Mark Henry expressed gratitude toward WWE after receiving a New Year’s greeting card from the company. The wrestling veteran, who concluded his AEW tenure in May 2024, shared his appreciation on social media:
It’s good to be respected! Thank You WWE 🙏🏿
It’s good to be respected! Thank You WWE 🙏🏿. pic.twitter.com/1XK1jta7JJ
— TheMarkHenry (@TheMarkHenry) December 27, 2024
Henry’s AEW departure came after a three-year stint with Tony Khan’s promotion from 2021 to 2024. In a subsequent interview with the Huge Pop podcast, he reflected on his time with the company, revealing he had accepted a reduced salary to join AEW with intentions of developing talent.
The former world champion addressed his position within AEW’s structure:
I was there for name recognition and visibility, and that’s a horrible place to feel if you’re a creative
Creative process differences surface in Henry’s analysis
Henry elaborated on fundamental differences in creative approaches between wrestling promotions. Drawing from his experience in WWE’s creative meetings, he highlighted the importance of constructive disagreement in the creative process.
The veteran pointed to specific examples of productive conflict:
[Creative] is supposed to be an argument. It’s supposed to be a shake-up to figure out what the f*** to do next
Henry emphasized the necessity of strong leadership in wrestling, comparing it to successful figures in other sports:
There’s a reason that [NFL coach Bill] Belichick is Belichick. There’s a reason that John Wooden is John Wooden, that Pat Patterson was Pat Patterson, that Dusty Rhodes was Dusty Rhodes. Bow down to their greatness and let them lead you
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