Black Widow
08-16-2008, 05:33 PM
It’s fitting that Mark Henry is Extreme Championship Wrestling champion. After all, his 12-year career in WWE has been all about extremes.
During that span, Henry has been given big pushes and he also has fallen out of favor and been sent down to a developmental territory. Along the way, he’s portrayed a soft-spoken babyface; the comedic, over-sexed “Sexual Chocolate;” a member of a militant faction; and, currently, a monster heel.
I spoke with Henry, who defends the ECW title against Matt Hardy Sunday at the SummerSlam pay-per-view, about his career yesterday in a telephone interview.
You’ve had your share of ups and downs in WWE. What has been your mind-set through all the peaks and valleys, and what drove you to persevere?
I’ve just matured a lot. I don’t just do everything for me no more. I’ve got a little boy who will be 3 years old in October. I always wanted to increase my notoriety and elevate my legacy, so that when he gets older he’ll have a standard to live by and be proud of. I may be one of the very few people on earth that have won a championship in everything they’ve ever done. I know Earvin Johnson won a high school championship; he won a college championship; and he won a pro championship. I’ve done the same thing, just in different sports. It’s like going from being Tiger Woods to being Roger Federer.
What are all the fields in which you've won championships?
Weight lifting, powerlifting, strongman and now wrestling.
What does it mean to you to be the ECW champion and the top guy on one of the three brands?
It means a lot to me because it means that the show is going to be dictated by me. The main events are going to be judged by how many people watch. If you can’t make people tune in, then believe me, you will not be champion long. So far our ratings have been going up. We’re consistently around 1.5. People are tuning in to see what’s going to happen next. It’s new; it’s fresh. They believe the fact that a guy 6-4, 400 pounds is going to beat people’s brains out. To take this title out of my hands, it’s going to be a real knockdown, bloody fight.
What are your thoughts on “Sexual Chocolate” and some of the story lines you were involved in, such as the relationship with Mae Young?
“Sexual Chocolate” is an extension of my personality. I have a good sense of humor. I’m not Martin Lawrence by any means. I’m a little too country to be Chris Rock. But I fancy myself as being somebody with a good sense of humor. Being able to go out every day and clown and act up and not get put in an institution for it – for me to be talking about it 10 years later means that I was a success and that I did what I was supposed to do. Rightfully so, on the box set of the greatest Raws of all time, it’s on there.
How often do you get asked about “the hand?”
All the time. And I tell people that “the hand” is fine.
Turning to a more serious subject, was the Michael Hayes incident resolved to your satisfaction, and what is your current relationship with him?
I have a good relationship with Michael Hayes. Michael Hayes made a mistake; everybody makes mistakes. I forgave Michael. I’m a Christian and I forgive people. That’s the mature thing to do. But we have to be responsible for our actions, and I think that he learned something. If he regresses, then he’ll know because I’ll say something. I’ve always stood up for my rights. I’ve always stood up for myself and I’ve stood up for other people when they didn’t know I stood up for them. Michael Hayes by far is one of the most creative people that ever wrestled and ever been in administration. But he is not above humanity, and anybody else. So, we have to police ourselves and hope for the best.
I interviewed you about 10 years ago and you talked about how you like to write poetry. Do you still do that?
All the time. Hopefully at some point I’ll have a book come out and people will get to see what’s in my mind. From the outside, everybody has an idea of what they think a person is and they’re usually wrong. I’m a primary example of that. People see me and they see a big, dark-skinned, intimidating human being, which I can be if I need to be that, but I’m also refined, educated, articulate, smart and a whole lot of other adjectives that I like to use to pat myself on the back, but I’m not going to do it because we don’t have enough time.
What is it like to be working with Tony Atlas? Were you a fan of his growing up?
Oh, I was a big Tony Atlas fan. I think I tried to throw my first dropkick because of Tony – and almost broke my shoulder. Tony was one of the icons for young black boys that wanted to grow up and be in wrestling and have somebody to identify with. During the time, Tony Atlas and other men didn’t have the opportunity in the industry that I have and other talented wrestlers have today. I feel like having him with me is us giving back. Just sitting in the car driving from one town to the next, listening to the stories that he tells makes you realize how good things are now compared to back then. I want to do everything I can to further that and to put an example out there, like Ernie Ladd did for me.
You’ve got an ECW title match with Matt Hardy this Sunday at SummerSlam. For people who are on the fence about buying this pay-per-view, why should they?
This is going to be from top to bottom one of the greatest SummerSlams in history. They should have waited to do the anthology so they could have put this one on. As far as Matt Hardy goes, it’s unfortunate for Matt that his talent and speed and his ability and the longevity that he’s had in this business will not be able to help him, because he’s facing somebody that’s been in just as long as he has who’s not as fast or a high flyer, but is the total antithesis of that. I am the strongest man on the planet, and if I can get my hands on him, it’s going to be over. He should keep moving.
baltimoresun.com
During that span, Henry has been given big pushes and he also has fallen out of favor and been sent down to a developmental territory. Along the way, he’s portrayed a soft-spoken babyface; the comedic, over-sexed “Sexual Chocolate;” a member of a militant faction; and, currently, a monster heel.
I spoke with Henry, who defends the ECW title against Matt Hardy Sunday at the SummerSlam pay-per-view, about his career yesterday in a telephone interview.
You’ve had your share of ups and downs in WWE. What has been your mind-set through all the peaks and valleys, and what drove you to persevere?
I’ve just matured a lot. I don’t just do everything for me no more. I’ve got a little boy who will be 3 years old in October. I always wanted to increase my notoriety and elevate my legacy, so that when he gets older he’ll have a standard to live by and be proud of. I may be one of the very few people on earth that have won a championship in everything they’ve ever done. I know Earvin Johnson won a high school championship; he won a college championship; and he won a pro championship. I’ve done the same thing, just in different sports. It’s like going from being Tiger Woods to being Roger Federer.
What are all the fields in which you've won championships?
Weight lifting, powerlifting, strongman and now wrestling.
What does it mean to you to be the ECW champion and the top guy on one of the three brands?
It means a lot to me because it means that the show is going to be dictated by me. The main events are going to be judged by how many people watch. If you can’t make people tune in, then believe me, you will not be champion long. So far our ratings have been going up. We’re consistently around 1.5. People are tuning in to see what’s going to happen next. It’s new; it’s fresh. They believe the fact that a guy 6-4, 400 pounds is going to beat people’s brains out. To take this title out of my hands, it’s going to be a real knockdown, bloody fight.
What are your thoughts on “Sexual Chocolate” and some of the story lines you were involved in, such as the relationship with Mae Young?
“Sexual Chocolate” is an extension of my personality. I have a good sense of humor. I’m not Martin Lawrence by any means. I’m a little too country to be Chris Rock. But I fancy myself as being somebody with a good sense of humor. Being able to go out every day and clown and act up and not get put in an institution for it – for me to be talking about it 10 years later means that I was a success and that I did what I was supposed to do. Rightfully so, on the box set of the greatest Raws of all time, it’s on there.
How often do you get asked about “the hand?”
All the time. And I tell people that “the hand” is fine.
Turning to a more serious subject, was the Michael Hayes incident resolved to your satisfaction, and what is your current relationship with him?
I have a good relationship with Michael Hayes. Michael Hayes made a mistake; everybody makes mistakes. I forgave Michael. I’m a Christian and I forgive people. That’s the mature thing to do. But we have to be responsible for our actions, and I think that he learned something. If he regresses, then he’ll know because I’ll say something. I’ve always stood up for my rights. I’ve always stood up for myself and I’ve stood up for other people when they didn’t know I stood up for them. Michael Hayes by far is one of the most creative people that ever wrestled and ever been in administration. But he is not above humanity, and anybody else. So, we have to police ourselves and hope for the best.
I interviewed you about 10 years ago and you talked about how you like to write poetry. Do you still do that?
All the time. Hopefully at some point I’ll have a book come out and people will get to see what’s in my mind. From the outside, everybody has an idea of what they think a person is and they’re usually wrong. I’m a primary example of that. People see me and they see a big, dark-skinned, intimidating human being, which I can be if I need to be that, but I’m also refined, educated, articulate, smart and a whole lot of other adjectives that I like to use to pat myself on the back, but I’m not going to do it because we don’t have enough time.
What is it like to be working with Tony Atlas? Were you a fan of his growing up?
Oh, I was a big Tony Atlas fan. I think I tried to throw my first dropkick because of Tony – and almost broke my shoulder. Tony was one of the icons for young black boys that wanted to grow up and be in wrestling and have somebody to identify with. During the time, Tony Atlas and other men didn’t have the opportunity in the industry that I have and other talented wrestlers have today. I feel like having him with me is us giving back. Just sitting in the car driving from one town to the next, listening to the stories that he tells makes you realize how good things are now compared to back then. I want to do everything I can to further that and to put an example out there, like Ernie Ladd did for me.
You’ve got an ECW title match with Matt Hardy this Sunday at SummerSlam. For people who are on the fence about buying this pay-per-view, why should they?
This is going to be from top to bottom one of the greatest SummerSlams in history. They should have waited to do the anthology so they could have put this one on. As far as Matt Hardy goes, it’s unfortunate for Matt that his talent and speed and his ability and the longevity that he’s had in this business will not be able to help him, because he’s facing somebody that’s been in just as long as he has who’s not as fast or a high flyer, but is the total antithesis of that. I am the strongest man on the planet, and if I can get my hands on him, it’s going to be over. He should keep moving.
baltimoresun.com