For many wrestlers, how they are portrayed by a booker significantly contributes to how they feel about their career and even life overall. In the case of long-time WWE talent Mark Henry, he reflected on a period of his career where he slipped into a depression following a change in direction.
In the late 2000s, Henry had started teaming with Montel Vontavious Porter, becoming a semi-frequent tag alliance by 2008. The team started to wear matching outfits and challenged for the promotion’s tag titles at one point.
He told Busted Open Radio that the duo were initially expected to get a push that would bring them to Wrestlemania, but that they later cooled off instead as the promotion started to push the “JeriShow” team of Chris Jericho and the Big Show.
By the time the duo eventually split, Henry found himself doing work that he says made him feel depressed.
“We were supposed to win the tag titles and go on to Wrestlemania,” Henry told Busted Open Radio, describing his alliance with MVP. “But the writers came up with something called ‘JeriShow,’ and they went with that. Which hey, it’s their company, do what you do. But I went into a depression about it and I didn’t realize. And when they ended Power Ballin, it was over. They tell me that they wanted me to take the ‘WSM’ off [my wrestling gear] and just wear red, and you’re gonna go and work with Finlay and Hornswoggle and just do some fun-lovin’ stuff. I was this in-between good guy, midcard deal, and I hated it. I hated it. You know how I always say don’t get the boo-boo face? I did … I got up to 440 pounds. I looked like a damn watermelon in red clothes.”
Henry was asked about being referred to as “Kool-Aid,” due to his red outfit which drew comparisons to the Kool-Aid man. He initially found the joke from fans funny, but later grew frustrated by the constant reminders of the alleged similarities.
“I’m wearing all red, so I hear people in the crowd going ‘Hey Kool-Aid!’ Like I’m the Kool-Aid Man. They started having signs, and at first it was funny. Having ‘WSM’ on the Kool-Aid jug. And I’m like, ‘Alright come on man, cut it out.’ And then it became ‘Man I hate that dude.’ When you look at yourself and go ‘Ah ****, I gotta get myself in better shape.’ I told myself if I didn’t get myself in better shape, I was going to get let go. After that, I started riding with Tony Atlas. We were back in the gym again. That was my therapy, being in the gym. It just always was home for me.”
Earlier this year, Henry parted ways with AEW, where he was a coach and had an on-screen role. On Monday, WWE aired a TV documentary on Henry through their A&E series.
