Why Mark Henry Left WWE & Joined AEW, Explained
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Highlights
- Mark Henry, a decorated weightlifter, became one of WWE's longest-tenured performers before leaving the company in 2021 to join AEW.
- Throughout his career, Henry faced obstacles and injuries but proved to be reliable and versatile in any role given to him by WWE.
- Henry joined AEW because he wanted to transition to an office position, something WWE wasn't offering, and he now works as a talent scout for AEW alongside other former WWE stars like The Big Show.
Best known as "The World's Strongest Man," Mark Henry came a long way to earn his success in the world of professional wrestling, despite not having initial experience when he first signed with WWE in 1996. Coming from a decorated background in weightlifting, Mark Henry became among WWE's longest-tenured performers as he spent over two decades with the company. However, in 2021, Mark Henry departed from WWE and joined All Elite Wrestling. Why did Mark Henry leave the company where he made a name for himself?
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Mark Henry's Successful Run As A WWE Superstar
Mark Henry is arguably one of the best ultra-heavyweight professional wrestlers of the 21st Century. Coming from a legitimate background in weightlifting as he was a two-time Olympic weightlifter, Henry's impressive accolades in weightlifting earned him a ten-year deal with WWE when he first signed with the company in 1996. It also helps the fact that visually Henry looks like a force to be reckoned with in the squared-circle ring.
Even though Mark Henry signed a long-term deal with WWE despite his lack of experience in professional wrestling, his rise to the top wasn't a smooth road for him to accomplish. Although he made a name for himself during the Attitude Era, Henry became a victim of countless start-and-stop pushes throughout his WWE run. However, in 2011, Henry finally won his first WWE World Title when he defeated Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship during his critically-acclaimed run as the "Hall of Pain" persona.
For twenty years, Mark Henry had many obstacles in his in-ring career, including various injuries that kept him out of action for a significant amount of time. But despite all that, Henry had shown that he was reliable in whatever role WWE had in store for him. He could portray the "Sexual Chocolate" character or the vicious "Hall of Pain" monster heel and still get over with the fans.
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Why Mark Henry Jumped Ship To All Elite Wrestling
During the final years of Mark Henry's WWE run, even though his in-ring career began to wind down as he got inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018, it appeared that Henry would spend the next decade working behind the scenes helping the next generation of talent. Henry did work for a period after he officially retired from in-ring wrestling after taking part in the Andre the Giant Battle Royal at WrestleMania 33.
However, after making his final appearance on a January 2021 episode of Monday Night Raw, Mark Henry departed from WWE after almost twenty-five years in the company. That same year, Henry made his debut in All Elite Wrestling when he appeared at the Double or Nothing 2021 PPV, where he revealed himself to be part of the announced team for AEW Rampage and a coach behind the scenes. Since then, Mark Henry has remained with AEW and doesn't appear to be returning to WWE anytime soon.
With that said, some might wonder why Henry decided to make the jump to AEW after spending over two decades with WWE. Even if AEW has grown to be a viable alternative to WWE, seeing a long-tenured Hall of Famer like Henry in a company other than WWE seems like there was more to the story.
However, the reason why Henry left WWE for AEW wasn't so much controversial as he wanted to get an office position, something that WWE wasn't offering him. In an interview with Chris Van Vliet's Insight podcast, Mark Henry explained that he didn't want to wrestle anymore and wanted to transition as an office worker considering that he didn't have experience working in the executive department.
RELATED: 10 Things You Didn't Know About Mark Henry's Time In WWEIn the same interview, Henry put himself over as a good spot for talent, which makes sense as he's working as a talent scout for AEW. Because Mark Henry's been in the professional wrestling industry for a long time and has succeeded in numerous roles, he was a good pick-up for AEW to sign. It's also worth noting that AEW also picked up another former WWE superstar who was known for being a long-tenured performer, as The Big Show is too currently working with AEW since 2021.
