Mark Henry Admits WWE Snub Left Him Depressed
Mark Henry might be the World’s Strongest Man but he’s not immune to mental struggles and admits one rejection from WWE left him fighting depression.
Mark Henry had a remarkable WWE career that spanned over 20 years. Henry captured the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011 which was his biggest title success in the company.
Long-time wrestling fans will remember the Power Ballin team of Mark Henry and MVP as they began teaming together in 2008. They found popularity as a unit but in-ring success was few and far between but that wasn’t always the plan.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry admitted he fell into a depression when his team with MVP came to an unexpected end as WWE decided to go all in with Chris Jericho and Big Show:
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.
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.
Mark Henry Hated “Kool-Aid Man” Comparison
Mark Henry continued noting that he was quickly upset by people referring to him as the “Kool-Aid Man” and says he found sanctuary in getting back in the gym with a WWE Hall of Famer:
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.’
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.
Mark Henry recently ended his time in AEW but it looks like his old tag team partner could be on his way there. MVP is on the verge of leaving WWE when his contract ends and it could signal the start of a huge reunion in Tony Khan’s company.