Signing a bumper contract in 1996, Mark Henry committed himself to WWF/WWE for the next decade. Having competed in weightlifting at the '96 Olympic Games in Atlanta, Henry was considered perfect for wrestling, debuting as an All-American babyface who was out to win the favour of the fans. Such a character was seriously dated by the mid-90's, which meant a change was needed. Going down with injury, Henry would join the heel faction, Nation Of Domination, shortly after his return. There was an overwhelming feeling that WWE would neglect to renew the terms of Henry's contract once 2006 rolled around, but the big man signed on once more, and was thrust into the mix for the World Heavyweight Championship. It wouldn't be until 2011, when the man was pushing 40, that the promotion would pull the trigger on a World Title run, defeating Randy Orton to bag the belt. Looking at TV figures during his reign as champ, Henry wasn't the most popular of choices, even if his 'Hall Of Pain' heel character did provide some intense physical confrontations. Perceived by many as a wrestler who has never really drawn much money, there was some head-scratching when WWE decided he should be World Champion.
Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.
