Mark Henry fala da sua carreira, aposentação e hypa o Money in the Bank
Mark Henry deu uma entrevista ao WithLeather.com. Eis os highlights:
His five-year-plan for his heralded fake retirement speech: Well, I mean, I’m a constant entertainer. It’s something that I thought of four years ago, five years ago when I signed my contract. ‘At the end of this contract, I’m going to retire and I’m going to have everybody ready for me to retire, and then I’ll get ‘em just the way I want to.’ It’s funny, [this] five-year plan. The only thing that can come to mind is Hannibal in The A-Team: “I love it when a plan comes together.”
Taking a pay cut when he re-signed with WWE: I took a 50 percent pay cut when I signed that last deal five years ago because I was looked at as being a middle-of-the-road performer. During that time, John Cena made millions, and that’s what I want. I mean, Money in the Bank is not just the name of the pay-per-view, it’s a chance for me to get my will to where I want it so when the time does come for me to officially retire, I won’t have to worry about nothing.
His WWE career: Everybody that’s had the road be smooth and perfect with a steady incline, I’d like to meet ‘em. I don’t think it’s ever been done. There’s highs and lows in life, and there’s highs and lows in sports entertainment. It’s a credit to me that I’ve been around 17 years, so I’ve had a long time to have highs and lows. Obviously, I’ve done something right.
On if winning the WWE championship will validate his career in his mind: Man, I almost cussed. (Laughs) Yeah. It will. I mean I really did, I almost cussed. I have to win. This will be the one that people say, Ok. He may not have had a career that had as many championships as The Rock or The Undertaker or Shawn Michaels. But as far as big guys, super heavyweights. My name will be in the conversation for the next 100 years. And that’s what I’m looking at.
On putting all his eggs in one basket on Sunday: Well I am because it’s important to me. And I didn’t get to where I am today by resting on my laurels or resting on what happened yesterday. I’m very hypercompetitive. I carry a chip on my shoulder. The law protects people from people like me. And John Cena is going to be a recipient of a whooping that where he can’t be protected by the law. There ain’t nobody that can protect him from me. I mean I won’t go to jail for what I’ll do to him on Sunday. So I have to do this. I’m doing it for me. I’m done. Like man, I want to do it for my family. I want to do it for the business. Like all of that stuff. And it’s real. People think that it’s some kind of wrestling angle or this and that. I told Vince himself. I was like look, I’m in it to win it, if not I’m done. And that’s what’s gonna happen on Sunday. John is gonna get his ass kicked. There ain’t no way or buts about it. Otherwise, I’m just talking shit.
On what was the thought process behind the retirement speech promo: Well five years ago when I signed my contract, my last contract. I took a 50 percent pay cut. And a lot of people don’t know that because I never said nothing about it. And I wanted this these last five years—the reason that I’ve had this steadily incline is because I wanted to validate myself financially as well as career wise. And I’ve been able to make a good living over the last five years. But I ain’t made nothing compared to John Cena. The Randy Ortons, the Brock Lesnars and The Rocks of this world. I ain’t making that kind of money. And Money in the Bank it’s just funny that it all happens to be about the money. But a lot of it is about the money. And it’s about the respect that comes with the money. Donald Trump. Great business man. Unbelievable business man. Is he known for being a business man? No. He’s known for the money. And I’m trying to get mine, man. I’m trying to get mine. And John Cena is the stepping stool, the foot hole or whatever you want to call him, to me getting my paper.
On why it took so long for him to be in the main event picture: I think a lot of it was focus, a lot of it was desperation. A lot of it was umm—that epiphany. That day you wake up and go damn! Is this what it is? Like sometimes the trigger don’t happen until something stimulates. And when I sat there in that chair in WWE headquarters, and they say hey we wanna resign you but we can’t sign you for this money. This is what we offer. And it was nothing.
On if the Money in the Bank briefcase getting cashed in on Sunday is in the back of his mind: Man I ain’t thinking about them cats. I ain’t thinking about what happens second. I’m about being first. And they can try to cash it in if they want to. I ain’t ready for it. You know somebody can catch a hot one. I'm going to hold it until I want to give it up. That’s basically—or unless they call the police and they say hey, you either gonna do what we want you to do or we gonna get rid of you. I’m going out in dramatic fashion.
On if winning his first WWE title from the man who has held the WWE title the most is apropos: Man it’s—you know when you sit around and think about it, you’re gonna psyche yourself out. You’re gonna say aww man what ifs and this could happen or that could happen. I don’t care about his prestige. I told you before I’m very selfish. I’ve become very selfish in my old age. It don’t have nothing to do with John Cena. It don’t matter if it was John Cena. It don’t matter if it was The Undertaker. It don’t matter if it was Hulk Hogan and Andre in their prime. I want it for me. And these cats were standing in the way of me being them. You hear what I’m saying? We talk about them with reverence. Nobody talks about me with reverence. It might be one or two Mark Henry fans and I think y’all are two of them.
On being the fan favorite Sunday in Philadelphia highly possible: It’s not gonna bother me that people are gonna cheer for me. I’m going out there to do me. My attention and my focus is going to be on John Cena. You watch. You look in my eyes and you’ll see what is going to happen. You sit there, you watch. You watch what I do.
