WWE Opinion: 4 Reasons Mark Henry Must Retain Through WrestleMania 28

This Sunday at Madison Square Garden, at the 25th anniversary of Survivor Series, Mark Henry will once again face The Big Show for the World Heavyweight Championship.

Let's hope the ring doesn't implode this time.

That being said, it's sure to be a display of brute physical strength and power. Both Henry and Show can move pretty well for typical "big men," and their matches improve each time they square off. Mark Henry has been on a roll with his "Hall of Pain," and if there's anyone currently in the WWE who stands a chance to topple him, it's The Big Show.

But he shouldn't. Here's five reasons why Mark Henry should retain on Sunday and hold onto the strap until the grandaddy of them all next spring.

He Makes a More Interesting Champion Than Big Show Would Make

This point may be a little skewed as I have a tendency to greatly prefer heels over faces, but Big Show just seems to fall a little flat.

He's a jolly giant. Sure, he's got some jokes, and people like it when he shows off his strength, but if he were to become World Heavyweight Champion, I don't think fans would care about him any more than they do already.

I think big men are much more effective when they're big monsters—again, I prefer heels. Even if Big Show is a case of a big man who works better as a face, I think the WWE Universe likes to boo Mark Henry as World Heavyweight Champion more than they would like to cheer Big Show as World Heavyweight Champion, and that's extremely important.

Before he became champion, Mark Henry was pretty much irrelevant in the eyes of the fans. Now he's one of the top heels in the entire company. On the other hand, if Big Show were to win the title, it seems doubtful that he would become anymore relevant than he already is; and there is a wide, wide gap between him and the other top faces in the company.

It's imperative to have a champion who fans like to boo if they're heel, or like to cheer if they're face. At this point, Mark Henry is just a better heel than Show is a face, at least in my opinion.

He Needs a "Big Man" Title Run

Mark Henry has been World Heavyweight Champion since September. That seems like a really long time when you consider that some of the other titles are passed around like hot potatoes.

Indeed, in the WWE of today, two months could be considered a fairly "lengthy" reign with a top-tier title. But let's look at some of the other big men who have held the World Heavyweight Championship.

The last big man to hold the World Heavyweight Title was the Big Red Monster himself, Kane. He won the strap from Rey Mysterio at the July 2010 Money in the Bank PPV after cashing in the contract, which he had won the same night. He didn't lose the belt until December, at the TLC PPV. He was champion almost five months to the day.

Before Kane, the last big man champion was his brother, The Undertaker. He won the belt from CM Punk at the 2009 Hell in a Cell and dropped it to Chris Jericho at the 2010 Elimination Chamber. He also was champion for almost five months.

If Mark Henry is allowed to keep the title until WrestleMania, he will have been champion for just over six months. Sure, he could lose it after five months at Elimination Chamber, but that wouldn't set up for my next slide...

Mark Henry vs. Undertaker at WrestleMania XXVIII

Because the wrestling world is all abuzz (or should I say a-Twitter?) with John Cena vs. The Rock at WrestleMania 28, The Undertaker's legendary streak has virtually been pushed to the backs of our minds. 'Taker's participation is yet to be confirmed, but most fans feel that he will show in order to retire with a flawless 20-0 record at the annual event.

And no one at this point seems set to be a better opponent for him than Mark Henry.

Think about it. If 'Taker does wrestle his last match at WrestleMania, everyone will know that he's coming out victorious before the match even starts; do you know how obnoxious it would be if he retired 19-1? That being said, his opponent is going to have to be someone who can help us to suspend our disbelief, someone who can make us think, however briefly, that he will best the Deadman. Who better than a veritable strong man who's managed to hold onto the World Heavyweight Title for six whole months?

Furthermore—because, let's be honest, Undertaker will win the match—this would allow 'Taker to retire as World Heavyweight Champion. Then once the title is vacated, it will open up a tournament to crown an entirely new World Heavyweight Champion.

Mark Henry gets a lengthy title reign and a main-event match at WrestleMania, the legendary and beloved Undertaker retires with gold and someone fresh gets a shot at the title. This is a situation where everyone wins, wrestlers and fans alike.

But What About Daniel Bryan?

I'm sure a lot of you have been wondering this as you read the slideshow.

Daniel Bryan is, in fact, Mr. Money in the Bank, and WWE Creative finally seems to be realizing that. Initially, he stated right off the bat that he would cash in his title shot at WrestleMania. However, recently it seems like he's been teasing he'll do it sooner.

I still think he should cash in at WrestleMania...right after Undertaker beats Mark Henry for the title.

I also think he should fail.

Obviously, it seems unlikely that WWE would allow someone as respected and legendary as The Undertaker to lose to the likes of a cash-in, no matter how beat up he is after the match. Furthermore, since its debut in 2005, every single person who has won the Money in the Bank briefcase has gone on to win their subsequent cashed-in title shots. Eventually, someone is going to have to lose, lest the briefcase become predictable, and therefore less exciting.

I like Daniel Bryan as much as the next girl or guy, but just because I want him to blow his title shot doesn't mean I don't want him in the title picture. If he were to cash in on 'Taker at WrestleMania, he would more likely than not turn heel. Then, once the tournament opens up to crown the new champ, he would be open to feud with SmackDown's top faces, such as Randy Orton and Sheamus, giving him the visibility and experience that a future World Title holder needs.

Conclusion

Mark Henry has pleasantly surprised us all with his run as World Heavyweight Champion, and I believe he is not done yet. It has been reported that Henry and Big Show will meet again for the World Heavyweight Championship at TLC, and that could very well be a rematch for Henry after he drops the title. However, it is my sincere hope that he doesn't drop it, because Henry deserves a lengthy run, one that takes him all the way to WrestleMania.

As always, thanks for reading and please let me know your thoughts in the comments section below.