New Mark Henry Q&A (Retirement, "That's what I do," etc.)

[salsashark]

It's up!!! withleather.uproxx.com/2013/07/the-with-leather-interview-mark-henry-on-retirement-training-in-the-dungeon-and-making-you-subservient#more-117873

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It looks like I'll be having the privilege of speaking to the WSM sometime over the next couple of days pre-MITB. Super excited to be speaking to him after that retirement angle completely bowled me over, and I believe he'll be the first WWE guy I've spoken to before a big main event match.

I've done this a few times on the forum and everyone's been super-gracious and come up with brilliant stuff, so I figured I'd try my hand again. Disclaimer as always: I'm not sure how much time I'll get with Mark so I don't know how many questions from here'll make it in. I'll definitely try for at least a couple -- I want to get an idea of what people want to know about most or what would make an interesting thing for him to elaborate on.

The one thing I am definitely going to ask him about is planning the retirement angle, executing it, and if had any second thoughts on doing it because it could diminish the moment he actually retires in the future. Beyond that, these are in the running:
-The most difficult angle for him to go through/low point in the company
-A road story or two about traveling with the Rock
-A look into his personal life (What's he like to do for fun, what are his interests, etc.)
-What he writes about and if anything will ever be released (I know that he's still a writer -- he did a poem for Owen during Raw Is Owen way back -- but I know no specifics and I feel that'd be pretty illuminating)

Stuff I'm on the fence about asking about:
-His salmon-colored suit (Just so distinct I figured it'd make a good opener)
-When he does actually think he'll retire
-Any regrets about his WWE career

Again, I want to hit stuff people would like to hear about or would provide good material that he couldn't (or wouldn't) be likely to give a canned answer to. After my Fandango interview last time overlooking the mention of Fandangirl, I wish I had talked about that.

Anyway, thanks in advance for any suggestions! Interview should be running by Friday.

[Chip]

Does he and potentially the boys/staff in the back consider Rock the first black WWE champion or is that an honour that Henry himself may be granted come Sunday?

[Nic Nemeth]

What is the strongest thing he's done in the WWE?

You could interpret it to who the heaviest wrestler for him to lift was but I'm sure there's more difficult feats of strengths he's had to accomplish.

[Slammy Award-Winning Cannibal]

Jul 10, 2013 2:14:05 GMT -5 Chip said:

Does he and potentially the boys/staff in the back consider Rock the first black WWE champion or is that an honour that Henry himself may be granted come Sunday?

I know it's not but HE could interpret that as a "Gotcha" question. Because if he thought no, he would still never actually say that. That would be pretty offensive to The Rock.

I would ask if he would be open to speaking in more detail about his line on Raw where he said he's took a 50% paycut. Was this during his OVW? And if so, how was that experience?

[CATCH_US IS the Conversation]

What exactly is it that you "do"?

[Cvslfc123]

where can I buy some sexual chocolate?

[________ has left the building]

Where do you rank Mae Young as a kisser? Did she use tongue?

[Deleted]

How does it feel to get to be along the ranks of people like Triple H, Orton, Punk, Michaels, and Snuka (and Giant Gonzalez, but we'll ignore that) as a Streak victim?

[PTBartman]

I'd love to know his immediate reaction when they told him they were bringing Hand back All grown up

[Deleted]

Who, exactly, is gon' get they ass kicked?

[fuzzywarble, squat cobbler]

As a fellow Texan, I want to know what his favorite cities/towns in Texas are (not necessarily to perform in).

[salsashark]

Thanks for the questions so far, everyone. You guys come up with awesome stuff. Will definitely ask the "What is it that you do" question since people seem into it.

[PTBartman]

Jul 10, 2013 8:56:02 GMT -5 salsashark said:

Thanks for the questions so far, everyone. You guys come up with awesome stuff. Will definitely ask the "What is it that you do" question since people seem into it.

I'd start the interview with a LesNessmanesque "So Mr. Henry, What is it, actually, that you do?" just to get his reaction. He seems to have a great sense of humor.

Another thing I'd love to know, is if he feels a connection with Kane, in that they're both long term veterans with HoF credentials who have been saddled with some of the worst gimmicks and storylines in the history of our sport. Stuff that would kill the careers of lesser men, yet they not only survived, they thrived. In the words of Gregory Helms, Ace Reporter, "What's up with that?"

[Allie Kitsune]

I think it would be interesting to hear his advice on what it takes for someone to make it through the other side of all the crap he's been saddled with (not just bad gimmicks, but that for the longest time he wasn't exactly considered a good hand by a large percentage of fans), and what the best hope is for others that may be a late bloomer and find themselves the way that he did.

Basically, what did he do to improve himself, when was that moment when he finally felt that he'd broken through, in his own mind, where he knew he could, and did, get where he wanted to be.

[salsashark]

Man, you guys have killed it with these. I have way too many good questions to decide between and probably not much time, so I'll unofficially mark this as the cut-off point. Thank you!!

[salsashark]

Interview just went up! It's at tinyurl.com/mres2xj

Definitely an intimidating dude (intentionally or otherwise). I was about as panicked for this as I was for Daniel Bryan, which is saying a lot.

Two questions from here made it on there, and a couple more were sorta answered in Henry's answers. I had only 15 minutes and even that was really tight. I would have killed for an extra five or 10 minutes to go into detail and get to some others that I really wanted to hit on from here, but alas. Anyway, thanks again, everyone, for the suggestions.

[Spearmint*]

Good read man, but I can't believe you asked the worlds strongest man about how much money he makes/made, you've got more guts than I do for sure!

[salsashark]

Jul 12, 2013 9:34:43 GMT -5 Spearmint* said:

Good read man, but I can't believe you asked the worlds strongest man about how much money he makes/made, you've got more guts than I do for sure!

Haha, thank you! I wasn't even aiming for figures so as much as I was trying to set up the next question, but what got his goat more than that (not in a particularly seriously way, but more like when someone says something weird and you raise your eyebrow) is when I asked the Visine thing. He said Vi-zine??? like he was thinking, 'Wow, this fool thinks Mark Henry can't act.' It was pretty comical. That, and when he went "You mean, the retirement dupe."

[government mule]

Good interview, even just reading it instead of listening to him puts the fear of god into me, so nice one.

[Dean-o]

Good interview man, thanks!