Mark Henry Pushes Back Against Bully Ray Over WWE’s ECW Perspectives

Mark Henry dropped an unscheduled call to the show during Bully Ray’s recent statements on Busted Open Radio to take issue with Ray’s criticism of WWE’s iteration of ECW (per Wrestling Inc). Speaking with co-host Dave LaGreca regarding his approaching match against Matt Cardona, Ray referenced Cardona being a part of that version of ECW and described it as the “most botched, bootlegged version of ECW that ever existed.”

“It was awful. I don’t care who was involved with it. It should have never been done again,” Ray said, “but Vince [McMahon] was milking every last drop he could get out of that brand.”

Despite not being scheduled to appear on Busted Open until the following day, these statements induced Henry to call in and take Ray to task for his words. “I felt disrespected because I took a lot of pride in being the ECW Champion and I wrestled the cream of the crop of the guys that came from ECW. The Tommy Dreamers, the Eddie Guerreros, the Chris Benoits, and there was a bunch of guys on that roster that couldn’t hold my jock. It ain’t got nothing to do with Bully, but you gotta be respectful with the words that you use when it relates to people that took a lot of pride in their work,” Henry stated. “For me to wake up and turn the show on and hear the ‘watered-down version of ECW’ was very Ryback-like.”

Bully Ray didn’t back down from his stance, but offered some clarifying details regarding the intention behind his view of the brand’s roster of wrestlers. 

“WWE’s version of ECW was a watered-down mess. I’m an ECW original, I was in the ring, I was behind the scenes. I’m a pillar of the company. If anybody can say that the WWE version of ECW was a water-downed mess, it’s me,” Ray said. “I didn’t say you were a watered-down mess, I didn’t say any talent was a watered-down mess. I said that the brand was, because Vince McMahon took something and he drained it of every last ounce of money that he could get out of it.”

Henry disputed the viewpoint, countering with his own experience at the time. “I was the most happy when the WWE acquired it, because I was a fan. The words have a lot power, and ‘watered-down,’ I’m never gonna accept it.”

“[Vince] made himself the ECW Champion. That is a watered-down version,” was Ray’s response.

“Once it was acquired, it became a part of my family. I welcomed it in and treated it like my own, which is the way we all should be doing,” Henry concluded.

You can listen to the complete episode below for the full exchanges.