Mark Henry Had Something To Prove In Making Jump From WWE To AEW

Mark Henry enjoyed a 20-year career with WWE before retiring in 2018 upon being inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame. The following year, he began working behind the scenes as a mentor to up and coming talent, but he wasn't able to fulfill the role he had in mind. Henry recently spoke to the "Attitude Era Podcast" about why he left WWE.

"I never went back and forth," Henry said. "I left [WWE] after I retired. I wanted to be more on the executive side, they wouldn't hire me on the executive side. I didn't have enough experience, the technical education, and going to AEW proved that I knew what I was doing. I was helping other people at WWE with their jobs. People were like, 'Hey, man, can you help me with this?' I was always helping. When it came to scouting, I could see something and go, 'That's not right. Fix that, fix that,' and then it was good."

Henry named Braun Strowman, Bianca Belair, Apollo Crews, and Baron Corbin as current WWE stars that he found and helped mentor. He believes WWE wouldn't let him continue scouting because that wasn't his job title. He also scouted former basketball player Jade Cargill, who ultimately signed with AEW and has gone undefeated for two years. Henry added, "I know what I'm doing, and somebody's gonna pay for it."

"The World's Strongest Man" made his AEW debut at Double or Nothing 2021. He currently helps the announce team and serves as a coach behind the scenes. Henry hasn't wrestled since 2018 due to nerve damage that affects his mobility.

If you use any quotes from this article, please credit "Attitude Era Podcast" with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.