When WWE was looking to cut costs, several top Superstars - who, admittedly, were nearing the ends of their in-ring careers - were released by the company.
The Big Show and Mark Henry, once two of WWE's main "big men," were among them and wasted no time in signing with AEW. Neither got an official retirement match in WWE and, in Henry's case, the World's Strongest Man didn't even compete for the company before his recent departure.
The last time he wrestled was in the Greatest Royal Rumble match during a 2018 WWE Saudi Arabia show. Talking to Chris Van Vliet, Henry explained why that was it for him.
"Yeah, my body said, man, 'F*** your plan!' My back gave out. It just never allowed me [to compete], and I can probably have surgery. I keep putting it off because I just want to keep moving around. But eventually, I’m gonna have to just get it fixed."
The conversation also turned to Henry's unforgettable fake retirement in 2013 and the fact his feud with John Cena ended with him failing to capture the WWE World Heavyweight Championship. Fans were disappointed at the time as the stage had been set for what could have been an amazing heel title run.
However, it turns out Henry wanted to lose the match.
"I built that for a year. It was a calendar year of me going, 'I think I’m done.' When my contract came up, I actually told Vince, 'I’m not re-signing.' He did the 'Come into my office. Let me talk to you.' He talked me into coming back and doing all that. People mad at WWE...don’t be mad at WWE because I lost to John Cena. The same way I did not want to beat Taker at WrestleMania is the same way that I did not want to have to carry the strap and the pressure of that."
"Also, my body couldn’t do it. When you’re the main event guy and you hold the title, every night, you’re going to do two walks, a promo, an in-ring, a main event style match, and then you go to the next town. You’re on every show, every brand. I couldn’t do it. I physically couldn’t do it. It was not their fault. It was the fact that, 'No, I’m not doing it.'"
It's a true shame Henry didn't get the send-off he deserved, though it sounds like he's made peace with it. You can watch the full interview with the WWE Hall of Famer in the player below.