During the latest episode of WWE SmackDown, AJ Styles simulated his departure from professional wrestling during the concluding segment, leading to him assaulting Cody Rhodes, just as the show was ending.
This distinct segment shared a striking resemblance to a similar incident in 2013 where Mark Henry tricked John Cena, which prompted Henry’s participation in the “Busted Open Radio” podcast in an effort to give his own perspective on the matter.
Henry explained, “Mr. AJ Styles wore a blue jacket and shocked everyone. It’s easy to see why this was such a historic moment. He became a trend. AJ Styles wasn’t the only one to trend though, so did I. Even though I technically never left, it felt good to be back. The fans know me and can anticipate my actions. I kind of made retirements trendy. Nowadays when someone retires, people make references and say, ‘He’s going to pull a Mark Henry.’ Coining a phrase like that is genuinely awesome. Now, with AJ Styles pulling off such an impeccable job, I might need to bring out my pink jacket while he dons his powder blue one so we can do some signings together. I think I know those two well enough to say they decided, ‘Hey, let’s follow Mark’s lead.’ They mimicked everything right down to the posturing; even after landing the clothesline and administering the beat down, the way Styles stood over him was eerily similar to how I did it. The execution of the scene as well as the camera angles they used were top notch.”
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