Folks, it’s happening. The Hall of Pain might be closing up shop in AEW. WWE Hall of Famer and current AEW behemoth, Mark Henry, is reportedly nearing the end of his contractual road with Tony Khan’s wrestling playground. According to our good pals at Fightful Select, Henry’s AEW contract is on the verge of expiration this very month. Can you believe it? It feels like just yesterday we saw him towering over the mic on “AEW Rampage.”
Mark “The Strongest Man on Earth” Henry, who once upon a time could lift more than a forklift, signed a multi-year deal with AEW just before “Rampage” launched on August 13, 2021. He made a grand appearance at Double or Nothing in May 2021, where he waved to the crowd with the finesse of a presidential candidate. The man is not just muscle and might; he’s also a mentor, scout, and coach, spreading wisdom like a wrestling Yoda.
If you’re not familiar with his exploits, let’s take a quick trip down memory lane. Henry last flexed his muscles in the WWE ring at the Greatest Royal Rumble in 2018, where he tossed three men out like they were sacks of potatoes. His career kicked off in 1996 with the then-World Wrestling Federation. He’s been everything from a member of the Nation of Domination to the smooth-talking “Sexual Chocolate,” even featuring in a storyline that involved Mae Young and a rubber hand baby. Ah, the good old days of wrestling!
Henry’s transition from in-ring dominance to a producer role after WrestleMania 33 led to his induction into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2018 by none other than Big Show, who later jumped ship to AEW. Could we see these two giants in the same ring one last time?
Fightful has also teased the tantalizing possibility of Henry returning for a final match, though the big man himself is coy about what might convince him to lace up his boots again. As of now, Henry remains tight-lipped about his AEW contract status. Will he stay? Will he go? Only time and perhaps a few tweets will tell.
In the meantime, keep your eyes on the ring, your ears on “Busted Open Radio,” and your fingers crossed for more epic moments from Mark Henry, whether he’s in AEW or riding off into the sunset.