Mark Henry has made his first appearance since leaving AEW.
Mark Henry departed AEW after his contract expired on May 28th. When announcing his intention to leave, Henry said he had a great experience working there and with Tony Khan, but had chosen to take more time handling his ventures outside of the company. While he is not stepping sway from pro wrestling entirely, he wants to take time to work on other projects before returning to the industry “in full force.”
Despite this, the World’s Strongest Man made a surprise wrestling appearance on June 1st at MLW’s Battle Riot VI in Atlanta. The star appeared with fellow WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long to represent the BOMAYE Elders for the Ritual Combat match between Alex Kane and AJ Francis.
It's @TheMarkHenry & Teddy Long representing the BOMAYE Elders! #MLW@betonline_ag
WATCH LIVE NOW FREE 📺: https://t.co/JXkcY7Sajmpic.twitter.com/0jfhKDAqXy
— MLW (@MLW) June 2, 2024
Henry joined AEW in May 2021 and was initially part of the commentary team for Rampage as well as holding numerous backstage roles as a scout, coach, and mentor. Following his departure from the announce desk, he continued working backstage, and in December 2023 explained how much he enjoyed working with talent one on one and seeing their development.
Former AEW Star Mark Henry Reveals What He Dislikes About Modern Wrestling
Mark Henry recently explained his dislike of one aspect of modern wrestling. The star believes that “the struggle” is missing from matches, something he was taught was a key part of a bout. He also thinks matches are too predictable, with wrestlers failing to hide what’s going to happen next.