Mark Henry



Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler who is currently signed to WWE. He was two times an Olympian in 1992 and 1996 and a Silver, Gold and Bronze Medalist at the Pan American Games in 1995. As a powerlifter, he was drug-free World Champion (1995) and a two-time U.S. National Champion 1995 and 1997 as well as an all-time raw world record holder in the squat and deadlift. Currently, he still holds the WDFPF world records in the squat, deadlift and total and the USAPL American record in the deadlift since 1995. He is credited for the biggest raw squat and raw powerlifting total ever performed by a drug tested athlete, regardless of weight class as well as the greatest raw deadlift by an American citizen. In weightlifting, Henry was a three-time U.S. National Weightlifting Champion (1993, 1994, 1996), an American Open winner (1992), a two-time U.S. Olympic Festival Champion (1993 and 1994) and aNACAC champion (1996). He holds all three Senior US American weightlifting records of 1993-1997. In 2002 he won the first annual Arnold Strongman Classic.Since joining the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1996, he has become a one-time WWF European Champion and a two-time world champion, having held the ECW Championship in 2008, and the World Heavyweight Championship in 2011.Before becoming a professional wrestler, Henry was a successful powerlifter as well as weightlifter. He began powerlifting at Silsbee High School, where he became Texas State Champion three times in a row from 1988 to 1990, as well as National High School Champion in 1990, setting teen-agente world records in the squat and total.[26] Beginning his weightlifting training in 1990, Mark moved to Austin and won The National Junior Weightlifting Championships in 1991.[3] In 1991 he captured the Junior International title in powerlifting as well.[3] At only 19 years of age, Mark qualified for the 1992 Summer Olympics in Barcelona, where he placed 10th in the super heavyweight class.[3] More determined than ever to focus on Olympic weightlifting, he began competing in earnest all over the world. He won the U.S. American Open in 1992[13] and the U.S. Olympic Festival Championships in 1993 and 1994.[3] At the 1995 Pan American Games, Henry won 3 medals in the super heavyweight division—a silver medal in the weightlifting total as well as a gold medal in the snatch[5] and a bronze medal in the clean and jerk.[3][4] The following year, he became a North America, Central America, Caribbean

The following year, Mark Henry tore his quadriceps muscle, and was unable to compete for over a year. Upon his return, he was briefly involved in feuds with Kurt Angle and The Undertaker, before suffering a knee injury. After it healed, he continued to feud with The Undertaker, before being moved to the ECW brand in June 2008, where he had Tony Atlas as a manager. In June 2008, he won the ECW Championship and held it for three months. In 2011, Henry had a resurgence on SmackDown, which led to him winning his first World Heavyweight Championship in September 2011 when he defeated Randy Orton