WWE Speculation: 10 Possible Opponents Next in Line for Mark Henry

This past Tuesday on the SmackDown live special, a hobbled Mark Henry took care of business against the resourceful Daniel Bryan inside a steel cage.

It took a "World's Strongest Slam" off the second turnbuckle to subdue Bryan for the three-count, ensuring that the "World's Strongest Man" will continue being world heavyweight champion until at least WWE TLC 2011.

On Dec. 18, at the third annual Tables, Ladders and Chairs event, Mark Henry will once again collide with his SmackDown arch-nemesis The Big Show.

It will mark their fourth pay-per-view battle this year alone—and one has to wonder if "The World's Largest Athlete" will finally overcome the former Olympian.

Besides The Big Show, there are nine other challengers waiting in the wings to get their opportunity to fell the massive oak tree.

Who will get his shot at everlasting glory?

The Big Show

As we've already established, the fourth time may or may not be the charm for The Big Show at WWE TLC 2011.

His feud with Henry has been a surprisingly entertaining one, chock-full of memorable moments.

Their initial Money in the Bank 2011 bout saw Show "break" his ankle, followed by a broken ring at Vengeance 2011 and finally the top rope elbow heard around the world at Survivor Series 2011.

The Big Show will have to do more than just defy the laws of physics; he'll have to get Vince McMahon's seal of approval.

At the end of the day, winners and losers are determined by the stroke of the WWE Chairman's pen. This  upcoming match will not be exempt from the usual way of how things are done.

With the exception of the outcome, the only question remaining is, under which stipulation will the presumably final match in the Show-Henry series take place?

A tables match seems like the best bet.

Daniel Bryan

Assuming Henry prevails against the 7-foot behemoth, don't be surprised to see Daniel Bryan back in the world heavyweight title picture.

The two not only had a good match on the live SmackDown special, but there is a unique dynamic between the WWE's "David" and the reigning "Goliath."

Oddly, the comparatively diminutive Bryan and his portrayal to win at all costs is so convincing that Henry, as a result, is depicted as a sympathetic character.

As we've witnessed, the submission wrestling expert has no qualms about being opportunistic in his quest to become champion, even going so far as to take advantage of a man while he's down.

If the WWE has any plans to turn Henry "face," the former ROH champion with antagonistic tendencies would be the ideal candidate for a "double turn."

The Undertaker

Undertaker has long been rumored to wrestle Mark Henry at WrestleMania 28.

Certainly, as opposed to six years ago at WrestleMania 22, their match will likely be much more engrossing this time around.

"The Dead Man" can bring it when he needs to and Henry, since becoming champion, has managed to markedly improve his ring presence.

Moreover, Henry finally has the credibility—which has eluded him in the last 15 years—to make a feud with "The Phenom" as convincing as possible.

When Undertaker makes his inevitable (yearly) comeback, expect his character to torture Henry with mind games until their Miami showdown.

Booker T

Every Friday, or Tuesday, Booker T regales the audience with his perspective from ringside.

The former six-time world champion is, by all accounts, on the verge of getting up from his leather chair and stepping back into the ring.

Cody Rhodes, who has tried to incite the ire of SmackDown's color commentator, is primed to enter a full-fledged feud with the master of the "Spinaroonie."

The period between now and WrestleMania 28 leaves ample time for Booker T to finish his quarrel with Rhodes and become Henry's next opponent.

Picture this: After Booker T puts Cody in his place, the Houston-native decides to permanently "retire" and go back to the commentating booth.

A few weeks later, Henry brutally assaults the former WCW superstar while he's commentating, putting him through the announcing table.

Unlike his broadcasting peer Jerry Lawler, Booker T would avenge the attack.

Sheamus

A Sheamus-Mark Henry contest would be a battle of wills between two of the most physically imposing wrestlers in the WWE.

Since turning "babyface," Sheamus has amassed a lot of fan support en route to reestablishing his character. It was in dire need of being overhauled following his precipitous downfall since becoming WWE champion in record time.

Now a fan favorite, the "Great White" finally has momentum on his side as he hopes to become champion, again.

Consequently, the "Celtic Warrior's" presence in the world title picture is not only inevitable, it's imminent.

Not to mention, he and Henry have history, dating back to SummerSlam 2011, but only of the unfinished kind.

Kane

Since being taken out of action by the dastardly Henry, Kane has been stewing and seething for the chance to redeem himself.

Anyone who has been watching WWE programming in the last few weeks will have seen the "Big Red Machine's" vignettes heralding his return.

It won't be just any comeback, but one that builds toward the future while acknowledging the past.

By donning the red and black mask again, Kane's character will experience a boost it hasn't had in years.

The mask will bestow instant credibility upon a personality that has, arguably, worn out its welcome to the WWE audience.

Potentially, a mere plastic prop may be just enough to propel Kane into main-event territory after years of stagnancy.

Fans will be on their edge of their seats, as well, to see Undertaker's brother be the one to make sure Henry gets his comeuppance.

Triple H

After being massacred with his own sledgehammer, Triple H currently has his sights aimed at beating sense into his old friend Kevin Nash.

That bout will likely take place at either TLC 2011 or Royal Rumble 2012.

Once the former Diesel gets a taste of his own medicine, the "Cerebral Assassin" may make the jump over to SmackDown, which has a dearth of "babyfaces" to contend for Henry's world heavyweight title.

For perhaps the first time during his championship tenure, Henry would be the underdog against the living legend Triple H, who has literally overcome every obstacle in his long career.

However, the goal of such a feud, if it were to transpire, should be to cement Henry's legacy by conquering "The Game" in a series of matches.

Whether that happens or not is up to the wrestling warlocks to decide.

R-Truth

The Monday Night Raw after Survivor Series 2011 saw R-Truth get betrayed by his tag partner The Miz, who applied a devastating skull-crushing finale to his former friend.

That was not only the coup d'etat for "Awesome Truth," but a way for R-Truth to serve out his 30-day suspension for violating WWE's drug-testing policy.

With The Miz returning to singles competition as a dominant "heel," plans apparently call for R-Truth to return as a "babyface." The call has been allegedly made by Vince McMahon, who believes there is an untapped goldmine in "Little Jimmy" merchandise.

R-Truth could just as easily reappear on WWE TV by walking out on SmackDown, accusing Mark Henry of being the "Big Jimmy" who is in charge of the world's "little Jimmys." Suffice to say, a Henry-Truth feud would be not only full of laughs, but potentially well-crafted matches.

Wade Barrett

Although he never became world champion like Sheamus, Wade Barrett similarly experienced too much, too soon.

As a result, he has been struggling to recapture his top spot on the WWE roster since being the nefarious Nexus leader.

At long last, at Survivor Series 2011, Barrett led his "Barrage" to victory, catching many New York fans by surprise, who thought a Team Orton win was a foregone conclusion.

Barrett now finds himself in another feud with Randy Orton, this time on drastically different terms compared to their duels from the previous year, which featured John Cena as the focal point.

Supposing the English-native gets past "The Viper," a confrontation with Mark Henry is not out of the question.

"Heel" vs. "heel" matches have been done before, but if the WWE doesn't want to go that route, Tuesday's SmackDown special proved that Henry can, at the very least, be an intriguing "tweener"—a gray area between "face" and "heel."

Brodus Clay

With rumors swirling about Mark Henry turning "face," a feud with the WWE's next intimidating beast, Brodus Clay, would seem logical.

Clay's debut has been put off week after week by John Laurinaitis, but when the faux-hawked heathen eventually does erupt into a frenzy inside a WWE ring, there will only be a small handful of competitors who will be able to contest the new kid in town.

The best way to turn Henry into a popular pit bull would be to designate him as the one to put a stop to Clay's hypothetical path of destruction.

The outcome can go one of two ways: Either Henry puts Clay in the renowned "Hall of Pain" or the rookie becomes an instant world heavyweight champion.