Mark Henry has recalled a backstage prank involving Vince McMahon that he says left him feeling lower than at any other point in his professional wrestling career.
Speaking on The Undertaker’s Six Feet Under podcast, Mark Henry discussed a rib that took place during a dark match at the June 3, 2011, episode of WWE SmackDown. Henry was scheduled to face Sin Cara, but the match was delayed after Sin Cara was held up due to an issue involving a knee brace.
According to Henry, Sin Cara’s entrance music played, but no one appeared. That was followed by the music of Rey Mysterio and Vader, with referee Scott Armstrong insisting he had nothing to do with what was happening. Frustrated by the situation, Henry asked for a microphone to address the crowd, only to have it cut off mid-sentence.
“I said give me a microphone, and this was the final straw. I said listen, guys this isn’t funny, these people paid hard-earned money, like we gonna gi… They cut the mic off.”
Henry said the incident pushed him over the edge. He recalled storming backstage after the microphone was cut, with Vince McMahon and others already leaving the arena in limousines. In his anger, Henry admitted he caused significant damage in the Gorilla position area, breaking monitors, tables, and even damaging a door outside McMahon’s office.
“I threw the mic down and start powerwalking. Vince and them run, get in the limos and drive off to the airport. All the TVs in Gorilla had a fist print in ’em. All the tables got broke. The operating board got broke, weren’t nobody back there, I just start stomping stuff. They had one of those metal push doors in Vince’s office, I was so mad that I didn’t want to push it, I kicked it, missed the bar and hit the support and it ripped it out of the concrete.”
Former WWE writer Ryan Ward later denied any involvement in the prank and told Henry where McMahon had gone. Henry said he ran to the car park and watched McMahon’s limousine drive away before calling him, venting his frustration and threatening to quit the company.
“I run out to the parking lot, and for me to run, I’m mad, and I see the limo driving off. I’m just so mad, call Vince on his phone, cussed him out, told him I was gonna kick his ass when I saw him, like I’m done, you can keep this.”
Henry said he then called The Undertaker, whom he described as “number one in charge”, and made it clear just how close he was to walking away. Reflecting on the incident, Henry said that despite enduring many negative experiences throughout his career, the prank stood out because it felt deliberately mean-spirited, leaving him feeling worse than ever before in wrestling.
“The next call [was to Undertaker]. Number one in charge. ‘Hey boss, I’m done man,’ and I didn’t say those words. There was definitely some expletives in there, and I was not happy. I went home, that was the worst I ever felt in wrestling. I had people say racist things, I had people that was just deplorable people, everything you could think of. That was, because it was mean. I did nothing but try and make the business better.”
How Long Was Mark Henry In AEW?
Mark Henry was with AEW for just under three years. He joined the company in May 2021, taking on roles as a coach, mentor, and on-screen analyst, most notably on AEW Rampage. Henry’s contract expired in early 2024, bringing his time with the promotion to an end after a run that focused more on behind-the-scenes contributions than in-ring involvement.
Henry is now signed to WWE under a legends deal.
