WWE HOFer Mark Henry Credits Eddie Murphy Movie For Inspiring Gimmick

AEW's Mark Henry has discussed the origins of his "Sexual Chocolate" name during his time in WWE, and why Vince McMahon initially rejected the idea.

Henry was a guest on AEW star Isiah Kassidy's podcast, where he was asked how the "Sexual Chocolate" name came about. He revealed that the idea for the name came to him after he watched Eddie Murphy's "Coming to America" movie, which featured a band called "Sexual Chocolate."

"Sexual Chocolate was a byproduct of me watching 'Coming to America,' and watching Randy Watson and his group 'Sexual Chocolate,' and me wanting to be funny, me wanting to clown, me wanting to have a good time," said the Hall of Famer.

The legendary star revealed that Vince McMahon was not keen on the gimmick and wanted him to be a serious star. But the former WWE Chairman was convinced after Henry showed him what the character is truly about.

"When I proposed it, they said, 'No.' I said, 'You got to see it,' so I showed it to him [Vince McMahon] and I came in the back and he was like, 'Alright, that's pretty good.' He didn't want me to be serious, he wanted me to be an ass-kicker. He didn't want me to do comedy," said the former WWE star

Henry argued that his "Sexual Chocolate" gimmick is one of the funniest gimmicks in pro wrestling history, and explained how it was different to the other stars in the Attitude Era.

"That ended up being one of the funniest things in the history of pro wrestling, definitely in the Attitude Era. It gave the Attitude Era levity because there was so much serious and so many stars that was, you know, the one finish and done, and I was entertaining," Henry stated.

The WWE Hall of Famer used the "Sexual Chocolate" moniker in the late '90s, which saw him portray a Casanova-type character.