Mark Henry is just as impressed as anybody with the transformation of Roman Reigns.

It wasn’t long ago when wrestling fans grew tired of the babyface Reigns character. For years, fans believed that WWE was trying to force-feed Reigns instead of letting him develop his character organically.

Back in August 2020, Reigns returned to WWE TV after being away for a bit due to concerns over the COVID-19 pandemic. He aligned himself with Paul Heyman and became “The Tribal Chief.”

Mark Henry Praises Roman Reigns’ Development

During an episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry was quite complimentary of Roman Reigns and his ability to transform his character the way that he has.

“Roman Reigns, you talked about this [speaking to co-host Jonathan Hood], his metamorphosis has been one for the ages. From the guy that we first saw that left NXT to the guy that was in The Shield, the guy after The Shield that they force-fed him to us as a babyface.

“They were forcing it and you could tell that he didn’t embrace it. He didn’t embrace it, that’s why it didn’t work.

“He really wanted to be who he is now and he was right but he had to go through all those other phases to be able to make people give a damn and now we have the finished product.”

Reigns has been in a high-profile feud with Brock Lesnar. Heyman had been serving as the “special counsel” to Reigns but he had also been Lesnar’s advocate for years.

On the Dec. 17 episode of SmackDown, things reached a boiling point. Reigns fired Heyman after being told he was trying to protect him from Brock. “The Head of the Table” even delivered a Superman Punch to Heyman.

Roman attempted to nail Heyman with a Con-Chair-To but Lesnar made the save. Reigns ended up eating an F5.

Reigns will put the WWE Universal Championship on the line against Lesnar at the Day 1 PPV on Jan. 1, 2022.

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Hook has garnered a ton of buzz despite having just one match and one seasoned veteran believes that hype is here to stay.

AEW fans have been fascinated with Hook, the son of Taz, ever since he appeared on television. He had his first match on the Dec. 10 episode of Rampage, defeating Fuego Del Sol. Most are in agreement that Hook looked impressive in his debut.

Some are left wondering if the hoopla over Hook is a fad. Others are convinced that the young prospect is here to stay.

Mark Henry Thinks Hook Has Staying Power

Count Mark Henry as a believer in Hook. Here’s what he told Ryan McKinnell on an episode of Busted Open Radio.

“There’s some people guys, I hate to be a pessimist because normally you know I’m an optimist. You know I like the positive side but everybody’s not gonna make it.

“Everybody that you see that comes on, they’re not gonna stick. It’s just the nature of the business.

“From that first opening impression, I think Hook’s gonna stick, man. I think that he’s a guy that can evolve and that’s the thing in pro wrestling if you don’t evolve if you don’t change with the times you’re not gonna be around very long.

“I can see him in the next three years, as AEW grows, being one of AEW’s future stars. Like, I mean a legit bonafide star.”

Hook garnered a ton of praise following his in-ring debut. He received support from the likes of MJF, Thunder Rosa, Dustin Rhodes, and AEW boss Tony Khan.

Hook is currently a member of Team Taz. His fellow stablemates are Ricky Starks, Powerhouse Hobbs, and of course Taz.

Do you think Hook will be a long-term star or a flash in the pan?

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AEW’s Mark Henry likes what he sees from the babyface version of Brock Lesnar.

It’s no secret that Brock has had an added pep in his step since returning to WWE. Lesnar made a surprise appearance at the end of the Summerslam PPV back in August, confronting Roman Reigns.

Since that time, Brock has shown the lighter side of him. More recently, fans have praised Brock’s segments with Sami Zayn. On the Dec. 10 episode of SmackDown, Lesnar even spoke French to lighten the mood with Sami.

Of course, Brock ultimately destroyed two nurses and Sami Zayn.

Mark Henry Praises Lighter Side Of Brock Lesnar

On an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry admitted that he’s all in on the babyface version of Brock Lesnar.

“Just him looking at the hard camera and smiling, it does something to my soul. I think that this is gonna be the best thing that could’ve ever happened to Brock because Brock has got a good personality, y’all.

“He’s very entertaining. His timing is very good and now we get to see that because he’s not stone-faced. He’s not angry Brock all the time.

“Now, you noticed when Paul Heyman started saying, ‘Reigning, defending,’ Brock’s face turned red. His expression changed.

“Brock can turn it on and turn it off and that’s the specialness of who he is but I just wanted to point that out that this is a Brock that we’ve only seen one time and that was quite a while ago and now we get that Brock every week. It’s awesome.”

That one time Henry is referring to is when Brock walked down the aisle dancing with his Money In The Bank briefcase. Back in 2019, Lesnar turned his briefcase into a boombox.

Lesnar will be challenging Reigns for the WWE Universal Championship at the Day 1 event on Jan. 1, 2022. This will be a rematch from their showdown at Crown Jewel back in October.

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Many of the attitude-era veterans have unique and entertaining stories about how they got into the world of professional wrestling. Mark Henry is one of them. The world’s strongest man was the most recent guest on Shot of Brandi. He discussed things such as his childhood, his weight lifting career, and more.

When Brandi asked who was his discovery committee in wrestling, Henry explained that Jim Ross had a lot to do with it. He then told a funny story of his first interaction with Vince McMahon:

“Jim Ross had a lot to do with it. He brought me up to Vince McMahon and Vince wanted to know how does that [his weight lifting background] gonna translate to pro wrestling.” recalled Mark Henry, “Jim said you need to see him and meet him because the guy is kind of colorful which is short for being a clown.

The first conversation [with Vince], I get this call, I think it’s one of my friends joking with me. ‘It is Vince.’ And I said ‘Yeah right Vince’, and I hang up on him. And I get a call back from my coach and my manager and he is like ‘hey did you hang up on Vince McMahon?’ And I was like ‘that was him for real?’ [he goes] ‘Yeah, how about you take his call.’ I was like ‘all right, my bad'”

• Mark Henry On How Vince McMahon Reacted To His Decision To Join AEW

Thankfully the mistake didn’t ruin things for Mark. After a successful negotiation with Mr. McMahon, Henry made his WWE debut at the age of 24 in 1994. He went on to have a two-decade-long career with the company where he is a former world heavyweight champion. Mark Henry was inducted into WWE Hall Of Fame in 2018.

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This article has been edited for clarity

AEW’s Mark Henry is taking issue with how WWE is using Doudrop.

Doudrop was a respected wrestler for promotions such as Stardom. She went by the name “Viper” before signing with WWE and being called “Piper Niven.” When she was called up to the main roster, WWE gave her the Doudrop character.

Mark Henry Thinks Doudrop Is Above Her Gimmick

When WWE first introduced Piper Niven as Doudrop, it was done as part of storyline with Eva Marie. Now that the story is over and Eva has been cut by WWE, many want to see the Doudrop name axed.

During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry expressed his belief that Doudrop has so much more to offer than her current character allows for.

“I will not call her Doudrop. It’s beneath her. It is absolutely beneath her. She’s a person, a Doudrop is a thing and I refuse to ever call her that.

“That match [against Bianca Belair], like why couldn’t she start like that? The hell with all the stuff she did prior to that. She should’ve had matches like that from the beginning.

“I don’t care how she looks. People can judge people for being plus size, hell I was plus size. I knew how to get over, so does she.

“She can use what she’s working with as good as anybody that they brought up in the last five years and when I say that, yes I mean everybody that was champion including Bianca Belair.

“Piper Niven, the one match that she had shows that she can be their equals if she’s revered and respected and put in a position to where she can work like that every night.”

Doudrop is currently in a feud with Bianca Belair. The two shared the ring on the Dec. 6 episode of Monday Night Raw. The match ended when Doudrop allowed herself to be counted out after almost getting hit with the K.O.D.

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Mark Henry recently revealed the backstage reaction to the CM Punk – MJF segment which kicked off Dynamite last week. According to Henry, the promo battle got a big reaction from the AEW roster.

Henry also said that he had to walk out to the crowd to feel the live reaction as well.

“I started off at the monitor. I’m sitting at the monitor. There’s 30 wrestlers sitting around that area, and everybody is popping,” Henry said on Busted Open Radio.

“If you’re popping wrestlers, you’ve done something in your life. You won. I had to get up, walk out to the crowd to feel it because that’s why people go to wrestling. People go to wrestling because of how you feel, not because you just want to be entertained.”

Live reaction to CM Punk vs. MJF

Mark Henry continued to speak on the reaction from the live crowd inside Chicago’s Wintrust Arena.

“It felt like electricity moving my clothes one zinger to another one, one zinger back and forth. The city of Chicago, everybody that was there, will get to tell people for the rest of their lives, ‘I was at that show where CM Punk and MJF went toe to toe, a battle of wits, over 20 minutes, and not one punch connected.’ It was arguably the best verbal jousting that I’ve ever seen.”

Amongst the many verbal shots that were taken in the promo was CM Punk referring to MJF as a “less famous version of The Miz.”

MJF also took a shot at CM Punk’s short-lived UFC career.

One of Punk’s lines that got a big reaction was when he said that the only way MJF will ever become the #1 guy is if Tony Khan has a daughter that he marries.

AEW has posted the entire segment to YouTube. It is available in the player below:

H/T to WrestlingNewsCO for transcriptions.

Randy Orton has come a long way and Mark Henry couldn’t be happier.

Orton will be reaching a massive milestone in his career. He is set to break Kane’s record for the most WWE PPV matches in history. By the time his match at Survivor Series starts, he will have a whopping 177 PPV matches in WWE.

He’s also due to break another record held by Kane. Orton is just six matches away from having the most matches on Monday Night Raw. He currently has 431, while Kane has 436.

Mark Henry Says Randy Orton Evolved As A Man

It’s been well-documented that Randy Orton had major behavioral issues early in his career. It got to the point where many speculated that WWE would eventually cut ties with him despite his upside.

During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry discussed Orton’s journey from being an immature kid to a grown man who will go down as an all-time great.

“I go a long way with Randy and Randy makes me emotional because I love the dude because of his journey. He made a lot of mistakes just like I did.

“Randy found out that he actually had friends and he found out that people actually cared about him. And his wife Kim, I thank God for her.

“She changed him, she allowed him to grow as a man without emasculating him cause a lot of women try to change their men so much that they diaper em’ and make em’ kids.

“Randy’s a grown-ass man with an opinion and he grew the f*ck up.”

Orton and Riddle (RKBro) will take on The Usos in a brand vs. brand tag team match. RKBro hold the Raw Tag Team Championships, while The Usos are the SmackDown titleholders but the gold will not be at stake.

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Mark Henry is not a fan of how WWE utilized Karrion Kross on the main roster.

Nov. 4, 2021 was a dark day in the wrestling industry as WWE went on a new talent release spree. Kross was one of the names on that dreaded list along with his fiancee, Scarlett Bordeaux. The release of Kross left many fuming as the general consensus is that WWE doomed Karrion Kross after giving him the gladiator entrance attire.

Mark Henry Criticizes How WWE Handled Kross

During an episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry slammed WWE’s idea of a gladiator gimmick for Kross.

“You look at the world of entertainment. Sometimes it’s art imitating life, sometimes it’s life imitating art. When was the last time you saw a gladiator show? I’ll wait. Plenty of zombie shows on TV. Plenty of sports shows. Mortal Kombat-type characters, superhero-esque things. There are no Spartacus-type shows on TV to associate a Karrion Kross to.”

Henry went on to question why WWE just didn’t allow Kross to be the character he was on the NXT brand.

“He’s basically like taking something that he heard overnight and within a week transitioning and trying to make it mainstream in the world of wrestling. It did not work. What he had before in NXT everybody loved, we loved it. We talked about him, how great their entrance was, how cool his finish was, the fact that he could absorb so much punishment and still get the job done. Did they ever once show his resiliency in a match with one of the people that he wrestled on Raw or SmackDown? No. Not one time did he weather the storm, took a real good ass-whooping, and then made that comeback and made the crowd happy, and there you go, Karrion Kross. Not once.”

Kross is a former two-time NXT Champion. He was praised for being an unstoppable monster on NXT but when he appeared on Raw, he immediately lost to Jeff Hardy. At the time, Kross still held the NXT gold. WWE also didn’t use Scarlett to manage Kross on the main roster.

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All Elite Wrestling talent Lio Rush has shared that his relationship with Mark Henry has improved.

In an interview with Oral Sessions’ Renee Paquette, Rush revealed that he and Henry had resolved issues. While they might disagree on certain things in pro wrestling, Rush says he has a cordial relationship with Henry.

“…Me and Mark Henry relationship is super cordial now,” said Rush. He praised the working environment at AEW and thought it would be foolish for them to continue to have issues with each other. He continued, “I think it came down to two very strong personalities and two very different eras of wrestling, and I think we just kind of like agree to disagree, and we are about to be working together now.”

Lio Rush and Mark Henry Past Issues

The problems between Rush and Henry began during Rush’s career in WWE. In 2019, Rush was unhappy with how the company was treating him. He felt WWE didn’t financially compensate him for his work. At the time, he was working with Bobby Lashley as a manager and wanted more money.

“My issue is the fact that I haven’t been on meet & greets with Bobby, haven’t been getting paid for merchandise for us that has my catchphrases on them,” said Rush. He also shared that he struggled to pay for his hotel and travel because he wasn’t making enough money.

On May 2, 2019, Henry criticized Rush for spending too much money. “If you can’t pay for a rental car, you can’t pay for a hotel with the money that you’re making every week; then you need to change the way you’re spending. You can’t blame that on the office. If you spent everything before you got it, that’s your problem,” Henry said. He also said, “Back in my day, they would’ve told him, ‘Lio, Bobby shouldn’t have to drive. He shouldn’t have to carry his bag.’ Yokozuna was my responsibility.”

Henry’s comments led to differences between the two that’s lasted for a year. On May 14, 2020, Rush reflected on what Henry said the previous year. He also claimed that Henry’s actions exemplify African Americans tearing down other African Americans from succeeding. Henry took exception to Rush’s comments and threatened legal action.

From Rush’s comments on the Oral Sessions’, he and Henry are on better terms. In AEW, both men look to have a fresh start and forget about past issues.

AEW star PAC recently suffered a concussion, according to AEW broadcaster Mark Henry on Thursday’s edition of Busted Open Radio.

Henry was expressing concern over PAC taking a big bump off the ladder on this week’s Dynamite when he noted that the Death Triangle member had suffered a concussion a month and a half ago.

“I would not have had a guy that was injured recently take a big bump off the top of the ladder to the floor on his back,” Henry said about PAC’s big bump in the Casino Ladder match. “I watched PAC, I watched his head snap back and hit the mat and he just had a concussion like a month and a half ago.”

PAC went from August 20th to September 8th, 2021 without wrestling. It’s not clear if this is the time period that Henry is referring to, however. PAC and Andrade were supposed to wrestle on the All Out PPV on September 5th but it ended up being postponed to the following week’s Rampage.

“I mean I’m probably breaking HIPAA laws but everybody saw that,” Henry continued.

“Maybe he’s the one that called it, I don’t know, but it scared me because I’m concerned about the guys and girls.”

PAC’s rival Andrade also commented recently on the big spot from the ladder match.

Mark Henry and Bully Ray have a piece of advice for WWE star Keith Lee.

Lee has recently taken on a new persona in WWE. His nickname is “Bearcat” and he’s been showing a more vicious side of his character. The nickname is in honor of legendary wrestler Bearcat Wright.

Speaking to Bully Ray on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry gave his take on what Keith Lee has to do in order to make his new persona work.

“Own it. He’s not owning it yet. He’s feeling like, ‘well who am I? Who is Bearcat? What does Bearcat do?’ It’s a lot of studying right now, a lot of practicing. Eventually, we’ll get to the point where he’s got it. He’ll roll with it and he’ll be fine.”

Bully Ray agrees with Henry and he added the following.

“If Vince thinks of it and Vince gives you the name and Vince is the one that says, ‘my God he reminds me of Bearcat Wright,’ Vince doesn’t wanna be wrong about a gimmick that he puts on you. So the best thing for Keith Lee to do right now is own it to the max. Make it your own. Take just a little bit of that throwback of Bearcat Wright and mix it in with a lot of modern-day Keith Lee.”

Lee was a part of the WWE draft. He will not be switching brands as Monday Night Raw decided to keep him on the show. “Bearcat” has been earning victories in dark matches and even squashed Akira Tozawa on an episode of Raw in late September.

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Mark Henry making his AEW debut came as a big surprise to many because the former champion had spent all of his wrestling career in WWE until earlier this year. The world’s strongest man recently appeared on Talk Is Jericho podcast. Among other things, he also detailed the circumstances leading up to his WWE departure.

Henry has previously explained how he wanted to get an executive position in the company and help young talent. During the talk, he explained the efforts he made to try and convince the top brass that he deserved the job:

“I spent months putting together a two year plan of events. I was like, ‘What else can I do?’ I called and said, ‘I’m going to start looking for work because I know what I can do well, and I don’t feel like I’m valued in that capacity.’”

Mark Henry then recalled how the answer to his request came from John Laurinaitis instead of Vince McMahon. This is when he knew that it was time to leave:

“When I got the no, it didn’t come from Vince or Brad Blum, it came from Johnny, who is an employee. It’s not his place to tell me no. If the dude has got delegated to somebody that is not their job to tell me, then it’s over. You have to know when the door has been closed.”

Mark Henry made his last WWE appearance during the Raw Legends Night on January 4 where he was humiliated by Randy Orton. He made his AEW debut during the Double Or Nothing PPV in May.

• Mark Henry Says His Retirement Match Is ‘Definitely Gonna Happen In AEW’

Mark Henry has given his take on Matt Hardy’s recent injury.

The Aug. 25 edition of AEW Dynamite opened with a matchup between Hardy and Orange Cassidy. At one point in the match, Cassidy landed a flying crossbody and Hardy was clocked right on the nose. Hardy began bleeding and the aftermath was a busted face. Cassidy ended up winning the match.

Henry was asked about Hardy’s injury during an appearance on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio and had the following to say.

“I don’t know if you all paid attention, but Orange Cassidy, right before they went to the finish, he did a flying cross body where he cross bodied Matt Hardy right across the face. I hope that Matt Hardy is alright because I saw him later on in the evening, and his eye was shut, his nose was broken, his face was swollen up to where I couldn’t recognize him if I didn’t know what clothes he had on.”

Hardy has been in a feud with Orange Cassidy that started when Cassidy took issue with Hardy’s treatment of Wheeler Yuta. It was explained on AEW TV that Cassidy felt Hardy targeted Yuta, who has aligned himself with Cassidy and Chuck Taylor, because he’s a newcomer to the promotion.

Matt Hardy says his feud with Orange Cassidy is personal now that he’s busted his face.

“When you come for the KING, you’d best not miss. Your best shot missed, OC. You didn’t finish me. You couldn’t end me. This is personal now. You can’t BREAK what’s already BROKEN.”

The remarks of Booker T about CM Punk’s AEW debut promo did not go over with the fans. AEW commentator Mark Henry believes it’s because the former WCW champion did not watch the full segment. The world’s strongest man addressed the comments made by the former world champion on a recent episode of Busted Open Radio.

Henry claimed that he doesn’t think Booker actually watched the whole thing. According to him, somebody must have told the former WWE star about it:

“I don’t think Booker T actually watched the whole thing. I don’t think that he watched it from beginning to end. I think somebody told him about it because Booker T knows that if you have ’em, and this is a wrestling insider thing, I’m going to work with all of you behind the curtain, when you got ‘em, you sit there and you allow it to happen. You don’t have to do nothing.”

Mark Henry mentioned how he has been at the ringside for some of the biggest moments in wrestling and heard some of the loudest pops. He then explained that the WWE reference was a very small part of Punk’s promo:

“When he grabbed the microphone and he started talking, he talked more about ROH. He referenced the WWE, not saying words, not mentioning nobody in particular. ‘I’m probably wrong.’ Yes, you’re wrong Book. I love you like a play cousin, but you’re wrong.”

For those who don’t know, Booker T had criticized CM Punk’s promo on his AEW debut during the August 20 episode of Rampage. T had claimed that he wouldn’t have thought about the other side as much and instead focused on the current moment. You can check out his comments in detail here.

Mark Henry, WWE Hall of Famer and pro wrestling legend signed with All Elite Wrestling in May this year as coach, broadcaster and talent scout, shocking the wrestling world. Aside from performing his broadcasting duties in the company, Henry’s behind-the-scenes duties as a coach include mentoring and guiding AEW’s up-and-coming stars. He is also responsible for scouting talent for AEW, which is nothing new for Henry as over the years working with WWE he brought several talented athletes to the company.

Jim Ross, who is a senior advisor at AEW, took notice of Mark Henry’s impact on the AEW locker room and spoke about it on a recent episode of his Grilling JR podcast. Ross said that Henry does a great job for AEW by talking to the young stars. One of the things he does is sit together with them during the shows and points out things and lets them ask him questions. “He’s a very valuable asset to AEW. A lot of folks may not realize it because he’s not on TV all the time, he will be in some role on Rampage. But in any event, Mark was a long term investment [during his early years with WWE]. He was a project, but you can’t replace Mark Henry. Over time he’s evolved into one of the most beloved characters in the business,” Ross said. (H/T Wrestling Inc.)

Mark Henry has said that when the expiry of his WWE contract neared, he felt like he wanted to do more and be in an executive position. “I felt like I wanted to do more. I always wanted to do more. You know me, I’m a busybody. If I’m not doing what I know I can do, especially if I feel I can do it better than somebody else. If I can’t get that opportunity, I have to start looking for that somewhere else. And I did.”

Henry has also said he wants to wrestle again and that his retirement match is “definitely going to happen in AEW.” He also wants to bring Braun Strowman to AEW. “I talked to him, I mentored him but I tell him all the time, I can’t talk business,” Henry said regarding Strowman. “When your contract expires, you call and let me know and then we’ll have a talk.”

The story of CM Punk and Daniel Bryan potentially joining the AEW roster has been the buzzing topic among fans in recent times. Former WWE and current AEW star Mark Henry recently commented on the same.

The world’s strongest man recently had an interview with New York Post where he talked about a wide variety of topics including the upcoming Rampage premiere, different in philosophies of AEW and WWE, and more.

Discussing the potential of the two former world champions joining the roster of AEW, Henry claimed that such an addition would be great for any company:

“I think it would be great for [any company] because you have unbelievable talent and two of the more master psychologists that I’ve worked with, guys that you sit down and you think, what’s not being done in pro wrestling?

When you have a mindset of, ‘I want to do something everybody else don’t do,’ then automatically you are ahead of the game. You already have everybody.”

• Mark Henry Says His Retirement Match Is ‘Definitely Gonna Happen In AEW’

Mark Henry On Four Men Commentary Booth For Rampage

AEW recently announced that Rampage will feature a four men commentary booth. This news concerned fans as many believed that it will lead to conflict between the announcers and restrict them from showing their full potential.

When asked what challenges it will bring for him, Mark Henry claimed that the four men booth is kind of a safety mechanism that has been put in place by Tony Khan because he is new to the role:

“I’m the new guy. They already have a great relationship and they can put on a great show. I think it’s a safety mechanism. I think just in case that I get on there and I’m not good, (AEW president) Tony (Khan) had to put the safety mechanism in place and throw Chris (Jericho) out there just in case we have to save this thing.

I don’t think he has that to worry about. I think we’ll start off a four-man booth and I think once they realize that I can handle it we’ll go to a traditional three-man booth.”

AEW Rampage will premiere on TNT on Friday, August 13. It will feature Excalibur, Taz, Chris Jericho, and Mark Henry as the commentators of the show.

While Mark Henry has spent his entire pro wrestling career in WWE, the former world champion is determined to have his final match in AEW.

The WWE Hall Of Famer recently made an appearance on Battleground podcast. He reiterated his comments about preparing for a retirement match.

Henry said that his retirement match is ‘definitely gonna happen in AEW’. Though he explained that it’s not going to happen anytime soon :

“Well, it’s definitely gonna happen in AEW, It’s not going to be anytime soon, I think. I want to be 100%. I am still nursing injuries from 4 years ago.

The wrestling business is a tough business, it’s not meant for everybody.” said Mark Henry, “Being in my home state, it would be cool to be able to do that, but not at this current time.”

• Mark Henry Says Bringing Braun Strowman To AEW Is “High On His List”

The former WWE star then discussed his upcoming commentary gig as part of AEW’s second TV show Rampage. He claimed that he wants to compete with people such as Jim Ross and Pat McAfee in his new position.

AEW Rampage will be premiering on TNT on Friday, August 13 at 10 PM right after SmackDown. Mark Henry will be one of the commentators and a top AEW star is expected to join him in the commentary booth.

AEW’s newest member of the announcement team, Mark Henry has spoken up about working for AEW and in particular, Jade Cargill.

Mark Henry believes that Cargill has everything it takes to be a major star for the promotion despite only being involved in wrestling for a very short time.

“Jade is going to be a superstar. I’ve told her recently, I said, ‘You’re me. You are a star, you are a celebrity. Without a doubt, she will do all of it. She’s going to have to get to the point where she can wake up at 4 in the morning and if somebody grabs her in a headlock, she’ll know exactly what to do. In this industry, there is a lot to learn, and if you want to learn it at a good clip, but you don’t want to learn so fast that you get injured and that’s kind of the thing. She has tried to do things she probably shouldn’t be doing yet, and she has gotten injured. So, we’re going to slow down, work on the fundamentals, and let her evolve.”

“It took me three years, and she’s been in it less than one. So, the Jade Cargill that we’re going to get in three years is going to be one of the main event players on the show. She is already ‘must-see TV’. We’ll be talking about her like we talked about Kenny Omega in three years.” Mark Henry explained. Talking during an appearance on the Battleground podcast.

Mark Henry Was Been Jade Cargills Mentor Before Either Signed for AEW

It is no secret that Mark Henry knew Jade Cargill before both signed for AEW. It was thanks to Henry that Cargill started training at Heath Slaters wrestling school. Jade has also made sure that people know she views Mark Henry as her mentor in the wrestling world.

Jade Cargill is a woman just starting her wrestling career and had her first-ever match live on AEW Dynamite. It’s oddly poetic that Mark Henry intends to have his last ever match on the same show. Possible Elevation, but that lacks the poetry this piece needed.

Hearing the enthusiasm in Mark Henry’s voice when he talks about Cargill’s potential in a wrestling ring certainly makes you take notice. She has already accomplished a lot in a short time and certainly seems to have the tools necessary to succeed.

AEW’s Max Caster has landed himself a regular gig on TMZ, and it’s all thanks to Mark Henry. Talking recently during an appearance on the Battleground Podcast, Henry took the credit for brokering the deal.

“I just recently fostered a deal with TMZ and Max Caster. Now every week, he’s going to be on TMZ ripping Hollywood, ripping sports, ripping wrestling. Tune in to see what Max Caster is going to do every week.” Mark Henry explained.

There is no denying that a job on TMZ would suit a character like Caster. He has a sharp tongue and isn’t afraid to lace his barbs with venom when necessary. He knows how to get under the skin and say things in a way that get a reaction. Just look at his Oral Sessions intro ahead of his tag-team fight against Jon Moxley and Eddie Kingston.

While there are no details right now, from what Mark Henry has said it sounds like a role Caster was born to fill.

Mark Henry Sees the Power of Cross Media Promotions

Speaking further, Mark Henry explained how he sees a value in AEW branching out into other media streams. Not just mainstream, wrestling-centric avenues, but allowing wrestlers to test the waters in related niches, in order to draw in more fans.

“The number one thing I would want to put out there is, we have to do more of this, er, marketing and creating relationships with media and not just big media but the grassroots media, the podcasts, the companies that are interested in pro-wrestling, not only to the market but for fans.” Mark Henry said.

Since signing with AEW, Mark Henry has been a quiet figure, however, he is gearing up for the premiere of AEW Rampage which premiers on August 13th. Henry will serve as a lead analyst for the show, as well as being an influential figure backstage.

Mark Henry wants to bring Braun Strowman to AEW. According to comments Henry made to TMZ recently, there is already interest on both sides for such a deal. The World’s Strongest Man told the outlet that bringing Strowman to AEW is “high on his list.”

“Super high on my list,” Henry said. “It’s not an all Mark Henry decision, but there’s already interest on both sides.”

“Hopefully by the time he’s allowed to wrestle in August, I think the middle of August, then we could have a serious conversation about contractual things of that nature but right now there’s interest on both sides,” Henry continued. “I love that dude.”

“I talked to him, I mentored him but I tell him all the time, I can’t talk business,” Henry added. “When your contract expires, you call and let me know and then we’ll have a talk.”

AEW’s interest in Strowman was addressed recently on Wrestling Observer Radio as well.

“Mark Henry helped recruit him (to WWE) because they have similar backgrounds as far as being really strong guys. He helped recruit him in WWE and he’s mentored him and everything like that so he is going to want to suggest he come in because they’re buddies,” said Dave Meltzer.

Mark Henry vs Braun Strowman

Strowman and Henry have met in singles action twice. Once on a house show from 2016 and another from RAW on February 13th, 2017. Strowman won both matches. The last time they were both in the same match together was the Greatest Royal Rumble event on April 27th, 2018 from Saudi Arabia. That match was also won by Braun Strowman.

Henry’s comments can be heard in the player below:

Mark Henry made a surprise appearance at AEW Double Or Nothing last month. He was then announced as their newest star but the company promoted him as a Coach & Guest Analyst. This made many wonder about his in-ring status for the company and the former world champion recently cleared the air on his future inside the squared circle.

During the latest episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry talked about Sting’s recent performance. He then claimed that he will be wrestling for AEW in the future, though the former WWE star didn’t give a timetable or date for it:

“Sting has made me feel like fifty is not old,” Henry said. “Sting is one of those guys that, and if there’s anyone out there in this world I’d appreciate if you tweeted this out, Sting is a credit to the elder statesmen in wrestling. He has made me feel there’s a lot that I can still offer, not just behind the scenes, but possibly in the ring.

I don’t know when that’s going to be. But I’ve said it before, I want to wrestle again before it’s all said and done.” said Mark Henry, “I want to wrestle in four decades, and that time is upon us.”

• Mark Henry On How Vince McMahon Reacted To His Decision To Join AEW

Sting made his debut for AEW during a Dynamite episode last December. He wrestled a cinematic match for the company during Revolution in March and the 62-year-old then had his first live match since 2015 during Double Or Nothing.

This isn’t the first time Mark Henry has talked about an in-ring return in recent times. The former champion revealed back in February that he was training for one more match. It would now be interesting to see who turns out to be his opponent for this bout.

AEW has signed a number of WWE veterans in recent times. The list includes names such as Christian and Big Show. Now the signing of Mark Henry has not only grown this list but it has also sparked a debate about the company focusing too much on veteran talents instead of younger stars.

The former world champion recently talked about this notion during the latest episode of Busted Open Radio. He first said that he loves the fans who are positive and willing to accept. However, he said that we also have to address the haters. Henry mentioned how he keeps hearing people complaining about WWE invading AEW with their veteran wrestlers.

Mark Henry then went on to explain the reason behind these hirings. He said that AEW is a new company and they need to bring in people who have experience. The world’s strongest man gave the example of making a corporate product. He explained that when you are building something you want to have people who have a lot of experience in that field:

“The reason you bring in those guys is AEW is a new company. You bring in people that have experience.  If you have Corporate America, let’s just say we’re Corporate America. We’re making tire irons, random somethings, we’re making spatulas. Are you going to let a guy who’s been making spatulas for three years be the boss, or are you going to bring in somebody who’s been making spatulas for twenty five years?  You’ve got to know what you’re doing to make the best product. So you haters out there, think about that message today.”

• Update On How Mark Henry’s AEW Deal Came Together

Mark Henry also talked about his position at AEW and explained that their job now is to fine-tune things. The former WWE star claimed that the company is successful already and their job now is to tighten everything and get everything tuned. Apart from this, Henry also discussed how they need to capture the older dynamic alongside young fans as well.

When Mark Henry signed with AEW, he also ended his 25 year-long run with WWE and closed a chapter of his long-standing relationship with his former employer Vince McMahon. During the latest episode of Busted Open Radio, the former world champion opened up about his decision to leave the company and the conversation he had with the Boss about it.

Henry first discussed how his decision to leave the company came about. The former champion explained that after the expiry of his contract, he started feeling like he could do more. He wanted to join the office and be in an executive position as well instead of being just a talent:

“I felt like I wanted to do more. I always wanted to do more. You know me, I’m a busybody. If I’m not doing what I know I can do, especially if I feel I can do it better than somebody else. If I can’t get that opportunity, I have to start looking for that somewhere else. And I did.”

Mark Henry then discussed having the conversation with the boss and he claimed that their talk was not negative. He explained that whatever he said to Vince was like a conversation between two brothers.

The world’s strongest man revealed the reply he got from Vince McMahon and according to him, the chairman told him that he was going to be successful:

“And man, it was just like the coolest thing. He was like ‘man, you know everything you need to know. You go and if you feel like you need to go, (I) don’t necessarily want it, but if you feel like you need to go, then go. I know you’re going to be successful.’ That’s what you want.”

Mark Henry made a surprise appearance at the AEW Double Or Nothing PPV this past Sunday. The company has since announced that he has signed a multi-year deal with the promotion as a commentator and coach.

• Mark Henry Talks About Signing With AEW, More On His Multi-Year Deal

• Mark Henry has signed a multi-year deal with All Elite Wrestling

• He will pull “Double Duty” as Broadcaster and in Talent Development

WWE legend Mark Henry is All Elite. The World’s Most Dangerous Man made a surprise appearance on Sunday’s AEW Double or Nothing pay-per-view. As announced by Tony Schiavone, Henry will serve as a broadcaster and ‘coach.’

AEW sent out a press release on Tuesday providing more information on his roles.

Mark Henry joins the broadcast team for AEW Rampage, the new hour-long show premiering Friday, August 13th on TNT. Henry has transitioned from a hall of fame wrestling career to broadcaster. He is one of the regular hosts for Busted Open Radio on Sirius XM.

In addition to his new job analyzing the action on AEW Rampage, Henry is taking on some important functions behind-the-scenes. He’ll use his 25 years of experience in pro wrestling to coach and mentor AEW’s up-and-coming stars.

Last but not least, Mark Henry joins AEW as a talent scout. Henry brought several talented athletes to WWE over the years and will be a strong asset to AEW’s recruiting efforts.

Mark Henry on Signing With AEW

“I have been fortunate to experience a great deal of success in my pro wrestling career,” said Mark Henry. “From my own in-ring title runs and creative storylines, to identifying and scouting some of the top talent in pro wrestling business today, to my role as a broadcaster, I have long worked to stay ahead of the pro wrestling curve. The overall quality of professional wrestling has skyrocketed in the past few years, and I’ve been very impressed by the meteoric rise of AEW. I’m excited to join the broadcast team on AEW RAMPAGE, and I can’t wait to work with the incredible roster at AEW.”

Visit AllEliteWrestling.com to read the full Mark Henry press release, including quotes from AEW President Tony Khan.

Mark Henry is the latest former WWE star to sign with AEW. 

During Sunday’s Double Or Nothing pay-per-view event, it was revealed that the Hall of Famer has signed with the promotion and will be a coach for the promotion in addition to being a guest analyst for the Rampage TV show that premieres on TNT this fall. 

It was also confirmed that Henry will speak for the first time on AEW programming this Friday night on Dynamite. 

Henry had been with WWE since 1996. During his career, he has held three championships. The WWE World Heavyweight Title, ECW Title, and European Title. He was also a three-time Slammy Award winner.

Henry’s last match came when he worked a Royal Rumble match at the Greatest Royal Rumble pay-per-view event back in April 2018. 

In recent months, Henry has documented on social media that he has gotten in better shape as he wants to work one more match.