Mark Henry Opens Up About WWE Snub and Struggles with Depression
In a candid revelation, Mark Henry, famend as the World’s Strongest Man, has shared how a pivotal WWE choice plunged him into a length of deep despair. Despite his towering success and a profession that spanned over many years, Henry’s emotional and intellectual fitness took a success while a vast possibility slipped via his arms.
Mark Henry’s adventure thru WWE is marked through severa achievements, with the top being his World Heavyweight Championship win in 2011. His career, which has been celebrated by way of fans for years, became also characterised with the aid of his partnership with MVP. Together, they formed the popular tag group, Power Ballin, in 2008. Though their chemistry changed into undeniable, in-ring success turned into often elusive, a fact that changed into a ways from what became initially deliberate.
Henry’s candid admission came in the course of an interview on Busted Open Radio, where he described the profound effect of WWE’s decision to shift focus from his tag group with MVP to a new storyline featuring Chris Jericho and Big Show, known as “JeriShow.” This surprising alternate not best altered his career trajectory however also contributed to a serious bout of melancholy.
“We were supposed to win the tag titles and go on to WrestleMania, but the writers came up with something called ‘JeriShow,’ and they went with that. Which hey, it’s their company, do what you do. But I went into a depression about it and I didn’t realize. And when they ended Power Ballin, it was over,” Henry revealed. The disappointment was compounded when Henry was directed to remove the “WSM” (World’s Strongest Man) emblem from his gear and transition to a less prominent role, working with characters like Finlay and Hornswoggle in a less serious capacity.
Henry’s frustration was palpable. “They tell me that they wanted me to take the ‘WSM’ off [my wrestling gear] and just wear red, and you’re gonna go and work with Finlay and Hornswoggle and just do some fun-lovin’ stuff. I was this in-between good guy, midcard deal, and I hated it. I hated it. You know how I always say don’t get the boo-boo face? I did … I got up to 440 pounds. I looked like a damn watermelon in red clothes.”
The emotional toll was exacerbated by fans’ reactions, with Henry facing ridicule as his all-red attire led some to compare him to the “Kool-Aid Man.” Initially, the comparison seemed harmless but soon became a source of discomfort. “I’m wearing all red, so I hear people in the crowd going ‘Hey Kool-Aid!’ Like I’m the Kool-Aid Man. They started having signs, and at first it was funny. Having ‘WSM’ on the Kool-Aid jug. And I’m like, ‘Alright come on man, cut it out.’ And then it became ‘Man I hate that dude.’”
Henry’s struggle with his weight and public perception drove him to seek solace in the gym, where he found support from WWE Hall of Famer Tony Atlas. “When you look at yourself and go ‘Ah ****, I gotta get myself in better shape.’ I told myself if I didn’t get myself in better shape, I was going to get let go. After that, I started riding with Tony Atlas. We were back in the gym again. That was my therapy, being in the gym. It just always was home for me.”
This period of reflection and recovery eventually helped Henry regain his attention and determination. His recent departure from AEW marked the cease of every other bankruptcy, however speculation is already stirring about a likely reunion with MVP in Tony Khan’s AEW, as MVP’s WWE agreement nears its end.
Henry’s story is a poignant reminder of the emotional and mental challenges that may accompany a excessive-profile profession. His adventure from the depths of melancholy to finding solace in health and the capacity for new beginnings highlights both the personal struggles and resilience of one of wrestling’s most enduring figures.
