for the WWE Hall of Fame, according to HOF talent and AEW broadcaster Mark Henry.

WWE turned a lot of heads in the wrestling industry on the Jan. 7 episode of SmackDown. The promotion announced participants in the women’s Royal Rumble match but one name, in particular, stood out from the pack.

Impact Knockouts Champion Mickie James is among the legends returning for this year’s Royal Rumble. WWE has not shied away from the fact that she’s the Impact women’s champion.

Mickie James Hall of Fame?

While the talk with Mickie’s surprise WWE return has been centered around cross-promotion, Mark Henry is more intrigued at the thought of a Hall of Fame induction. Here’s what he said on Busted Open Radio.

When asked if Mickie James belongs in the WWE Hall of Fame, Henry replied, “She does and without a doubt, she’s been one of the great women’s wrestlers of all time, wrestlers period. I mean, she got the job done.”

“She helped the business to be better and not many people can say that. Even if it’s not about the titles, which she held a lot of them, there’s no reason that she shouldn’t be put in the forefront and in the hallowed halls of the Hall of Fame.”

Henry sees the Royal Rumble appearance as the perfect setup for James’ induction.

“I think this will be a great step,” he said.

Mickie recently had a successful title defense against Deonna Purrazzo in the main event of Impact Wrestling’s Hard To Kill PPV. This means she is scheduled to make her Royal Rumble appearance as the Impact Knockouts Champion.

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Following her departure from AEW, Big Swole recently commented about AEW having a lack of diversity. This led to AEW President Tony Khan responding on social media and writing “I let Swole’s contract expire as I felt her wrestling wasn’t good enough.”

Swole returned to her Call In Show recently and spoke about her reaction to seeing Tony Khan’s Tweet.

“When I read the TK tweet, it was, not necessarily sent to me, but I got a text message saying, ‘Do not respond to him, it’s not worth it.’ At that time, I was already a little zooted because it was about to be New Year’s. I looked at it and I was like, ‘Wow, this is a lot,”” Swole said.

“Overall, I’m very disappointed. A person with that pedigree should know how to respond in a way that doesn’t come off in the most negative way possible,” she continued.

“I was very disappointed. Embarrassed, even. Embarrassed for the people that are there. I really couldn’t believe it. Did he even listen to the podcast? Obviously not because it went completely off the rails. You went completely to counting brown people. If was truly about counting brown people, I would be naming certain demographics.”

H/T to Fightful for the above transcriptions.

Mark Henry Speaks On Big Swole and Tony Khan

Mark Henry recently spoke about this matter on Busted Open Radio. According to Henry, Tony Khan got a raw deal in this discussion on diversity.

“I feel like Tony got a really raw deal by what was said by Swole but also what was said about all these people jumping on the bandwagon and they didn’t know what the hell happened.”

“You talk about a diverse workplace, man that place has got everything and I feel like the people in power, the highest-ranking officers are Tony and Megha [Parekh] and then you have people like myself and Shawn Dean who are both African-American people, people of color, that are working in the office,” Henry continued.

“So, you mean to tell me that those people don’t count as being diverse?”

Mark Henry believes Tony Khan was the victim of people going overboard on the issue of diversity on social media.

Big Swole, a former AEW wrestler, got people talking when she expressed her belief that her peace was being disrupted in the company. Specifically, Swole had gripes with what she feels to be AEW’s lack of diversity and black representation.

Things spiraled when Khan made a post saying Big Swole wasn’t offered a new contract with AEW because he felt she wasn’t good enough in the ring. Many criticized Khan as they felt he brushed off Swole’s criticism in favor of hurling shots.

Mark Henry Speaks Out

Mark Henry believes that social media dwellers overreacted to Khan’s post and took a side without looking at the facts. Taking to Busted Open Radio, Henry praised AEW for its diversity both on TV and behind the scenes.

“I feel like Tony got a really raw deal by what was said by Swole but also what was said about all these people jumping on the bandwagon and they didn’t know what the hell happened.

“They just took a side because somebody said something about diversity, which they implied it being race. Let’s break it down real quick as far as diversity.

“You start talking about diversity in the work sector at AEW, Tony Khan is a man of color and so is — and when I say a man of color he’s not black.

“Black is a person of color, you have Asian, you have Pan, you have the Indian influence, you have the Middle Eastern influence, the Spanish influence in the company.

“You talk about a diverse workplace, man that place has got everything and I feel like the people in power, the highest-ranking officers are Tony and Megha [Parekh] and then you have people like myself and Shawn Dean who are both African-American people, people of color, that are working in the office.

“So, you mean to tell me that those people don’t count as being diverse?”

As far as Khan’s dig at Swole’s wrestling ability, Henry said he sees it as an eye for an eye situation. He believes Tony did what he felt he needed to do to stick up for the company.

Khan says he’s got something cooked up in 2022 as far as diverse representation goes. The AEW boss says this plan has been brewing long before Swole’s public rant.

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Mark Henry has likened Kyle O’Reilly to a ninja.

O’Reilly made his surprise AEW debut on the Dec. 22 Holiday Bash episode of Dynamite. The former Undisputed Era member attacked Orange Cassidy during his match with Adam Cole. This allowed Cole to connect with The Boom for the three-count.

It appears O’Reilly did a heck of a job evading people in the backstage area before making his debut.

Mark Henry Unaware Of Kyle O’Reilly’s Presence

During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry praised Tony Khan for being able to snag Kyle O’Reilly after his WWE contract was up.

“Tony Khan continues to give the crowd what they want. And when I say crowd, not just the people in Greensboro but all of the fans of AEW.

“You get these little — it’s not even Christmas presents. It’s like a birthday, it’s a Wednesday gift. Every month it seems like there’s a surprise at AEW.

“Whether it’s a return from injury or a new wrestler that’s All Elite, something to that effect that gets everybody stirred up. Man, I feel like that’s the M.O. of AEW is never letting things get stale by mixing things up and last night was no different.”

Henry insisted that he never knew that O’Reilly was going to appear on Dynamite and never saw him before he made his way out.

“No, I know who he is. I never saw him all day. I’m a tell you, man they some super Secret Squirrel — they some kingsmen. They the Mission Impossible people. I don’t know what the hell is going on but they do a good job of keeping a secret.”

Some drama is already brewing between The Young Bucks and Cole over Bobby Fish and O’Reilly. Cole promised The Bucks a surprise but Matt and Nick Jackson weren’t exactly thrilled with what they saw.

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