WWE: 7 Reasons Mark Henry Will Be a Great World Champion

The monstrous Mark Henry easily dominated and defeated World Heavyweight Champion Randy Orton at WWE's Night of Champions PPV last Sunday, winning his first world title in the process.

This victory was the culmination of Henry's fifteen year wrestling career during which, as he noted on Raw last week, he was frequently maligned for his poor in-ring performances and inability to get in proper shape.

Even now, despite upping his game and vastly improving as a performer, many critics are still wondering whether the fearsome Henry can truly be a credible champion, given that he has spent so long languishing in the mid-card and been the victim of some incredibly inconsistent booking.

Well, while he has struggled in the past, we think Henry has what it takes to be a good champion and carry the brand. Here are some reasons why...

He's off to a Great Start

Henry's clean victory at WWE's Night of Champions PPV over Randy Orton was a perfect example of how to get a new champion over. A decent match, with was tailored to cover up Henry's limitations, the bout told the old story of the feisty underdog (Orton) vs. the dominant monster (Henry). Orton bravely fought his heart out, but in the end, just didn't have what it took to defeat his devastatingly strong challenger and fell to the World's Strongest Slam.

At a time when upper mid-carders like Jack Swagger and Dolph Ziggler fail to get clean, solid wins over top guys, and lose credibility with fans as a result, Henry's untainted win was refreshing. It also guarantees that fans will be taking him seriously as a main event star and see him on the level of guys like Orton and John Cena.

There Are Guys on Smackdown Who Can Carry Him to Good Matches

While the lumbering Henry is not a gifted in-ring performer, he can be, and often has been, carried to good matches by superior wrestlers. And, thankfully, the Smackdown brand is filled with extremely skilled, well-rounded wrestlers, like Randy Orton, Sheamus, Daniel Bryan and Christian who can expertly work around Henry's shortcomings and deliver good quality matches, ensuring the blue brand remains the wrestling fan's choice of show.

He Has Charisma in Spades

While he still as a few flaws in his repertoire, Henry's considerable improvement as a character over the last year has been highly impressive. Exuding toughness, menace and a sense of danger, the new champion now seizes and hold fan attention wherever he goes. In fact, he may be the most charismatic monster character since Vader was tearing up wrestling in the mid-nineties.

He Has the Booking Team Behind Him

To thrive and succeed in the WWE main event scene, an emerging star requires the co-operation and support of the WWE booking team. Other mid-carders who struggled greatly to attain a solid main event spot when they got their half-hearted pushes, like Jack Swagger, Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre, were burdened by extremely fickle and fussy writers who booked them erratically, before finally giving up and sending the frustrated wrestlers straight back to the mid-card.

Refreshingly though, Henry has been booked consistently as a devastating monster heel, brutally smashing through everything in his path on his way to championship glory. WWE brass appear to be pleased with Henry's development as Smackdown's top heel, and all indications are Henry, unlike many others before him, will not have his first title reign marred by a inconsistency and stop-start booking.

He's over with the Fans

Henry has caught on with the masses to the extent that the evil heel even found himself garnering huge cheers at WWE Night of Champions when he soundly defeated top babyface Randy Orton for the World Heavyweight Championship. Indeed, whether they are booing or cheering, it seems Henry is guaranteed some sort of reaction by fans in the arenas. Hey, whatever you think of this guy, or his actions, you certainly won't ignore him.

His Promos Are Very Good

Whether it's menacingly trash-talking opponents, angrily blasting announcer Jim Ross for hugely under-estimating him, or telling cheering and enthusiastic fans he doesn't need or care about them, Mark Henry has evolved into one of the better talkers in WWE's main event scene.

His promo style is refreshingly unflashy and free of the corny catchphrases and bad jokes that has become an annoying cornerstone of John Cena's promos. Henry is simple, direct- and completely terrifying. In this respect, he's one of the very best characters to emerge from WWE television in quite some time.

His Feud with Randy Orton Has the Potential to Be a Classic

After Orton's fantastic summer program with Christian, the third-generation star must have wanted to rebound with someone equally as good, and he may just have found that in foe Henry. As illustrated on the cracking Cutting Edge segment on the Smackdown before the PPV, these two have intense chemistry, which makes their matches and promos must-see.

As well as getting over Henry as a fearsome monster, the feud has also helped give Orton's character some much needed edge, as the frustrated former champion grows increasingly frustrated with his inability to defeat Henry and goes slightly mad (as seen in  brutal, bloody destruction of Cody Rhodes in this week's Smackdown). One thing's for sure: their upcoming match at the PPV should be gripping.