WWE: Is This the Perfect Time for Mark Henry to Be a Top Star for Vince McMahon?

I have to say, I have never been a Mark Henry fan.

That’s not to say that I have anything against him, I don’t. In fact, I have never really had anything to say about him either way. Most of the time, when I see him, I think, “Oh, there’s Mark Henry. OK.”

Not that the sight of a 400-pound mini Mack truck walking on two tree trunks doesn’t impress me, far from it. The guy’s chest is the length of an interstate highway.

But, I have to be honest. It’s Mark Henry. The way he has been presented in the past, the relatively unimpressive types of push he has received, adds up to myself as a fan not really caring much when I see him.

Lately, however, I am beginning to notice.

Henry’s recent feud with Big Show has been pretty good so far. Of course, Henry putting Show through the announce table, is just your typical run of the mill show of strength. We’re all used to that.

After all, when you have a guy Mark Henry’s size, with the gimmick of World’s Strongest Man, the obligatory displays of power are expected from time to time.

And then, there’s also the fact that Show gets picked up more than a lady of questionable morals on a Saturday night.

See? No potty mouth required to make a point.

The fact is, Mark Henry slamming Big Show through the table, and more recently the steel cage on Monday Night RAW, may sound impressive, but we’ve all seen it in some fashion before.

It’s not so much his actions I am beginning to warm to, it’s his attitude.

The way he growled at referees on RAW, daring them to stop him. The way he stared down at Show and talked trash to him. More importantly, the look in his eyes as he did it.

Is it time to start taking Mark Henry seriously?

It may be hard for some fans to do that, especially considering that Henry has been a WWE fixture for so long now, dating back to the Attitude era.

Also, the closest he has come to any type of heavyweight title status was the insignificant ECW Championship, which was a prize in name only. Why should fans now suddenly consider Henry anything more than a pumped up mid-carder as he has always been portrayed?

The truth is, despite the way some may feel about him and his place in the company, Mark Henry is WWE Superstar material through and through.

He’s big, he’s got a look, a legitimately tough persona and he is fairly good on the mic. Of course, he’s no Ricky Steamboat in the ring, but he can work pretty well for a big man.

While all of this may not sound like a guaranteed pro wrestling hall of fame star, the discussion has to be kept in perspective.

This is WWE we’re talking about here. Vince McMahon has made true Superstars from a lot less than what Henry has and is capable of. Why shouldn’t Mark Henry be considered a viable choice for top tier in the company?

His aforementioned link to the infamous Attitude era is a point for him. He’s one of the last active WWE performers left who can say “been there, done that.”

The combination of Rock’s semi-return, CM Punk’s ground breaking promo, the reemergence of some bad language being used on the air and newer stars beginning to get a push, may all be leading somewhere.

A newer take on the Attitude era? If so, then Mark Henry is right at home.

Call it pure speculation on my part, but at some point, WWE will have to evolve, as they did to the much debated PG era. The recent reminders of WCW, including the best of Nitro DVD, may perhaps be leading WWE back down into very familiar territory.

If that were to be the case, then there is no reason Mark Henry should not be a part of it. He has put his time in, paid his dues and does everything asked of him.

Physically, he looks the part. His character is over as a ruthless heel, and he is filling his role very well. Perhaps this could be Mark Henry’s time.

Mark Henry is a solid performer who has everything it takes to get over in a big way in WWE. He has always seem to be just on the edge of possibility in his career, and maybe now is the time he is allowed to fulfill that potential.

World’s strongest World Champion?