Mark Henry Says He’s Not Retired, Talks Reinventing Himself and More

– Despite reports to the contrary, Mark Henry says he’s not retired. Henry discussed the recent reports in a new interview with Sports Illustrated, highlights of which are below.

Henry is responding to a report last week that said WWE considered him to be retired at this point. Henry himself said in October, “I’m retired man, I’m an old guy. I want people to remember my best. I don’t want them to see my in my old age taking five segment bumps [laughing[…you know, different stuff. We’ll enjoy the retirement, fade away gracefully.”.

On reports of his retirement: “I am not retired. There is still a lot I can do. I love the WWE, I love the company, but I have two kids and they want me home. They want me to see their recitals and sporting events, and I want to see them grow and evolve. My dad didn’t live with me when I was growing up, and he missed so much. I am not going to repeat that.”

On reinventing himself early in his career: “I took my training to a whole new level in ’99. The WWE was beginning to recreate itself with a very young roster, kind of like it’s doing now. In a few years, you won’t see Kane, Mark Henry, The Undertaker, or the Big Show, we’ll all be gone. So, back then, I recreated myself. I really started to feel the results by about 2003. It took me about seven years to grasp that I had to be free, not worry about perceptions, and move 100 miles an hour so that people know this is real. If you believe, it will be real. There was a time I was thinking so much that it wasn’t real; when I started to believe, I could do anything.”

On working with John Cena in 2013: “John and I have known each other a long time. Originally, nobody knew John Cena rapped. It was just something he did in the car. I told Bruce Prichard, and that’s how the whole ‘Thugonomics’ run began. That night on Raw, there was genuine respect. I really respect what John has accomplished in his career, from his wrestling to his work as an ambassador for the fans and everyone who works here and makes more money because John is on the card. People think our business is this completely fictional world of big guys in tight clothes with no brains. That’s not the way it is, this is a psychology driven business. You have to take people on an emotional ride without using words. ”