WWE Hall of Famer, The Undertaker, has hailed Mark Henry’s faux retirement announcement as one of the greatest messaging stunts in the history of wrestling. During an episode of RAW on June 17, 2023, Henry seemingly announced his departure from WWE just to unexpectedly launch into a surprise attack on then-WWE Champion, John Cena. This marked the beginning of their feud.
Recently on his “Six Feet Under” podcast, The Undertaker discussed the clever stunt and praised the performance of Henry, known as the World’s Strongest Man.
Excerpts from the podcast conversation are shared below:
On Mark Henry’s faux retirement speech: “I rate Mark’s announcement the best promo. Not only was it Mark’s personal greatest, but it’s also one of the all-time bests. When he pulled this off, it caught me off guard. Mark was aging, and I genuinely believed him. I fell for it, hook, line, and sinker.”
On the awareness that the boneyard match with AJ Styles would be his swansong: “Absolutely, I had no doubts. If it wasn’t AJ, that match wouldn’t have happened. He is someone I always wanted to work with. I compare him with Shawn, his skills are exceptional. It would have been amazing to see him wrestle with Shawn, and Bret. Just imagine, the matches would have been showstoppers.”
On the actual match: “I felt privileged to perform outside the Performance Center. Edge and Randy put on a fantastic match, but it lacked reaction. All you could hear was the clash of metal. Despite being a gripping match, it lacked the emotional intensity. On the other hand, the Boneyard Match was special, reminiscent of the boiler room brawls. We successfully told a compelling story, blending different facets of The Undertaker into one. Although my arm hitting the Hearse window hurt, but that aside, I was rather pleased with the outcome.”
Watch Mark Henry’s retirement speech that went beyond the realm of professional wrestling for yourself.