WWE: Will Mark Henry Now Drop Back Down to Wrestling Mediocrity?

From the first moment that Mark Henry really became Mark Henry, and began his ascension up the ladder of WWE, fans all over the world have been watching in anticipation.

Anticipation, because Mark was a guy who had waited a long time, to truly get his head above water. He had towed the company line for several years, doing everything asked of him, with little-to-no payoff.

There was some effort made by WWE along the way, as Henry’s monstrous image was quietly being nurtured at any given time in recent years.  But, more often than not, The World’s Strongest Man usually ended up looking like The World’s Biggest Joke.

For a worker who possessed the strength and sheer mass of Henry, the guy spent an awful lot of time on his back.

But, someone in WWE creative finally came to their senses and saw the accomplished veteran in Mark that we have all seen for some time now.  Finally, he was allowed to flex his muscles in more ways than one, and received a run at the top of Friday Night SmackDown.

He looked good.  He looked credible.  And he carried the weight of the World Championship on his shoulder very well indeed.

But, the initial anticipation shown by fans when Mark finally got his chance has now come full circle as many fully expect him to fall back down to the bottom once again.

The main issue with Mark is the fact that he is no longer the World Champion.  While on the surface this should not be considered a death sentence for his career, the truth is the key element in making Henry’s run relevant is that he could not be beaten.

No one could touch Mark on any level.  No one could get into his head, and no one could hope to stand up to him physically.

No one, until Big Show.

Here’s where it begins to get a little sticky, because everything that has put Mark where he is today, has also put Big Show where he is as well.

Hard work, determination, the willingness to go along with even the silliest of storylines, all in the name of getting over any way he can.  Big Show is another example of a good guy who always had the potential to be a big deal, and was finally given a chance to shine.

The bottom line is, there’s no shame in losing to Show.  And, the fact that the man to have finally ended Mark’s monster run was Show is not the issue.  The issue is that his monster run ended in the first place.

Once a guy is set up, and pushed, the way that Henry was, it’s all cards on the table time.  The company is all in, fully behind the man as the major heel that he was built up to be.  There’s no looking back, and everyone involved knows the deal.

Here’s the ball, don’t screw up and drop it.

Mark did his part, playing the role of the heartless leviathan who was more animal than man, a brute who existed only to punish others.  He was very convincing, and was proving all of his critics wrong.

With the WWE promotional machine fully behind him by providing ample mic time and proper booking, Mark’s rise was very well done.

So, why stop there?  After all the progress that had been made, all the work that had went into it, there was nowhere to go but up, why pull the plug at its peak?

The obvious answer is that Mark is legitimately injured, and Vince McMahon reportedly made the decision to take the belt off of him.

Don’t misunderstand me here, I’m not suggesting that Mark should have remained undefeated as World Champion, taking the championship with him on the day that he retired from the sport.

Everyone wins and loses, that’s just the nature of the business.

But, again, to construct the run that Henry was on, pushing him to the degree that WWE did, the moment that it ends prematurely makes Mark look weak.  

And, this one did end prematurely.

The belt could have stayed with Mark, he could have continued as the unbeatable champion, reigning over SmackDown as the tyrant that he was.  Where would it go from there?

All of that build up could have resulted in giving another worker the rub on the day it should have ended, at WrestleMania 28.  On that day, Mark could have dropped the strap to Daniel Bryan, Randy Orton, whoever, and that talent would be starting off on an incredible high, as the man who finally shut down the World’s Strongest Champion.

Mark would still have been a force in the company, but as a man who is a veteran with some serious miles on him, his time as an active wrestler is ticking away.  At the very least he could have went out with one really good run under his belt before calling it a career.

Instead we are left with the unavoidable question of whether or not Mark will lose his spot, once again being reduced to mid-card status or jerking the curtain.

The fact is, it’s still rather early.  Mark’s waist is still warm from the World Title, and no one seems to believe that Daniel Bryan is the long-term answer on SmackDown.  The belt could very well go back to him when he’s healthy again.

But in the meantime, it will be interesting to see how WWE will handle Mark Henry, and where he will go from here.