Mark Henry is a powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and retired professional wrestler. He was an Olympian in 1992 and 1996, and was a gold, silver, and bronze medalist at the Pan American Games in 1995. As a powerlifter, he was World Drug-Free Powerlifting Federation World Champion (1995) and a two-time U.S. National Champion (1995 and 1997). He also holds the all-time raw world record in the squat and deadlift. He holds the largest raw squat and raw powerlifting totals ever performed by a drug-tested athlete, regardless of weight class, and the highest raw deadlift by an American citizen.

 

Personal bests for Mark Henry in competition are a squat of 953.5 pounds, a deadlift of 903.9 pounds, a powerlifting total of 2,336.9 pounds, a snatch of 396.8 pounds, a clean and jerk of 485.0 pounds, and a weightlifting total of 881.8 pounds.

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In weightlifting, Henry was a three-time U.S. National Weightlifting Champion (1993, 1994, 1996), an American Open winner (1992), a two-time U.S. Olympic Festival Champion (1993 and 1994) and a NACAC champion (1996). He holds all three Senior U.S. American weightlifting records. In 2002 he won the first annual Arnold Strongman Classic.

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Since joining the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE) in 1996, he has become a one-time WWF European Champion and a two-time world champion, having held the ECW Championship in 2008, and WWE's World Heavyweight Championship in 2011.

 

Mark Jerrold Henry was born on June 12, 1971, in Silsbee, Texas. He is a powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and retired professional wrestler. He is also currently signed to WWE as a producer. He was a two-time Olympian in 1992 and 1996 and a gold, silver, and bronze medalist at the Pan American Games in 1995.

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Henry was born in Silsbee, Texas. As a child, he was a big wrestling fan, and André the Giant was his favorite wrestler. While attending a wrestling show in Beaumont, Texas, young Henry tried to touch André as he walked down the aisle but tripped over the barricade. André picked him up out of the crowd and put him back behind the barrier.

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Henry comes from a family where almost all of the men are larger than average, especially his great uncle Chudd, who was 6 ft 7 in and weighed approximately 500 lb. He never had a pair of manufactured shoes and was known as the strongest man in the Piney Woods of East Texas. He played football in high school until his senior year, when he injured his wrist during a game.

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​In early 1998 he was still able to do five reps in the bench press with 495 lbs, three reps in the squat with 855 lbs (with no suit and no knee wraps), and three reps in the standing press with 405 lbs in training. Despite these impressive totals, while working for the World Wrestling Federation, he never returned to compete again in official weightlifting championships in favor of his wrestling career.

 

Henry is currently a talent scout for All Elite Wrestling.