Hall Of Famer Admits Being Too Broken Down To Win WWE Title

A former WWE star has recalled missing out on the World Championship.

In June 2013, Mark Henry appeared to have reached the end of the road. He was a former World Champion, he’d faced some of the biggest names in history and competed at WrestleMania, but age and injuries appeared to have caught up with him.

When he interrupted John Cena on an episode of Raw, it appeared for all the world he was set to retire. But Henry, and that famous salmon jacket had other plans. The world’s Strongest Man demolished Cena, setting up a match between the pair, which Henry would ultimately lose.

Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Henry defended WWE’s decision not to have him win the World Championship as his body was too broken down.

“I built that for a year. It was a calendar year of me going, ‘I think I’m done.’ When my contract came up, I actually told Vince, ‘I’m not re-signing.’ Then he did the ‘come into my office. Let me talk to you.’ He talked me into coming back and doing all that.

People mad at WWE, guys, don’t be mad at WWE because I lost to John Cena. The same way that I did not want to beat Taker at WrestleMania is the same way that I did not want to have to carry the strap and the pressure of that. Also, my body couldn’t do it.

When you’re the main event guy and you hold the title, every night, you’re going to do two walks, a promo, an in-ring, a main event style match, and then you go to the next town. You’re on every show, every brand. I couldn’t do it. I physically couldn’t do it. It was not their fault. It was the fact that, ‘No, I’m not doing it,'”

WWE Star Gives Nod To Mark Henry

Mark Henry’s legendary fake retirement has been back in the news after AJ Styles put his own twist on the classic on SmackDown.

Throughout the May 31st edition of the show, Styles teased his retirement, and when he arrived in the ring to close the show, it seemed as though the curtain was coming down on his career. However, after inviting Cody Rhodes to the ring, Styles brutally attacked the American Nightmare, hitting him with a Styles Clash from the ring steps to the floor.

The pair last met in the ring at Backlash where Rhodes retained the Undisputed WWE Championship.

H/t to Fightful