For decades, pro-wrestling was dominated by big men, often resulting in smaller stars being overlooked when it came to main event pushes. Today, things are very different, as stars smaller in stature continue to be presented with opportunities to thrive on programming.
Mark Henry is a bona fide big man, and believes the pendulum has swung too far the other way. While big men were once shoo-ins for the top spot, Henry told Forbes that it’s hard to be big in wrestling in 2025.
“I feel sorry for the big man in pro wrestling right now… The little guy is in power right now… they want to keep it that way. They don’t want the big guy to flourish.”
Henry gave the example of Wardlow, a jacked-up talent in AEW, many once considered as a sure-fire World Champion. Instead, Wardlow’s role in AEW has diminished significantly as fans haven’t seen him in the ring in months.
It’s not just in AEW where Henry sees the big man held down. While GUNTHER is the reigning WWE World Heavyweight Champion, Henry believes that Der Ring General has had to change himself to please others.
“GUNTHER used to be a big dude. He used to be one of the monsters and then the world has talked him into, no, you need to be smaller.”
Henry’s time as a big man in wrestling saw him capture both the ECW and World Heavyweight Championships. Nevertheless, he feels a lot has changed in the business.