Mark Henry Explains Why He Had Backstage Heat As A WWE Rookie

Mark Henry's lengthy tenure with WWE and eventual induction into the Hall of Fame cemented "The World's Strongest Man" as a towering figure in pro wrestling, both literally and figuratively. However, on "The Kurt Angle Show," Henry expressed that his initial experience in the locker room was terrible.

Henry's success in professional powerlifting and at the Olympics led him to receive a guaranteed multi-million dollar deal. Unfortunately, since he was the first to be given such an offer, it resulted in backstage resentment. "There was a lot of people that hated me for that. They f—king hated me, sorry for my language, man I went through it ... I helped make the world better for Kurt." Henry claimed that roster members intentionally tried to sabotage him, including mixing things into his food and drinks.

"There was points where people took liberties, like they knew they could get away with it in the framework of wrestling," Henry said. However, once he began to stand up for himself, they resorted to riling him up instead. "They used to tell the black jokes, and bro I can't do it, you got me then, if you want to make me mad, you have me."  Henry would then get "banished" to Canada, where he'd learn to wrestle with the Hart Family, which eventually gained him respect in the locker room. "I had a lot of injuries and I went through some stuff, but all of the pain and misery that I had at the beginning? It went away because I earned the respect of the boys. Every time I left and came back, I was better."

If you use quotes in this article, please credit "The Kurt Angle Show" and provide an h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.