Mark Henry

Henry talks to Newsday.com about finally being given a World Heavyweight Title run late in his career and how he felt about that time.

I was fed up with mediocrity. I wanted to show strength that most people are afraid to bring out. It was hard for me to come down from that. I would leave the arena completely exhausted — physically, mentally and emotionally. I’d make myself angry to the point that it was sickening. And I realized when I started doing that, that a lot of it was real frustration. I was tired of being trivialized. I was tired of being made the butt of the joke. I was going to retire. I was tired of it. And when I voiced that opinion, with that kind of anger, it was like, ‘Damn, if you’re going to be angry like that, then put it in the ring. Don’t just say it. Do it.’ And that’s what happened. I started living it. And it was the best time of my career.