Meet Mark
Mark Henry was born and raised in the small town of Silsbee, Texas. Growing up, he loved watching strength competitions, and started lifting weights at 11 years old. By 18, he was the three-time Texas State Champion in powerlifting. But that’s just the beginning. Mark’s legendary career now spans the worlds of powerlifting, weightlifting, strongman, and wrestling.
Mark is a two-time Olympian, national and world champion, record holder, and widely regarded as the world’s strongest man. He’s best known for his 25-year tenure in the WWE, which culminated in his 2018 WWE Hall of Fame induction. Currently, Mark is the co-host of SiriusXM’s “Busted Open” show, and a coach and talent scout for AEW.
2X OLYMPIAN (1992, 1996)
pan american games gold, silver, bronze medal winner (1995)
usapl national powerlifting winner (1995, 1997)
arnold strongman classic winner (2002)
ecw champion (2008)
world heavyweight champion (2011)
In the Ring
Becoming a professional wrestler was always in the cards for Mark Henry. During the 1996 Olympics, WWE Executive Chairman Vince McMahon invited Mark to become a wrestler with the World Wrestling Federation (now World Wrestling Entertainment). From 1996-2000, Mark was with the Nation of Domination, where he assumed the name “Sexual Chocolate.” One of Mark’s signature moves was the World’s Strongest Slam, a high-angle falling powerslam pin. Throughout his 25-year WWE career, he’d go on to become a one-time WWF European Champion (1999), ECW Champion (2008), and WWE’s World Heavyweight Champion (2011). In 2018, Mark Henry was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame.
The Next Chapter
Since retiring from WWE, Mark joined All Elite Wresting (AEW) in 2021 as a coach, talent scout, and analyst. You can also catch him co-hosting on SiriusXM’s “Busted Open” radio show, which covers the world of pro-wrestling. Outside of wrestling, Mark is a motivational speaker, chef, poet, and child training advocate. Above all else, he’s a proud husband, father, and Texan.