WWE: Why Has Mark Henry Fallen so Far Down the Ladder?

Only a mere six months ago, Mark Henry was quite arguably the hottest thing going in pro wrestling following his monster push as a dominant heel on Friday nights. After demolishing the likes of Big Show and Sheamus, Henry was able to capture his first World Heavyweight Championship by defeating Randy Orton at the Night of Champions pay-per-view event.

In doing so, Henry made history by becoming the first African-American World Champion since King Booker in 2006. Subsequently, SmackDown's ratings would reach heights not reached in quite some time, all due thanks to the intriguing angles involving Mark Henry.

Once Show returned to the blue brand in early October, Henry's role of dominance came to an abrupt halt as he was knocked out by the World's Largest Athlete week after week during the course of the rivalry. I was hoping that Henry would eventually get that clean victory over Show to end the feud strong, but alas, it was not meant to be.

At the TLC event in December, the World's Strongest Man was defeated by Show in a matter of minutes, officially ending his three-month long reign as World Heavyweight Champion. That dark December night would be the final turning point of Henry's career, as he hasn't come off as an intimidating threat since.

His prominent role in the World title scene thereafter would dwindle due to an injury suffered prior to TLC, with his in-ring time and work limited from then on. It was reported that officials hoped to keep Henry on television by fighting through the injury, but that would only make matters worse.

After pulling his groin for a second time in late January, Henry was effectively removed from the SmackDown Elimination Chamber match, being replaced by The Great Khali. In recent weeks, Henry has lost numerous matches to the likes of Sheamus and Big Show, and he's yet to pick up a singles victory since November.

Last Friday, a report surfaced speculating that Mark Henry was indeed on his way out of WWE due to the pent-up frustration from not being granted time off to heal. It was also rumored that he didn't renew his contract with the company, hence the reason why he's been coming up short in his bouts lately.

A few days later, another report followed up on the original accusations by stating officials perceive Henry as being extremely injury-prone, which is not something that can be argued with. Henry has had his share of respective pushes in the past, but a significant injury has always stopped him from reaching his full potential.

Personally, I don't blame Henry whatsoever, as he didn't do anything wrong to be treated so poorly. Rather, it's more Vince McMahon's fault for not giving him the proper healing time Henry needed to recover.

Outside the ring, Henry is a very friendly guy (as seen from 2009 to 2011 on television) and doesn't involve himself in backstage politics all that often. Just last weekend, Henry was inducted into the prestigious International Sports Hall of Fame, thus solidifying himself as an accomplished veteran both inside and outside the wrestling world.

Although the fact that officials don't see money in Henry anymore could be the reasoning behind his demotion, I find that beyond ridiculous. Sure, he isn't the most entertaining wrestler in the world, but Henry still has the ability to provide a passable match on a regular basis despite being at the elderly age of 40.

Another thing I find interesting is how much Henry is put down by other wrestlers in the back, with Randy Orton's 2011 interview being a prime example. Regardless, Henry doesn't grab a microphone and shoot on everyone in the locker room, but rather cuts a tremendous promo saying that he proved everyone wrong.

Honestly, he sure as hell proved me wrong. When Henry said during an interview with Joey Styles at the 2011 WWE draft that he hoped of becoming World Heavyweight Champion by the end of the year on SmackDown, I nearly laughed.

Now I couldn't be any more happy for Henry finally getting what he deserved after a 15-year tenure in WWE. At this point, I don't expect Henry to regain steam anytime soon, but I'd much rather see him pursue his acting career, where he's content in life and be sent off television in a classy fashion.

Thanks for reading, Bleachers, and make sure to drop a comment below regarding your thoughts on the recent downfall of Mark Henry. As always, your criticism and overall feedback is greatly appreciated.

GSM out.

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