Mark Henry Reveals How Chris Benoit Saved Him from Quitting WWE

Chris Benoit was one of the best pro wrestlers to have ever stepped foot inside the squared circle. Sadly, the tragic way his life ended soured any legacy he left in the ring, but that doesn’t mean he didn’t help his peers in the past. In fact, Mark Henry has revealed how Benoit stopped him from quitting WWE.

While speaking on Busted Open Radio, Mark Henry stated that he was on the verge of retiring from professional wrestling but was persuaded to continue by Chris Benoit. Henry revealed that injuries had severely impacted his body in the 2000s, including a significant injury he sustained during a match with Benoit.

Henry described how he tore his quad during his recovery period after returning to Louisville to get back in shape. After a six-month recovery, he was back on track but then dislocated his shoulder just before WrestleMania.

“I tore my quad coming back — I was injured and went back to Louisville to knock the rust off, and then I tore my quad. I was out for six months, and then I healed up and I was on a roll. I was killing, about eight months. And then I dislocated my shoulder; this is right before WrestleMania.”

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Despite these setbacks, Benoit encouraged Henry to keep going. Benoit reached out to Henry, expressing concern and urging him not to give up. Henry admitted he was ready to quit due to his frustrations, but Benoit motivated him to continue. Benoit insisted that Henry had worked too hard to reach his current position and offered to help him get back in shape, emphasizing that they needed him to stay in the game.

“Benoit called me and checked on me. He said, ‘Hey, man, that was a tough deal. How are you feeling?’ I was like, ‘I think I’m done.’ The disappointment, I just couldn’t take it no more,” Henry said. But, Benoit had some spirited words for him to reconsider his retirement decision. “He said, ‘Listen, man, we work too hard to get you where you are now for you to quit no.’ He said, ‘I will come to Austin and get your ass in shape. You’re gonna heal up. It’s muscle and bone. Don’t let that mess with you. We need you. C’mon, man.'”

Chris Benoit will never be inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame and has been erased from WWE’s history due to the tragic events involving his family and his own death. Despite these actions, Benoit was widely regarded as one of the best professional wrestlers of his time. His legacy remains controversial, with ongoing debates about whether he should be remembered as one of the greatest wrestlers ever. Mark Henry, however, continues to respect Benoit for how much he helped him and that’s unlikely to change anytime soon.

What do you think of this touching story featuring Chris Benoit? Do you feel such stories have less impact after Benoit’s tragedy? Sound off in the comments section below!