Mark Henry Reveals Why Watching Today’s Wrestling is ‘Painful’

Mark Henry shocked the world when he made his debut at the AEW Double Or Nothing pay-per-view back in 2021 and in the three years since, Henry hasn’t exactly done much in the company. However, he does watch pro wrestling nowadays and explained why it’s painful for him now.

Mark Henry recently shared his perspective on why he finds it painful to watch wrestling in its current state. Speaking on Six Feet Under with Mark Calaway, Henry highlighted the importance of attention to detail in storytelling within wrestling. He expressed concern over what he perceives as a lack of suspended disbelief among many wrestlers today.

According to Henry, one of the fundamental aspects missing in contemporary wrestling is the portrayal of struggle. He emphasized the significance of conveying the struggle within matches to create a sense of anticipation and surprise for the audience. Henry made it clear he just isn’t a fan of predictable outcomes that often detract from the storytelling element of wrestling, diminishing the viewer’s ability to immerse themselves in the action.

“I watch it and it hurts. The number one thing that people don’t do in wrestling is the struggle. I was taught the struggle in wrestling… I know what’s going to happen with most matches because they don’t disguise it, they don’t allow you to go into a blind belief, a suspended belief to where you don’t see it. I should be able to pick up every human in the ring but there’s a time when you’re not supposed to. So now I got to, you know, go punch at somebody and hit the pole and now my hand hurt and I now I try to pick him, I can’t pick him up; it’s the storytelling of where you go in match.” 

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Henry pointed out that he believes certain traditional storytelling techniques, such as using arm wrestling to convey a narrative between competitors, have been overlooked in modern wrestling. Despite his concerns, Henry finds fulfillment in teaching and hopes to impart his wisdom to aspiring wrestlers. However, with uncertainty surrounding his contract status with AEW, his coaching opportunities within the promotion may be limited in the future.

Do you agree with what Mark Henry had to say about modern day professional wrestling? Sound off in the comments section below!