2 articles on mark henry talks benoit steroids

[STILLDRE IS THE GODFATHER]

scroll down to read why hes that strong


new article talks on benoit
Keeping it real
Wrestler tired of drugs and their effect on his peers, his sport.
By John Maher

AMERICAN-STATESMAN


Saturday, July 14, 2007

Professional wrestler Mark Henry, all 390 pounds of him, is used to drawing stares. Even people who haven't seen him perform at an arena or on television can't help but notice his vending-machine build or the Hummer he drives, the one he received for winning a 2002 strongman competition promoted by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Lately, though, Henry said, "I've been getting dirty looks from people. I was talking to this guy at the airport and he said, 'You guys are all getting exposed.' When people make generalizations about me they're usually wrong. I don't do drugs. I'm not some animal. I'm not some Neanderthal."

 
Laura Skelding
AMERICAN-STATESMAN

(enlarge photo)
Family man: Pro wrestler Mark Henry (with his wife, Jana Perry-Henry, and their son Jacob, 21 months) says he sticks to himself to avoid being linked to drug users.

 
Laura Skelding
AMERICAN-STATESMAN

(enlarge photo)
Mark Henry, with son Jacob, says he will never forget the death of fellow wrestler Chris Benoit and Benoit's family last month. 'The thing is, no one saw it coming,' Henry said. 'This is never going to leave me. I'll be on my deathbed and still thinking about it.'


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Henry is dealing with the shock and grief stemming from the recent death of WWE wrestler Chris Benoit, whom police said killed his wife and 7-year-old son before committing suicide in the family's Georgia home. In the wake of the tragedy, wrestling's excesses, including steroid use, are again coming under fire from critics, some of whom have called for a Congressional investigation of the business.

The 36-year-old Henry, an Austin resident who's been a wrestler for more than a decade, also has to grapple with trying to lead a normal life in a surreal world.

"The travel alone would kill most people. We might do 250 shows a year," he said.

Henry doesn't ride with other wrestlers to any World Wrestling Entertainment matches. A husband and father of a 21-month-old son, Henry said one reason he drives solo is for safety, that he has less chance of getting in an accident that might cause an injury that could affect his career. The other reason, he said, is that he doesn't want to be in a car if recreational or performance-enhancing drugs belonging to another wrestler are discovered by law enforcement officials.

"If they get caught, then I'd be (considered) guilty, too. If we get pulled over we're both going down," Henry said.

Henry said of the 75 wrestlers he works with, he's close friends with maybe five or six. He said that's pretty typical in the business, because wrestlers are independent contractors.

One of the reasons Henry, a two-time Olympic weightlifter, is still in wrestling is Benoit.

At a show 31/2 years ago, Benoit slapped a cross-face hold on Henry and dislocated Henry's already injured shoulder, knocking him out of action and raising his doubts about whether to continue in his line of work.

"Chris Benoit is the one who kept me going. He's the one who would call and say, 'You have to come back.' He didn't have to do that," Henry said.

Henry was at a WWE event in Beaumont on Saturday, June 24, when Benoit didn't show. "Then, when he didn't show up for the pay-per-view-event in Houston," Henry said, "we're thinking, 'Darn, he never misses a show.' "

On Monday, June 26, the WWE live event in Corpus Christi was canceled because of the Benoit family deaths, but at that time Henry said the wrestlers thought the killings might have been the result of a home invasion.

Authorities, however, said Benoit killed his wife, Nancy, and their son, Daniel, before hanging himself from a pulley on a weight machine.

"How he did what he did ... ," Henry said, shaking his head. "We were torn up. The thing is, no one saw it coming. This is never going to leave me. I'll be on my deathbed and still thinking about it."

A longtime, vocal critic of steroid use

Authorities said they found anabolic steroids at Benoit's home, and Benoit's doctor, Phil Astin, has since been charged with improperly prescribing painkillers and other drugs.

World Wrestling Entertainment was quick to issue a statement that said "roid rage" was not a factor in the deaths.

"WWE strongly suggests that it is entirely wrong for speculators to suggest that steroids had anything to do with these senseless acts, especially when the authorities plainly stated there is no evidence that Benoit had steroids in his body, pending the toxicological reports, and that they had no evidence at this time to the motive for these acts," the statement read.

Henry has long been vocal about the problems tied to steroids.

Growing up in Silsbee, he was a weightlifting prodigy as a teenager and has long had an extraordinary build.

The 6-foot-3-inch Henry has a 24-inch neck and biceps, and his ring size is 18. He has set powerlifting records and also represented the United States in weightlifting at the 1992 and 1996 Summer Olympics.

"My whole life I competed against people who used steroids," said Henry, who as an Olympian was subject to frequent drug testing, including nine tests in 1995 alone.

He's still chafed about an "HBO Real Sports" segment he did in 1996 because he contends host Bryant Gumbel made him sound like a crybaby for bringing up the performance-enhancing drug use of other weightlifters.

Henry now points to the steroid scandals that have hit some Olympic sports and Major League Baseball as evidence he knew what he was talking about back then.

As much as he has spoken out against steroid use, Henry didn't point to 'roid rage as a simple answer for the Benoit deaths.

"Steroids may contribute, but there are bodybuilders who have taken a lot more," Henry said.

Painkillers also are abused by some wrestlers and have sometimes been linked to their deaths. Bobby Duncum, a former University of Texas football player and a wrestler, died in 2000 at age 34 after overdosing on a painkiller while attempting to cope with injuries.

Henry has not been immune from injury despite his size. Probably his most serious wrestling injury happened last July when, in a six-man tag team event, he tore his patella tendon and split his kneecap in two.

After surgery Henry did not wrestle in another WWE bout until May, but he said that painkillers don't have to become a part of performing.

"It's just sucking it up and going," Henry said.

Although he once wrestled as Sexual Chocolate, Henry's weakness is barbecue.

When he can, he likes to go to Lockhart or Taylor for brisket and sausage.

Henry, who has studied acting and would like to have a career in that field when he's done wrestling, is also big on martial arts films.

As for fame, he said the weirdest thing is that strangers will just walk up and punch him in the ribs or slap him on the chest — hard — as if they are some kind of long-lost friend.

"I'm not some big, jovial fat guy," Henry warned. "Don't hit me."

jmaher@statesman.com; 445-3956


The essential Mark Henry

Height: 6-3

Weight: 390

Born: June 21, 1971, in Silsbee

Lives in: Austin

Career highlights

1992: Barcelona Olympics, competed in super-heavyweight weightlifting.

1995: Pan American Games, won gold, silver and bronze.

1996: Began WWE career.

2002: Earned first prize in 'World's Strongest Man' competition at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic.


 
article on why hes the strongest

Mark Henry - The Strongest Man That Ever Lived
by Ben Tatar of CriticalBench.com

 
PART 1- MARK HENRY IN HIS EARLIEST DAYS

How do we know that mark has the greatest brute strength ever? Well, Mark has always been stronger than everyone drug free and everyone on drugs even when Mark never took drugs. Mark was a wonder of the world, and he was the MONSTER of all monsters! Not only was Henry the monster of all monsters, but Mark was a different breed of monsters and a particular breed of species that could do things in the gym that none of the other genetic freaks could do! He has inspired so many lifters in the world today and made these amazing lifts look so easy. He set the bar! The amazing part of this story is how he accomplished so much in such a short period of training. He is a wonder of the world!

PART 2- HENRY BREAKS NATIONAL RECORDS

Mark wasn't just any kid, at the young age of 10 Mark was 5 foot 1 and weighed in at 215lbs! His mother quickly gave Mark a weight set and Henry noticed what was heavy for everyone else was easy for him. In 1993 as Henry entered high school, he shattered the high school squat world record and squatted an amazing 933lbs with minimal gear! And then to make a statement, Henry squatted 953lbs deep, a record that would stay for over a decade! Mark also set the record in the deadlift, deadlifting 903lbs in high school, which is 20lbs off of the greatest deadlift ever witnessed a decade after by Andy Bolten! Later on, in 1996 Henry wasn't just the best powerlifter in America, - No-No, he was also the Captain of the Olympic team in the clean and Jerk! Amazingly, Henry could clean nearly 500lbs and he was making headlines constantly in the weight lifting world.

 PART 3- THE OLYMPICS TO THE WWF

Mark Henry, felt lonely at the top of powerlifting and as a result he entered the World Wrestling Federation. By the time Henry entered wrestling, it was NO longer the land of the Giants, like it was if Henry had Wrestled in the late 80s. If Henry had wrestled a few years earlier then Henry would have headlined WrestleMania's and would have been new the stronger and meaner version of Andre the Giant of the world, but the WWE said that it was vital that he lost some weight so he could follow the requirements of wrestling's new era. A time where the technical skills and mic skills mattered most.

PART 4- MARK LOSES WEIGHT

Well, Henry started to eat very clean and he started to lose his bulk! Henry was training as if he was on BILL PHILLIP'S BODY FOR LIFE PROGRAM, a program that is great for conditioning, health and aesthetics appearance, but does little for strength and size. The WWF and the media thought that Henry's old size and power was worthless, they looked at it as if it were just a joke, and guess what- Henry was gullible, Henry was in IDENITIY CRISIS and Henry lost his strength! Henry transformed himself into nothing more than a big BONED thick pretty boy! Which was okay for what he was doing, but his "World's strongest man status" was extinct! Everybody thought Henry was done, everybody!

You could have asked the most intuitive psychic who had the greatest telekinesis, prophecy and clairaudience powers if Henry could ever be a world champion lifter again, they wouldn't just say no, but they would say an OH HELL NO! If you even asked Mark Henry himself if he could be the World's strongest man again, he flat out would tell you "no way man those were the days of the past. I am finished with that."

PART 5- HENRY'S MOM DIES...

Then events changed Mark's life. Mark's mom died.

The lady that meant everything in the world to Mark, someone who loved Mark and gave him his first weight set when he was a child at Christmas and the lady who supported him throughout his toughest days and shared Henry's successes with him. Of course Henry had no choice to break down, as she passed away. He stepped away from wrestling, it was like a volcano was going through his heart and sucking his love away from him, the dark cloudy mirror that he didn't know that existed was right in front of Mark's eyes and all he could see in front of his eyes was a complete hell hole, the saddest and worse nightmare of Henry's life.

But something happened, he felt the most powerful gold in the dark, he listened to it speak- Henry had a spiritual moment! He witnessed a power that would change his life forever, a power so great that he would prove the psychics and nay Sayers wrong, Henry felt his mother's ore, he got a potent message deep within from his mom that he needs to win the Arnold classic for him! Tears rolled down Henry's eyes, the monster had awaken, the training and the road to the 2002 ARNOLD CLASSIC WAS ON.

PART 6- THE ARNOLD CLASSIC TRAINING-

 How could Henry win? How could the man even stand a chance? You had World Record deadlift champion Andy Bolten, who has been practicing for years! You had the Swedish strongman Karlsen who lives for strongman and then you had Henry-- Who has never EVER done anything associated with strongman, and who has been out of action for years! But then again who in the hell is to say that miracles are illusions? Only non champions themselves!

So Henry trains his ass off for the next month in the gym! And unlike losing weight which was Henry's challenge, his genetics, and his spiritual power quickly takes him on the journey to being one of the strongest men in the world and before he knows it-- it's the start of March, the Arnold Classic, presented in Columbus Ohio! Henry is a shocker, as he is in the strongman event.. So the contest starts, The music of the ARNOLD is ready!!!!!!! Fans are watching on pay-per-view Nation Wide, thousands of people is in attendance and everyone is ready to watch THE SUPER BOWL of weight lifting!

PART 7- THE ARNOLD CLASSIC

As the show starts, most fans can't wait for the bodybuilding, they can't wait for the benching, in prays of 800+ pounds falling, but the bodybuilding wasn't the show, the benching was loaded with bomb outs and no records-- The show was the strongman, the amazement was in the strongman, the STRONGMAN contest took the cake, with amazing events and even more amazing combatants performing.

So Mark Henry walks onto the platform, he looks like a MACHINE, his eyes glow, the audience looks at this gorilla of a man! Henry, makes Dexter Jackson the bodybuilding champ look like a little underwear model, Henry makes Arnold look like a pencil neck geek and Henry was where everyone's eyes are locked onto! The place quiets, the cameras flash, everyone was ready to Rock N Roll... And Henry is READY TO PUT ON THE SHOW!

http://www.ironboyenterprises.com/2002arnoldstrongman.html

Henry steps onto the platform! The crowd looks at Henry in shock, HENRY feels everyone here and on the other side with him. The competitors play their videos in their mind, adjust the remote controls of their mind, they make sure the volume and pictures of their videos are clear, so stage freight doesn't own them all night as Henry plays a video in his mind when he set the record, but this time he HAS PASSION IN THIS LIFT.THIS TIME IT'S HENRY'S LAST CHANCE... His mom roams in his passion; she is with him, the power of HENRY Going CRAZY. It is time to begin!

.. So, the toughest event, The Pollon's wheel is first. Is Henry ready? With all that has happened to him, he thinks so, the fans think so, everyone watching at home thinks so and the freaky events no longer seem so freaky, not compared to Henry, at this point Henry is so scary that no goals can be compared and the beauty is the fans were about to witness it and boy would they ever-

So Henry goes up to the wheel and does something that has never been seen before, HE CLEANS AND JERKS it 3 times!! This feat was unheard of. Henry had just taken strength to a whole new dimension! Then it was time for the deadlift....Brian Schoonveld maxes out at 675, Phil Phister gets up to 715, Karlsen then shocks the world with a 775 deadlift! Up next, Raimands Bergamis deadlifts 815 for a rep..Then the strongman from the US, Phillippi, nails 825 as a max and then Brad Gillingham who lives for the deadlift and has a deadlift body finishes with 845!.......

The smoke then hits, the fans eyes water, Henry the monster comes up... The bar is loaded to 885! Henry grabs the bar and deadlifts 885 for 2 easy reps, going light years beyond the contest! everyone raises their fist "MARK HENRY IS THE MAN, yaaaaaaaaa!!" Then Andy Bolten goes up he sees the crowd cheering for Henry, the physics of the meet have changed the monster in Bolten's head into a better on and it was time to be RELEASED.. , So Bolten grabs the 885 and gets 3 reps!!! History has been made! The greatest strength show ever is being witnessed..

 All dimensions of reality are going on the ride of their lives and the audience doesn't know what world they are in, but it's special. The music of the audience pumps in their blood as the events continue- Henry quickly pushes the hummer to the finish line.YES!! Then Henry carries an 800+ frame of timber to the finish line with ease... And then the events come to a close... Arnold then knows it is time for him to announce the champion! The winner of the Arnold Classic is.. MARK HENRY!!!!!!!!!

People run to the message boards all over the net, the bench contest that everyone wanted to see doesn't get acknowledged, what does is what Mark Henry has just conquered! Henry had just FREAKED out all the freaks in the world! Henry was all of a sudden thought of as greater than Kaz, greater than Paul Anderson, "HOW" went through the crowds minds. How can this man be way out of strongman shape, train for a very short period of time and then be stronger than the other freaks who work at it for their whole lives? What a freakin mystery thought the world!

And that wasn't enough.. Without even much training, with very little effort, Henry was going to do something that no other lifter has done before. Henry took the 175 plus pounds of the "un-liftable" THICK Thomas dumbbell with 1 arm and lift it over his head! Who else can claim to be the best in America at Olympic lifting, powerlifting and strongman? Who else can with barely any time to get there! Only Henry! What could Henry have done if he just stuck with powerlifting or strongman? That will always be unknown, but what Henry achieved at the Arnold in Columbus was unreal.

PART 8- HISTORY IS MADE

The event might be over, but Henry did something special for his mom. He did something special for the world. ATTITUDE, INTENSITY AND AMAZEMENT are strong words, they also might mean something different to everyone, green to me is not green to you, it's meaning clusters floating around, but one thing in common is that they have limits somewhere. Henry re-shaped ATTITUDE, Henry redefined it FOR ALL OF US. Attitude now is beyond hardcore, it is beyond a word, more than a feeling and the numbers will show. And we can all thank Mark Henry for taking STRENGTH to a whole new level.

Although records get broken, no man has ever accomplished what Henry has. No man has gone to the Olympics and represented their Country in the Clean and Jerk, which is more based on skill and quickness while having the BRUTE strength of Henry, the world's best powerlifter at the time! No man has cut weight, lost everything they worked hard for. Only to gain it gain all of his brute force back in a month's period of time, to beat the best of the best at the World's biggest event the Arnold Classic! And for that, by the definition STRONGEST, Greatest brute strength ever that is Mark Henry


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[Antonio_]

Mmmmm.. ok. LOL. Could you please write in a FEW WORDS what he said?

[UKnowWhatItIs: welcome to my traps....game over]

Mmmmm.. ok. LOL. Could you please write in a FEW WORDS what he said?

lol, I second that.

[STILLDRE IS THE GODFATHER]

dont be lazy

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

^^Yea...don't be lazy and summarize that long ass shit.

[Mo Z. Dizzle]

first article talks about how he's never taken any steroids or anything, yet random people will still say he has because of the perception people have of wrestling and what happened with Benoit.

second article seems to be talking about how he became the World's Strongest man without taking any steroids / driugs.

[MontrealCity's Most]

first article talks about how he's never taken any steroids or anything, yet random people will still say he has because of the perception people have of wrestling and what happened with Benoit.

second article seems to be talking about how he became the World's Strongest man without taking any steroids / driugs.

thankl you

[Mo Z. Dizzle]

lol np.

they were good articles, especially the second one cause it went into detail about what henry had to do to be the World's Strongest Man and how it all started.

id recmmend for ppl to read em both whenever they get time.

[STILLDRE IS THE GODFATHER]

lol np.

they were good articles, especially the second one cause it went into detail about what henry had to do to be the World's Strongest Man and how it all started.

id recmmend for ppl to read em both whenever they get time.

yeah lazy fucks can read stupid ass million page potter books but not a 5 min article

[Paul]

lol np.

they were good articles, especially the second one cause it went into detail about what henry had to do to be the World's Strongest Man and how it all started.

id recmmend for ppl to read em both whenever they get time.

yeah lazy fucks can read stupid ass million page potter books but not a 5 min article

lol

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

lol np.

they were good articles, especially the second one cause it went into detail about what henry had to do to be the World's Strongest Man and how it all started.

id recmmend for ppl to read em both whenever they get time.

yeah lazy fucks can read stupid ass million page potter books but not a 5 min article

It's Mark Henry...LOL.

[Antonio_]

Yeah, and fuck Harry Potter anyway.