WWE top official, Bruce Prichard, has rebutted accusations that WWE deliberately tried to force Mark Henry into resignation by allocating him specific gimmicks. Prichard, however, did admit to situations where Henry would have to elevate certain aspects of his performance or face potential dismissal.
Through a recent episode of his “Something to Wrestle” podcast, Prichard confronted the longstanding conjecture that WWE purposely gave Henry absurd gimmicks during the Attitude Era to persuade him to step down, thereby sidestepping the significant financial obligations of his 10-year contract.
Key points from the podcast are highlighted below:
Regarding the speculation that WWE aimed to make Henry quit, Prichard says, “Mark was highly entertaining. He excelled at unexpected stunts. His reactions, acting abilities, and skills were exceptional. To get him over the top is a severe punishment?”
Discussing the consideration of ending Henry’s contract, Prichard explains, “There came a time when we wanted to opt out of Mark’s contract. The way we approached it was by inviting Mark to Connecticut and expressing to him that we didn’t feel he was up to the mark. We gave him the choice to leave if he didn’t want to be here. If he still wanted to stay, we asked him to put in more effort and to improve certain aspects of his performance. Otherwise, we would have no choice but to sever ties.”
Below is the podcast where Prichard discussed these claims: