Mark Henry Details What It Means For CM Punk To Main Event WWE's WrestleMania

WWE star CM Punk got his long-standing dream when Paul Heyman announced in the contract signing on "WWE SmackDown" that the Chicago native would be main-eventing WrestleMania. 

WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry is pleased to see Punk finally get to be the headline act of "The Show of Shows," and he explained what main-eventing "The Grandest Stage Of The All" signifies.

"I'm very excited and very happy for Punk to have that opportunity. There's not many things, Dave, that trump the fact that you get to be the main event at WrestleMania. Not many ... there's a short list [who have main evented WrestleMania]," said Henry on "Busted Open." "To be one of those means that the company trusts you, it means the fans are willing to pay the money to come see you, and it validates the fact amongst your peers that you are supremely elite."

Following his return to WWE in 2023, Punk reiterated why main-eventing WrestleMania is important to him. Henry believes the honor of being a WrestleMania main eventer earns respect among a wrestler's peers in WWE. Henry, who is a friend and supporter of Punk, has explained what it would mean for Punk to close out WrestleMania.

"His [Punk] career is validated [after he main events WrestleMania 41]. I mean, he's CM Punk, but it don't hurt to have those degrees," said Henry. "Punk now is getting his piece of paper on the wall, and to be able to get that, I think, is going to be — not beneficial to him in his work, but in his heart, in his soul of wrestling. It paid off."

Punk will face off against Roman Reigns and Seth Rollins on night 1 of WrestleMania 41. While many assumed that the contract signing segment between the three was the final bow of the storyline, Punk ended "SmackDown" with a cliffhanger when he told Heyman that he had not yet cashed in the favor that Heyman owed.