WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has shared his thoughts on who should fill in for Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36. For “The World’s Strongest Man,” the answer is simple: Matt Riddle. Henry addressed the subject during a recent episode of Busted Open Radio.
“It’s easy to work with somebody that people want to see you work,” Henry said. “They [the fans] want this. Man, I love things that go together. I like peanut butter. I like jelly, I like milk, and I like cereal. And I definitely like meat on my sandwiches so I mean you gotta be able to put things together that match, that go together. that everybody wants to see.”
Mark Henry would detail the issues between Riddle and Goldberg. He pointed to Riddle’s perceived lack of respect for the former WCW Champion.
“Matt Riddle and Goldberg had an issue. Some of them based off respect [on Riddle’s side]. ‘You know, you overstepping your bounds, like you haven’t paid enough dues to be comfortable like that.’” Henry said. “And whatever the case may be, but I’m just saying. If you have an issue, and it’s gonna go to blows and it almost went to blows a couple of times. Yep. let em fight, put it together.”
Roman Reigns Out Of WrestleMania 36
Reigns recently confirmed that he had pulled out of his scheduled matchup with Goldberg. The two were due to face off for Goldberg’s WWE Universal Championship. Reigns had reportedly refused to compete out of concern of the coronavirus as he has battled leukemia twice and has a weakened immune system.
In a video statement, Reigns explained, “You don’t know the whole story, all you know is what you think. You don’t know what else is going on in my life. You don’t know if I have newborns, if I have family in my household, older family.”
At the time of writing, it has been speculated that Braun Strowman will be the Superstar to replace Reigns.
WrestleMania 36 is just a week away. With the current COVID-19 coronavirus pandemic, WWE has been forced to pre-tape the biggest show of the year.
One of the bigger matches on the card; will see WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch take on Shayna Baszler for the Championship. In a potentially massive slip up, Mark Henry may have revealed the stipulation for the match.
During the most recent episode of Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry was discussing the Roman Reigns and Goldberg situation. Roman Reigns has taken himself off of the WrestleMania card due to health worries, and Henry suggested that Matt Riddle be the replacement opponent for Goldberg at the event. In doing so, he discussed a match stipulation he’d like to see added to the RAW Women’s title match
Henry stated “You know, you got one match in an octagon hopefully. And hopefully you know what they can do with Shana Baszler and Becky Lynch. And then you can turn around and have one more right behind it, or have it before [Goldberg vs Riddle]. Just a tune up.”
“then you can turn around and have one more right behind it”
Mark Henry
The ‘World’s Strongest Man’ would obviously be referring to Riddle and Baszler being former MMA fighters, thus giving the stipulation some merit. However, with Riddle being pure speculation, it’s interesting for Mark Henry to say “you got one match in an octagon, hopefully.”
So, with WrestleMania 36 being behind closed doors and information being sparse; has Mark Henry just slipped that we’re getting an MMA match for Lynch vs Baszler? We have one more episode of RAW before WrestleMania 36 next week, could WWE announce the match stipulation then?
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry believes that wrestling fans need to show WWE Universal Champion Goldberg “respect.” Henry shared his thoughts during a recent episode of Sirius XM’s Busted Open Radiowhere he was discussing the upcoming WrestleMania clash between Goldberg and Roman Reigns.
“So Roman Reigns goes and does business. When will be the next time you see Bill Goldberg? You won’t see him very much because I don’t think that he’s going to work a full workload. […] primarily the whole thing is, we got to respect Bill Goldberg for who he is.”
Henry reflected on Goldberg’s infamous matchup against The Undertaker. The two wrestled during the controversial Super ShowDown event in Saudi Arabia. Goldberg would suffer a concussion during the matchup, leading to dangerous moments and botched spots between the two veterans. Mark Henry argued that the chance to move on from that match is a huge motivating factor behind Goldberg’s current run.
“He [Goldberg] wanted to get that horrible taste out his mouth,” Henry stated. “From having a bad performance. And here he is given substance to the business, and he’s doing exactly what he needed to do to get rid of that. Like people will remember him being involved in a hell of an angle and going out at WrestleMania.”
Goldberg will attempt to defend his WWE Universal Championship against Roman Reigns at WrestleMania 36. “The Show of Shows” takes place on April 4 and April 5. It will be pre-recorded from multiple locations due to the coronavirus pandemic.
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently discussed Triple H and his potential move into the CEO position once Vince McMahon retires.
Henry stated that he believes Triple H would change the scope of the company, by putting more emphasis on a number of featured talents instead of one or two ‘top guys.’
Mark Henry on Triple H
“I think Triple H would broaden the title picture” Henry began on the latest episode of Busted Open. “Like it is at NXT. There are six or eight guys right now that can be champion on NXT. They have a lot more versatility in NXT, they don’t put all the stock in one person to be the lead.”
Henry elaborated further, describing how he believes HHH would make the ‘main roster’ more of a ‘wild west.’
“And that’s that’s the biggest change I think that he would make. Triple H would make it a more of a wild wild west. Wide open. You know, one week a guy’s challenging, the next week, another guy challenging. To find out who’s the cream of the crop.”
There were recent reports that ‘The Game’ had actually taken a ‘demotion’ in WWE. Hunter’s new title in WWE is Executive Vice President, Global Talent Strategy and Development; whereas he previously worked as the EVP of Talent, Live Events, and Creative. Triple H himself took a shot at the reports on the first SmackDown live at the Performance Center, saying he has apparently been “demoted but is even busier.”
It will be interesting to see if HHH is still likely to take over the helm of WWE once Vince McMahon leaves or retires.
How do you think Triple H will change the format/presentation of WWE if/when he ever takes over from Vince McMahon?
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently discussed the Three-Time NFL Superbowl Champion Rob Gronkowski and his switch to the squared circle. Henry would have huge praise for the former NFL tight end and he believes that Gronk has a massive amount of potential in WWE.
“Rob Gronkowski has a lot of personality” Mark Henry began. “He [Gronk] is a walking, living party happening 24 hours a day. I love the guy, I think that he’s gonna make a really good wrestler. Once you’ve got some seasoning and some in-ring experience.”
Mark Henry would elaborate further; saying that he believes the right time for Gronkowski to debut would be WrestleMania next year. Henry would also compare Gronk’s potential to that of two huge cross over stars from WWE’s past. “I’d say by WrestleMania next year; I don’t know if he’ll be at Ronda Rousey level for a first timer, or Kurt Angle for a first timer, but he has that potential.”
The ‘World’s Strongest Man’ would finish by saying that we do not know what sort of combat ability Gronkowski has, and that he could shock the audience. “It’s just cool to see somebody with the potential to be great. You know he’s gonna have to learn some of the fighting arts. I don’t know if Gronk can box. We don’t know if he can shoot wrestle. We don’t know if he could kickbox, there’s a lot about Gronkowski that we don’t know.”
It was announced on Friday’s SmackDown Live that Rob Gronkowski will be the host of this year’s WrestleMania. For the first time ever Mania will be held over two nights on April 5th/6th.
Do you think that Rob Gronkowski will be a success in WWE? Let us know in the comments
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry joined this week’s episode of WWE show The Bump. With WWE boasting so many athletic big men, Henry spoke what it’s like to be a big guy in wrestling. Mentioning large talents like The Big Show, Keith Lee and Braun Strowman, he revealed how there were some who had doubts regarding Strowman when he was first brought into the company.
“[On the ‘Big Guy gimmick’] It starts off as heat like you’ve got a problem with everybody. We call that ‘Big Guy Heat,'” Henry explained. “You get too many big guys in the room, people start to talk about their accolades, and say things like ‘Yeah, I’ve beaten this guy. Yeah, I’ve beaten that guy. I’m over, look at me.’ Then, you start to look at people as your contemporaries. You look at them as your peer group. You learn from each other. Then, you start to work against each other.”
He continued, “Me and The Big Show – arguably the biggest guys of our era – we worked together probably 100 times. It was always cordial when we met. He was like my brother. So, it’s been different in the case for me and him. When I brought in Braun Strowman, some people were like ‘I don’t know about this guy, man.’ I told him ‘That’s the big guy heat. Let it die down. It will work out in the end, and it did.'”
Mark Henry On Scouting Talent
Working as a talent scout for WWE, Henry pointed to NXT North American Champion Keith Lee as a Superstar he believes will excel. He noted how Lee is an unbelievable worker that has great ring psychology.
“There are some other guys in developmental that I’m looking forward to seeing show up. We have a 7’0″ giant named Jordan from Nigeria, who looks the part. I’m looking forward to seeing the future. There are about 10 guys there, and six of them are over 7-feet-tall.”
Mark Henry noted how Superstars like Braun Strowman is the “A-typical” person they need in wrestling. He shared how Strowman isn’t shy and that when he walks into the room, he owns it. According to Henry, these are qualities he is looking for when he’s scouting future talent.
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently discussed the ongoing feud between RAW Superstar Randy Orton and Edge. Henry has previously praised Orton specifically for ‘carrying’ the feud singlehandedly whilst Edge is off of television ‘recovering’ from the chair shot he took on January 27th.
Mark Henry on Randy Orton
“I’m gonna read something right now, I get a text yesterday” Henry began on the SiriusXM show. “‘Hey, man, I watched [WWE] Backstage, and I heard the kind words that you said about me. That sincerely means a lot my man.’ And that was from Randy. Randy Orton respects the fact that we [the performers] honor him. That we hold him at a high regard and justifiably so, he deserves it.”
“Arguably The Best Heel In The Industry”
Henry would also call Orton arguably the best ‘heel’ in the wrestling industry right now. “He’s arguably the best heel in pro wrestling today” Henry stated. “Work wise, promo wise, career wise. There’s nobody else on the planet that’s living up to Randy Orton’s excellence. Randy listens to this [Busted Open] show, and every time it’s not because it is about him per se. It’s about the fact that he lifts up the business. He cares about the business of pro wrestling, just like you and I. You’re the superfan. I was the superfan that became a wrestler. That actually got to come back in the media and relay that message. And I feel like I’m the voice of the wrestler that gets to respond to the fans. And I’m letting all y’all know that Randy Orton is relishing being the guy that he is today.”
“I’m looking so forward to next week that I just can’t even…”
Mark Henry would finish by saying that he holds Randy Orton in high regard. He also made it clear that he holds RAW above SmackDown in terms of quality television right now. “It’s much appreciated as a fan of pro wrestling. And as a former wrestler? I hold Randy at a high regard. And it’s going to continue to be that way. I’m looking so forward to next week that I just can’t even…I know I’m shouldn’t be pushing past Friday. I shouldn’t be pushing past Smackdown, I shouldn’t be pushing past the pay per view Elimination Chamber. But I’m so ready for Monday.”
You can listen to Busted Open Radio via SiriusXM. The podcast version is available via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and PlayerFM.
Do you think that Randy Orton is currently the best heel in pro wrestling? Let us know your pick in the comments below
Mark Henry has shared his thoughts regarding John Cena’s return to SmackDown last Friday night. The WWE Hall of Famer spoke about Cena’s comeback during an episode of Busted Open Radio.
Henry reflected on how he’s so used to hearing the WWE Universe chanting ‘Cena Sucks’ at the Superstar. He noted how it was “unfathomable” to him that Cena would be so embraced upon his return.
“I could not believe the reaction from the crowd last night,” he confessed. “I just, like, I guess absence does make the heart grow fonder. Because he got more love that first minute and a half…he couldn’t even talk. The crowd was like constant. It was a constant roar. And every time he got ready to say something, they amped up.”
Mark Henry noted how Cena may have been taken aback by the reaction, given how crowds have been so mixed in previous years.
John Cena Vs. ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt
John Cena’s appearance helped to set up a WrestleMania 36 matchup between himself and ‘The Fiend’ Bray Wyatt. Ironically, Cena was highlighting how this year’s ‘Mania should be focused on new talent and modern Superstars. Despite these statements, he now finds himself in a major matchup on ‘The Grandest Stage of Them All.’
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Mark Henry had some intriguing comments regarding the Universal Championship match at WrestleMania. Roman Reigns will be challenging new Champion Goldberg at the event; following a face-to-face with the former WCW star on SmackDown this past Friday. The live crowd in Boston not only booed Goldberg, who had defeated The Fiend just the night before, but also were not exactly receptive to Reigns, chanting “you both suck.”
Roman Reigns Main Eventing Again?
This will be the fifth time that Roman Reigns has main evented WrestleMania, if this match goes on last. The previous four bouts came at the height of fans completely rejecting Reigns in the main event position, however Mark Henry believes that this time will be different.
“This is a time where you’re not shoving Roman Reigns down somebody’s throat” Henry began. “And the people actually wanted…they were cheering for Roman, they were like, ‘kick his ass, take the title.’ They [the fans] want to see Roman Reigns have success again, that’s where we’ve evolved to, and I’m looking forward to it.”
Henry elaborated further, saying “I think that this is Romans time. People believe in him, people get behind him. They want to see him. Do they want to see him be [WWE] champion? I’m not sure, we’ll find out. But do they want to see him be champion more than Goldberg? Yes.”
Henry then made the point that Goldberg should be clearly positioned as the antagonist in the feud with Reigns. “He’s [Goldberg] gonna have to be arrogant. ‘I told you that I will be champion again, everybody was on my back about what happened the last time I was in Saudi but look at me now.’ I would paint the picture of him being the biggest assh*le that has ever been in pro wrestling.”
You can listen to Busted Open Radio every day via SiriusXM or the Podcast version via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher or Player FM.
Do you think that Roman Reigns and Goldberg will main event WrestleMania this year? Let us know in the comments
Co-host of Busted Open Radio Mark Henry made some rather inflammatory comments towards WWE Backstage host CM Punk. This on a recent episode of the Sirius XM show. Henry made it clear that he doesn’t enjoy Punk in the role of ‘analyst’ on the show, saying that he should be out there ‘inciting a riot.’
Henry had interviewed WWE Superstar Aleister Black earlier in the Busted Open broadcast, someone who he feels is “ready for the main event.”
CM Punk had made comments on this week’s episode of WWE Backstage where he believed that the next step for Black should be a run at a mid-card title, specifically the United States. This did not resonate with the ‘World’s Strongest Man,’ who said that stars of much higher stature should be “taking the fight TO Aleister Black.”
“What Punk should say is ‘he’s looking for a fight? Hell, I’ll fight him'” Henry began. “How about that? Let that be the news tomorrow. CM Punk says Aleister Black wants to fight. Take your ass to the ring. And you tell me what day the week it is. And I’ll be there.”
CM Punk has not officially been involved in a professional wrestling bout since he left WWE back in 2014. Punk left the company before WrestleMania 30, forcing the company to change plans for that year’s event. It was rumored that Punk would be facing Triple H at the show of shows.
Mark Henry would then go on to hype how big a Punk vs Black match could be, “listen, you wouldn’t be able to buy a ticket. That’s what CM Punk is supposed to be doing. Inciting a riot. I watched him on WWE Backstage, and I feel like he’s got his hands in his pockets. His arms are folded. I feel like he’s, he’s got to be the focal point, I wish I was on the show, I would challenge him. And I would [say] ‘bro, that’s not who you are. I know you. You’re a fighter. That’s why you quit wrestling. So you could go fight because you wanted to fight. win, lose or draw. What do you like to do in your life? stir the shit and fight. Please do that. That’s what entertains me.’
WWE recently announced that Mark Henry will be joining WWE Backstage for next week’s episode.
You can catch Busted Open Radio every day on Sirius XM as well as their dedicated Podcast show via Apple Podcasts, Stitcher and Player FM.
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently commented on SmackDown Superstar Cesaro. Many fans have commented on how they feel the Swiss Superstar is ‘underutilized’ in WWE, with the prospect of Cesaro leaving the company to go to the likes of New Japan or AEW revitalising for his character and in-ring style. Henry added an interesting twist into the conversation, saying that Cesaro might be considering his career beyond the in-ring aspect.
“He does a great job of showing up,” Henry began. “There’s never been a segment that I’ve seen Cesaro that I wasn’t interested in. If that actually gives you any understanding of what I feel about him as a talent is going to come down to.”
“If I can’t hold up, then you know. Fire me.” Henry on Cesaro
Henry elaborated further, discussing how WWE may perceive the Swiss Cyborg. “Do they feel that he is a viable commodity? Some of that is politicing and saying ‘I need this guy, I need that guy. If I can’t hold up, then you know, fire me. Let me go.'”
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Henry then made the point that Cesaro is a talent who is capable of going further in the company, outside of the ring. “Maybe that’s not what he wants, maybe the bigger picture is him, you know after his career is done, there’s a lot of people that they sacrifice their in ring careers for what’s going to happen after so they have another 30 year career after it’s all said and done with. So, you gotta think about that. Well, Cesaro is definitely one of those guys that after his wrestling career he’s gonna step right into a role. Whether that’s a producer role, [or] agent. [Maybe] Somebody in talent relations, somebody in international marketing. He’s a smart guy. Very smart guy.”
Do you think that Cesaro should leave WWE and head to the likes of NJPW or AEW? Let us know in the comments
WWE has built ‘The Fiend’ as an unstoppable monster in the last few months and so the upcoming match between him and Goldberg is garnering interest from fans.
Goldberg himself is known to be unstoppable inside the ring. So many people have been wondering if he is going to be the one to finally beat Bray Wyatt and WWE Hall Of Famer Mark Henry recently gave his thoughts on the matter.
Henry talked about the upcoming match between these two stars during the latest episode of Busted Open Radio and when asked if Goldberg is the one to finally beat the Fiend, the former World Champion replied negatively:
“Bill is not the one. This is one of those matches that if it is done right it can be one of those that we really talk about and say ‘Where has this Goldberg been’ and I think he realizes that and wants that, a lot of people would not want to work up to that standard, but that is why he is a Hall of Famer.”
Mark Henry then praised the acting skills of Bray Wyatt. He talked about the segment that set up the match between these two and mentioned how Wyatt transitioned into many different emotions seamlessly. He said that Bray knows how to keep your attention
Bray Wyatt will be defending his Universal Championship against Bill Goldberg at the upcoming Super Showdown event from Riyadh, Saudi Arabia on February 27.
WWE Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Mark Henry recently discussed Braun Strowman and his Intercontinental Championship win. The ‘Monster Among Men’ Strowman won his first ever singles title in WWE on the 31st January episode of the blue brand on FOX.
On Braun Strowman – “I think that you don’t want to rush things”
Henry first discussed why he believed it took ‘so long’ for Strowman to win a singles title. “I think that you don’t want to rush things” Henry began. “Didn’t we always talk about how Roman Reigns was pushed ON us? Yeah, we didn’t get to choose Roman Reigns; and now people ARE choosing Roman Reigns, look how long it took for Roman Reigns to take.”
“How long is he going to keep the title. Who is he going to defend the title against?”
Henry elaborated further, saying “I’m glad that they did not rush [Braun Strowman] and just make him a champion over someone that it didn’t seem plausible. Now, for him to go over at this point, considering after all the things that he’s done. It’s going to legitimise him. And is not just winning, it is keeping the title. How long is he going to keep the title. Who is he going to defend the title against? What stories are going to be built out of the fact that Braun Strowman has the title now?”
Braun Strowman’s WWE Championship History
To this point Strowman had only won tag team Championships in his time on the WWE roster. One time with Nicolas, WWE referee John Cone’s son. Also once with current RAW Tag Team Champion Seth Rollins. Strowman has challenged for the Universal Championship on occasion, including the ‘no-contest’ against Roman Reigns at Hell In a Cell 2018.
Who do you think that Braun Strowman will be defending the Intercontinental Championship against at WrestleMania? Let us know in the comments
WWE held their annual Royal Rumble event just seven days ago. As part of the weekend festivities WWE also ran the Worlds Collide event, pitting NXT Superstars against those part of the NXT UK brand. The main event of the show saw NXT United Kingdom Champion WALTER, Fabian Aichner, Marcel Barthel, and Alexander Wolfe defeat The Undisputed Era (Adam Cole, Kyle O’Reilly, Bobby Fish, and Roderick Strong).
Hall of Famer and co-host of Busted Open Radio Mark Henry had huge praise for the event, and one performer in particular. “WALTER jumps off the screen” Henry began. “If it was a book you would turn the pages and never stop. Because you just want to see more WALTER. It’s very seldom that you get a PPV where one individual takes over the whole event. That just told me that WALTER is ready for a bigger stage. And needs to be around…he needs to be in the ‘main circle’ of guys. He stole the whole PPV, just one guy.”
It has previously been reported that WALTER is unwilling to go ‘full time’ on the main WWE roster. The Austrian born Superstar has a solid base in Europe, especially in wXw and the UK’s PROGRESS promotion. WALTER is only 31 at this point and there are a potentially a lot more opportunities to bring him over to the US and establish him on RAW or SmackDown.
WALTER was however part of last year’s Survivor Series event. He was part of a Team Smackdown vs. Team RAW vs. Team NXT match, which had 15 Superstars. In an interview WALTER said that he was not at all invested in the match itself. “I wasn’t invested in that, I didn’t care” the NXT UK Champion claimed. “I care about my guys, my group, I care about the sport, but I don’t care about all those people being angry each other. It was a weird match too – three five-men tag teams, and always three guys in the ring. That’s when wrestling turns from competition to putting acrobats in a circus to do a show. There’s 15 of you, you’ve got to do something.”
With WALTER clearly being an outspoken individual it will be interesting to see how he fairs in WWE. Do you think that WALTER will be a hit on the main roster if he went to the US? Let us know in the comments
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has made further comments regarding UFC megastar Conor McGregor. As we recently reported Henry commented on McGregor’s recent demeanour, following his win at UFC 246. “Conor McGregor is on quality control” Mark Henry stated. The ‘World’s Strongest Man’ would also make some explosive comments regarding the MMA fighter; “He said things that was completely out of line, specially as it relates to him coming into the [WWE] locker room and slapping everybody because, I’m gonna tell you what. At that time, I was actually in the locker room. I welcome any 140 pounds or less guy on the planet to come and slap my face. I will tear your skin off. AND I will hang your skin in my closet.”
McGregor In The Royal Rumble?
Fellow WWE Hall of Famer Bully Ray started the Busted Open podcast by asking Henry about McGregor. “Do you think Conor McGregor could be successful in the WWE?” Bully began. “And…do you think that there’s any chance in hell that he’s a surprise entrant in the Royal Rumble?”
“That’s just the way I’ve been taught in this business.” – Mark Henry
Mark Henry then confirmed that he believes that McGregor would be a fit for the biggest pro wrestling company on the planet. “As a businessman, I do think that he could. I would not let my personal feelings for him affect business. That’s just the way I’ve been taught in this business. Do I think that he will be an entrant in the Battle Royal? No.”
“…but he’s too stupid to realise what doing good business is.” – Mark Henry
Henry then stated that McGregor would have too much ‘ego’ to only enter the Rumble but not win. “Too much ego [he’d] want to win. I just know, I just feel, that he would want to win. That will be more important to him than coming in and making a splash and everybody in the ring, stopping, turning to him and walking slowly toward him. And then just rushing him and throwing him out. Which would be just as good as him winning, but he’s too stupid to realise what doing good business is.”
“you get a phone call from Vince tomorrow…”
Bully also brought up the phenomenal business and buzz that Floyd Mayweather and Big Show drew for their bout at WrestleMania 24. With that in mind Bully asked Henry “you get a phone call from Vince [McMahon] tomorrow and Vince says you’re the perfect guy for an angle with Conor McGregor, Mark Henry are you doing it or not?” Mark Henry then emphatically stated “Yes.”
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry recently made some interesting comments on the Busted Open Radio show. The part time co-host of the Sirius XM broadcast was discussing NXT Women’s Champion Rhea Ripley with permanent host Dave LaGreca.
Henry started by describing how impressive it was that Ripley has achieved this much at her age, with the Superstar being only 23 years old. “At twenty three years old I was I was still [power] lifting. I hadn’t even got into wrestling yet. Yet she’s [Rhea] already been in it, been there, done that…at twenty three years old. What will she do in the next fifteen twenty years? I’m gonna tell you, she’s going to transcend wrestling.”
Henry then elaborated on the “transcend” comment, saying “she’ll be the next Rock. She will be the next John Cena, she will be able to be the next Batista. She should be able to go outside of wrestling and make a living because she’ll be a big mainstream star.”
Rhea Ripley defeated Shayna Baszler this past Wednesday to become the new NXT Women’s Champion. This ended Baszler’s long and dominating reign on top of the NXT Women’s division. Head of NXT Triple H took to Twitter following Wednesday’s broadcast and had huge praise for the new champion. “An incredible main event and a new champion. One of the most dominant reigns over the @WWENXT Women’s division comes to end and another begins. @RheaRipley_WWE will be the one to lead #WWENXT into the new year… Congratulations. #AndNew.”
Mark Henry believes that WWE Superstar Randy Orton should be a prominent figure in WWE’s championship picture. The WWE Hall of Famer shared his thoughts during an episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio.
“I like [the idea of Orton in the title scene] because of the historical reference of Randy Orton,” he said. “He comes from wrestling, he’s a third-generation guy, and when Randy Orton has a title, it’s more exciting because his finish [the RKO] can come out of nowhere.”
He argued how Superstars like Orton and AJ Styles are good for business when holding a championship belt, whether they compete in the championship scene as a heel or face. Henry explained how putting them in the main event helps to keep the show moving forward, adding drama for the audience.
Henry juxtaposed his argument with the current All Elite Wrestling World Champion Chris Jericho. He noted how much the AEW fanbase cares about Jericho, and it helped make sense to put the belt on him because of it. He stated how the WWE Universe “give a damn” about both Orton and Styles as well as Seth Rollins. Henry stressed how Orton could outwork 98% of those on competitive rosters, and that when he holds the title he “makes the title, rather than the title making him.”
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Mark Henry is telling Jim Cornette to apologize for comments made on a recent episode of NWA Powerrr. Henry recently spoke to TMZ.
“As much as I can say, I’m disappointed and I hope that he can try to fix this. But, some people just don’t like people of color,” Henry said to TMZ.
Henry then said Cornette needs to apologize.
“I would say, ‘Jim … please apologize, and mean it. And if you don’t mean it, then go all the way Darth Vader and [say] I just don’t like black people,'” Henry continued.
“At least I know who you are. And, then I can get rid of this feeling that I have in my heart. It’s like having your mother or father disown you. I feel like a sense of mourning.”
Cornette made the comment “He’s the only man I’ve ever known that can strap a bucket of fried chicken on his back and ride a motor scooter across Ethiopia,” during a recent broadcast of NWA’s weekly YouTube show. The episode was briefly taken offline, edited, and re-posted.
Henry’s conversation with TMZ can be viewed in the player below:
“Prior to all of this, the relationship that I had with Jim Cornette has been really, really good. He taught me a lot about pro wrestling, he allowed me into his home to look at his archive, he helped me to be the wrestler that I became. And, I probably wouldn’t have been the guy without him.”
“But, it is very, very hurtful. And, I don’t get emotional about much, but I feel a sense of loss.”
Morning all–wish I had time to thank, acknowledge, retweet, block or cuss out all of you but there's too many weighing in & too little time. Tune in to Friday's Jim Cornette Experience for complete details on all the "controversies".
While Bray Wyatt has been portrayed as a heel since he debuted the Fiend persona, he is mostly cheered by the fans. Though Mark Henry believes that Daniel Bryan can change this situation and get people to boo the Universal Champion.
Henry was recently a guest on Busted Open Radio where he
talked about a number of things and also discussed the upcoming match between
these two WWE stars.
The WWE Hall of Famer said that the former World Champion is capable of telling a story in the ring which will turn Wyatt into a monster from a character that everybody loves:
“Daniel Bryan can tell a story in that match and make Bray Wyatt a monster, rather than somebody that everybody is loving and respecting, because he’s got enough history with the wrestling fans that they respect him,”
Henry went on to explain that the two performers will put on a great match but there will be a point during their fight, where Bryan will stop doing the bad things. He then went on to claim that by the middle of the match, the crowd will be booing Bray Wyatt.
This week’s episode of SmackDown Live saw Daniel Bryan and Bray Wyatt setting up their match and Wyatt will now be defending his Universal Championship against Bryan at the Survivor Series PPV on November 24.
WWE RAW Women’s Champion Becky Lynch has been on a tear through the WWE Women’s division. On a recent episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Bully Ray and Mark Henry discussed Lynch’s momentum and who would work as a rival at this time. Both former WWE Superstars agreed on one name: Asuka.
“Asuka, I believe, is the heel that can get the right type of heat on Becky Lynch,” Bully Ray said. “Because paying to see a champion retain their championship is very hard to do in 2019. I think people will pay money to see Becky fight and retain against Asuka, and Asuka is so credible—she hasn’t been credible since the Royal Rumble—but she’s so credible in her physicality and her demeanor, I think she can get the right amount of heat on Becky Lynch that people will sympathize and get into Becky even more.”
Mark Henry referred back to the matches between Asuka and Lynch before WrestleMania 35, calling Asuka the most underutilized Superstar on WWE’s roster.
“I think that Asuka was the most underutilized and, not only that, she kind of got lost in the shuffle. She was almost forgotten about,” Henry stated. “It was good Becky mentioned the fact that the last person that she lost to that was a complete one-sided mismatch was the match she had with Asuka, […] and then they never used it. They never went back to it. So now we get to see all of that pay off, […] and that’s what the fans want to see. They want to see redemption.”
Asuka and her tag team partner Kairi Sane recently won the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship. They defeated former champs Alexa Bliss and Nikki Cross to claim the titles at Sunday’s Hell in a Cell pay-per-view.
Mark Henry is one of the few stars that came into
professional wrestling with an impressive background in sports and his
achievements look even better when you consider the fact that he had no
experience of pro wrestling before joining WWE.
Henry recently had an interview with WrestlingInc where he spoke about a number of different things and also discussed how he started his professional wrestling career.
Henry first talked about how inexperienced he was before making his TV debut and recalling how he got into the world of professional wrestling, he revealed that Vince McMahon persuaded him:
“I had no experience whatsoever; I was just a fan, and
Vince McMahon saw me mention that I was a fan and they came after me. (and)I’m
really glad they did.”
The WWE Hall Of Famer also discussed what is needed to
succeed in the world of pro wrestling and claimed that more wrestlers need to
be extroverts.
He said that you have to transcend whatever sport you’re in and gave the example of NXT star Bianca Belair, mentioning how she wears bright colors and tutus.
Mark Henry started his WWE career in 1996. He played a
number of other sports including football before joining WWE and he had made
some impressive records in weightlifting.
WWE recently officially announced that NXT would be debuting on USA Network on Wedneday nights. Now WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has shared his thoughts on the impending Wednesday night war between WWE’s NXT and All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
“Vince looks at wrestling as being his,” Henry stated on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. “If you try to take something that belongs to him, he’s going to cut your hand off. Reach on my plate while I’m eating and see what happens to your hand. I’m gonna stab you in the top of your hand with a fork. That’s Vince. Wrestling is his plate, and you are reaching into his plate.”
Henry then speculated that McMahon is actually excited about this impending challenge between the two companies.
When it was brought up that, maybe, Vince McMahon loves that AEW is trying to ‘reach over to his plate,’ Henry responded “I know he does. I don’t know nobody that likes to fight and be a tough guy more than him. Sometimes you can do it with your fists or a pencil, and Vince can do it with both.”
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry sat down with Wrestling Inc.’s own Nick Hausman where he talked about a wide range of pro wrestling topics.
During the interview, he discussed a potential return to in-ring action. This is where he noted there’s no more wrestling for him but rather he’s doing a lot of hugging, shaking hands and kissing babies.
Henry noted that the only person in his life could get him to come out of retirement and that’s his wife. This would only be for a big payday such as a match in Saudi Arabia.
“I would say no, but my wife would say yes,” Henry explained. “If you start throwing a little money around, you know, we’ve got to get them bills paid.”
Henry has been with the company since 1996 and 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. This was after 10 months of him confirming that his 21-year in-ring career was coming to an end.
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry had a ton of praise to give to Brock Lesnar and Seth Rollins following their main event match at Sunday’s SummerSlam pay-per-view event.
Rollins dethroned Lesnar to become the new Universal Champion. Henry sounded off on this match and his belief that Rollins is now at the highest level possible following their match.
Henry brought up how people say that Lesnar can bully anyone and can’t wrestle. Henry would disagree with that.
“He performed at the highest level and elevated an opponent like anybody I’ve ever seen. You can put him up there with the greats because he helped catapult Seth into where he is today.”
Henry continued by noting that it’s not only being the champion but how fans perceive him as a guy that’s double tough.
He brought up Rollins selling broken ribs and cough up blood a few weeks ago then putting on such a performance.
Henry added that Brock putting himself in a position for Rollins to have success is an art. You can listen to the clip here:
"Brock putting himself in a position for Seth to have success is an art."
Former WWE Superstars, Hall of Famers, and Legends came together this past Monday on a special RAW Reunion episode.
In an episode of SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry shared information on the backstage atmosphere during the event, comparing it to WrestleMania.
“It was a really, really good experience. It was like a family reunion,” Henry said. “There was a couple of people that didn’t agree, it didn’t break out into a fight or nothing, or an argument, but there was a couple of times where there were stories, and people said, ‘No, no, that’s not how it went.’ And you know, that kind of thing, but I got to see so many people that I hadn’t seen in a long time.”
Henry described how WWE’s setup for the event actually rivaled WrestleMania, mentioning the number of celebrities, musicians, and MMA fighters that were also present.
“There were a lot of celebrities in the back. Musicians, and MMA fighters. It was just like WrestleMania. The biggest thing – the setup. They had a lounge set up with all these big comfortable chairs, and fruit and drinks, and all kinds of stuff set up in a lounge for the Legends, and it was called the Legends Lounge. And they ain’t never done nothing like that at WrestleMania before. It rivaled WrestleMania as far as the presentation and the setup.
The treatment they experienced was said to be genuinely VIP, something Henry claimed he had never experienced. He added that WWE did a great job at making them all feel at home.
