50 Greatest WWE Raw Moments Ever
44. Mark Henry "Retires" (June 17th, 2013)
Before he became known mostly for his WWE-leaning social posts within the wrestling media and/or early-AEW voice-of-the-back on Rampage, Mark Henry's legacy was a difficult one to unpack.
After a decade and a half with the market leader, he unexpectedly found himself holding the World Heavyweight Championship and earning critical and commercial acclaim in the process. His 'Hall Of Pain' spell and feuds with Randy Orton, Sheamus and The Big Show in particular were unqualified successes on pay-per-view, carrying the summer on SmackDown in 2011. It put the unlikeliest of cappers on a bizarre career, but left enough of an impression that his potential retirement just two years later came with a certain degree of pathos.
Manipulating the audience throughout the day with a major social media tease before Raw went on the air, Henry's inch-perfect display as a departing legend managed to fool the live crowd (and then-WWE Champion John Cena) into thinking they were front row for an unexpectedly emotional farewell. Henry, as it transpired, "had a lot left in the tank".
'The World's Strongest Man' unleashed one last burst of fury on the unsuspecting Cena, waving away the tear-soaked promo he'd just cut minutes earlier about returning home to his family after a life on the road. The-soon-to-be-iconic salmon suit jacket somehow enhanced the scene and took on a life of its own, suddenly feeling ostentatious by design. It was as though he was foreshadowing his violent attempt to replace the day-glo Cena all along.