WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry recently revealed what he had to endure as a rookie. He mentioned that once he joined the promotion, he was subject to bad treatment from members of the locker room.
The World’s Strongest Man was known to be one of the greatest Powerlifters of his generation, and his accolades helped him earn the title. After competing in 1996 during the Summer Olympics, he got the public’s attention for his performance. This was also how he was scouted by WWE, where he would compete for around two decades before retiring.
While guesting on the Kurt Angle Show recently, Mark Henry got into detail about how people hated him for the ten-year contract he received from Vince McMahon. He was given this following his performance during the Olympic Games. What he went through made it easier for those similar to him, like Kurt Angle.
“There was a lot of people that hated me for that. They f**king hated me, sorry for my language, man I went through it … I helped make the world better for Kurt. There was points where people took liberties, like they knew they could get away with it in the framework of wrestling,” Henry said. “They used to tell the black jokes, and bro I can’t do it, you got me then, if you want to make me mad, you have me.”
Eventually, as time passed, he was moved to Canada to train in the Hart Family’s school. The work he put in despite all he went through was enough for him to earn the respect of the locker room, and things got better for him.
“I had a lot of injuries and I went through some stuff, but all of the pain and misery that I had at the beginning? It went away because I earned the respect of the boys. Every time I left and came back, I was better.” [H/T WrestlingInc.]
Mark Henry reveals he once hung up on Vince McMahon
On the same show, Mark Henry revealed how his first conversation with Vince McMahon went.
He admitted that when he was first contacted, he thought it was a prank from someone, and he hung up on him. But he was called once more moments after, and thus began the talk about a contract in WWE.
“I remember doing Oprah, and Oprah asked me what I did [growing up], and I was like, ‘I watched wrestling and played video games,'” Henry recalled. “She was like, ‘Well, that sounds kinda boring.’ And I was like, ‘No, wrestling is the best!’ So, my manager was friends with a guy who knew Vince [McMahon] … and one day, Vince called me. He’s like, ‘This is Vince McMahon,’ and I was like, ‘From wrestling?’ He was like, ‘Yeah, would love to talk to you.’ I said, ‘Yeah right!’ and hung up on his a*s!’ thinking it was one of my friends playing jokes on me.”
In the end, without Vince McMahon, many would not have been able to see Mark Henry make his mark in the wrestling industry. These accolades eventually helped him earn a spot in the Hall of Fame.
What is your favorite Mark Henry moment? Let us know in the comments section below.
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