WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry opened up about several key issues in a candid new interview with Alfred Konuwa of Forbes, including WWE’s continued partnership with Saudi Arabia, the challenges big men face in modern wrestling, and what he believes went wrong with AEW star Wardlow.
With global attention on the escalating conflict between Iran and Israel, Henry defended WWE’s decision to continue working with Saudi Arabia, stating the country should not be blamed for regional instability.
“Saudi Arabia is not the problem or a contributor to the negativity of the world,” Henry said. “That war has been fought for 3,000 years. You’re not going to change it. I’m not going to change it. Saudi Arabia is not going to change it.”
Henry also praised the country’s security infrastructure and treatment of WWE talent.
“They have one of the largest air forces in the world. You don’t want to do nothing over there that ain’t proper… I believe in that. If WWE goes over there, the full power of the king and his son are going to protect them and keep them safe. Every time I went, I felt more welcome than in a lot of places in America.”
Henry didn’t hold back when expressing concern for the current status of big men in professional wrestling, especially in AEW.
“I feel sorry for the big man in pro wrestling right now,” he said. “The little guy is in power right now. There was a time at AEW, when I first went, I saw all the money in the world in Wardlow.”
According to Henry, Wardlow’s potential was deliberately stifled by those in power. “Because the powers that be were smaller guys, they ixnayed that sh*t all together. They didn’t want the big guy to flourish.”
Henry argued that smaller wrestlers may fear the dominance of big men, drawing a parallel to broader societal power dynamics. “They don’t want the big guy to flourish… Not realizing the more monsters you create, the better the conqueror.”
He praised WWE for maintaining a better balance but still noted that even there, the largest wrestlers are rarely booked as top stars. “Gunther used to be one of the monsters… then the world talked him into getting smaller.”
Henry also shared his distaste for what he calls the “double-indie flip through the table” style of wrestling prevalent on the independent scene.
“What I wanted to do [with ACW] is take the WWE model and make it smaller,” he explained. “I want trons, smoke, lights… I want the talent to be great. I want storytelling.”
When asked about Vince McMahon’s next steps, Henry admitted he’s in the dark—but made one thing clear.
“If I had $7 billion, I would do whatever I wanted to do and nothing you or nobody else was going to stop me from doing it,” he stated bluntly. “He didn’t go to prison. The world is very forgiving.”
