By Jason Powell, ProWrestling.net Editor (@prowrestlingnet)
AEW issued the following press release to officially announce the signing of Mark Henry to a multi-year deal.
June 1, 2021 – In the midst of the enthralling DOUBLE OR NOTHING PPV event on Saturday, May 30, “The World’s Strongest Man” Mark Henry surprised the full capacity crowd, signing on as an expert analyst, coach, scout and mentor within the company.
The legendary wrestler and co-host of SiriusXM’s Busted Open signed a multi-year deal with AEW as announced by Tony Schiavone during the electrifying event at Daily’s Place in Jacksonville, Fla.
An American Olympian weightlifter, world record holding powerlifter and Hall of Fame professional wrestler, Henry will serve as an analyst on the broadcast team for the brand-new, hour-long show AEW RAMPAGE, debuting Friday, Aug. 13, on TNT at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Henry brings 25 years of wrestling experience to AEW, strengthening the company’s robust scouting and coaching department that continues to sign and develop the industry’s top independent stars from across the world. As AEW continues to grow both its programming offerings for fans and the size of its roster, Henry’s world-class expertise will help guide the future of the promotion.
“It’s an honor to welcome Mark Henry to AEW. Mark came into pro wrestling already established as a legendary powerlifter, and he applied his greatest tools, his cerebral approach to sport and his unprecedented work ethic, to become a legendary pro wrestler as well,” said Tony Khan, CEO, GM and Head of Creative of AEW. “The mission of AEW is to be the best wrestling product in the world today. Mark’s illustrious presence and his great wrestling acumen will be tremendous assets to our company and our content, as we’ll utilize his esteemed presence not only on-screen, but also in the career development of our stars for the future.”
“I have been fortunate to experience a great deal of success in my pro wrestling career,” said Mark Henry. “From my own in-ring title runs and creative storylines, to identifying and scouting some of the top talent in pro wrestling business today, to my role as a broadcaster, I have long worked to stay ahead of the pro wrestling curve. The overall quality of professional wrestling has skyrocketed in the past few years, and I’ve been very impressed by the meteoric rise of AEW. I’m excited to join the broadcast team on AEW RAMPAGE, and I can’t wait to work with the incredible roster at AEW.”
Joining a recent list of legendary signings that includes Sting, Paul Wight and Christian Cage, Henry makes his debut as an expert analyst on Friday, Aug. 13, on the inaugural episode of AEW RAMPAGE, live on TNT at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
As a reminder, this week, catch a special Friday edition of AEW DYNAMITE live on TNT on Friday, June 4, at 10 p.m. ET / 7 p.m. PT.
Powell’s POV: I am looking forward to hearing how Henry does as an analyst on the AEW Rampage show. There’s no word yet as who will fill out the rest of the broadcast team. Tony Schiavone indicated at Double or Nothing that Henry would appear on this week’s Dynamite show, but there’s no mention of that in the press release.
I can’t wait until next month when AEW announces their newest member of the announce team, Bruno Sammartino!