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WWE Hall of Famer explains reason for Mark Henry's AEW exit (Exclusive)

By Shubhajit Deb
Modified Jun 06, 2024 05:23 IST
Mark Henry is no longer a part of AEW
Mark Henry is no longer a part of AEW

Mark Henry's decision to leave AEW has certainly come as a surprise to many. However, a WWE Hall of Famer thinks he knows a major reason behind the decision.

Just over a week ago, the Strongest Man Alive announced on Busted Open that he would be leaving the Jacksonville-based promotion. He also expressed his appreciation for Tony Khan and stated that he would not be renewing his contract with the company.

According to WWE Hall of Famer Teddy Long, a particular factor in Mark's retirement could be his wish to spend more time with his son, Jacob. Teddy explained on Sportskeeda's The Wrestling Time Machine hosted by Mac Davis:

"Well now that's a thing I think Mark has wanted to do too. I think he wanted to be right there with his son. Be by his side, because he is really, you know. Now there's two people that really certainly love each other. I have watched Jacob grow right up with him, man, and Mark has always been a great dad, been right there for him and all, every one of his appearances, games or whatever. When Mark could make it, he was always there if he wasn't on the road. But right now, he has really got good time where he is able to be with him." [0:58 onwards]
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What does the WWE veteran want to do next?

In his announcement, Mark Henry revealed he was leaving AEW and explained his future plans.

Speaking on Busted Open, the former WWE veteran said that he was looking forward to handling his brand more directly.

"My contract with AEW is set to expire tomorrow, the 28th, and today, of course, is the 27th. So I wanted to address that matter and Tony Khan said at the press conference that he was very happy and proud of what we did together and I feel the exactly same way. I appreciate everything that happened at AEW with Tony Khan and the Khan family. I had a great experience and I do feel like it’s time for me to take more time to handle TheMarkHenry.com and the Remarkable brand and focus that attention on what my next steps are, and I’m not going to be renewing my deal," Henry said.

It remains to be seen whether the WWE veteran will ever step back into the ring again.

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