WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has responded to the backlash he received following his recent comments on the in-ring assault by Raja Jackson against Stuart “Syko Stu” Smith, doubling down on his stance and making it clear he has “zero apologies” for what he said.
Speaking on Austin’s 1300 The Zone sports radio station, Henry read from a prepared statement, pushing back against online critics who labeled his comments racist after he suggested some blame lay with the event’s organizers.
He said, “What I said has nothing to do with race. It has everything to do with ignorance about the wrestling business. First off, it’s impossible for me to be a racist, because I would have to have power over someone, and in a bigoted way, I’m not a bigot, and I don’t have power over people… The people that know me know who I am as a man and as a person.”
Henry described the online reaction as harassment and bullying, comparing it to uninformed criticism from people who “sit back behind their computers.”
While Henry reiterated that he felt sympathy for Syko Stu following the brutal assault, he stood firm that there was responsibility on both sides, “Syko Stu didn’t deserve what he got, but every action has a reaction, and there’s consequences for everything that you put out in this universe.”
Henry called the beer can spot that sparked the attack a “horrible work” and criticized the veteran wrestlers at the event for failing to properly explain the angle to Raja Jackson, who was not part of the show. “You got these veteran guys drinking alcohol before the show, and then they come out there, and you hit one of the kids… upside the head with a beer can. He’s supposed to understand and process all this information? No, it’s not going to happen.”
Henry drew parallels to his own struggles early in his career before he was trained in wrestling traditions, “Mark Henry was once upon a time Raja Jackson. I got banished from wrestling and sent to Canada.”
He credited the Hart family for saving his career and teaching him respect for the business, “If it wasn’t for the Hart family who took my ass in and said, ‘Mark… You don’t know wrestling. You’re a fan, let us help you.’ They helped me. They educated me. They taught me how to be who I became, which is a Hall of Fame wrestler.”
Henry closed his statement with a defiant message, refusing to back down, “I just want to go on record as saying I’m making zero apologies for what I said. I meant every word, every single word I meant. You have to be responsible on both sides.”
He also directly addressed his critics, “All of you fans out there that have these racist tendencies and all the vitriol for me, have at it. You can’t hurt me. I’m bulletproof.”
