Hall Of Fame Returned To WWE For Unusual Reason

A WWE Hall of Famer recently signed a new contract.

After a three-year run with AEW where he worked as an announcer and coach, Mark Henry left the company in May 2024.

Since then, Henry has continued his media work while guiding the career of his son Jacob who has already signed a WWE NIL deal while in college.

Fast forward to March 2025 and Henry announced that he’d signed what he called a “nostalgia deal” with WWE. This is largely to do with merchandising and licensing, and will likely see him appear in video games and action figure lines.

WWE’s Fanatics Deal Cost Mark Henry Money

During an interview with Poker Scout, Henry was asked about his return under the WWE banner. The Hall of Famer noted that while away from the company he was pulled from multiple appearances because he wasn’t affiliated with Fanatics who have merchandising deals with WWE.

This saw him miss out financially, so when the time came he “went to the negotiation table.”

Well, I signed a nostalgia deal, which is more marketing and media, and a licensing agreement. You know, so I have the action figures, the video games.

There were a couple of times in the last year and two years actually where I was booked for appearances. But then I was pulled off those appearances because of Fanatics. The company Fanatics, they only wanted talent that were with WWE and I was not a member/employee or connected so they pulled me from these appearances and they were big money appearances.

So I lost money because I was not with the company and when they came out with this new video game, in order to use my likeness and name, they had to have me on board. So we went to the negotiation table and here I am.

During the same interview, Mark Henry revealed that Vince McMahon once refused to let him retire, despite him being adamant it was time to walk away. The former World Champion said he met with McMahon to explain why he wanted to retire, but he left that same meeting with a new three-year contract.

Henry hasn’t wrestled since taking part in the Greatest Royal Rumble in April 2018.