Black History Month Leap Year Supplemental B

Mark Henry v The Rock 98
Mark Henry v Goldberg 2003

“2003 and the only things worth watching on Raw were Rock, Goldberg and Mark Henry”

So I feel like I’ve kind of been copping out lately by writing about black wrestlers when presented by black promoters to black audiences. Those are really exceptions. Wrestling in the US is promoted by white people, starring white people to appeal to the prejudices of white people. Occasionally it’s promoted by white people using minorities to appeal to minority audiences. Often it is promoted by white people starring minorities to appeal to prejudices of white people.

So felt like I needed to write about black wrestler presented by a racist promoter to appeal to the prejudices of a white audience. So it’s Mark Henry time. Mark Henry was an Olympic powerlifter who the WWF signed to a ten year contract in 1996. Over that period he was given a string of racist degrading roles and developed into a really great smart wrestler. These two matches give you a sense of that development.

The first match is from a 1998. Henry is working the most successful and biggest drawing Black wrestler of all time the Rock. Henry at the time was working the gimmick of Black man who is presumptuous enough to believe that he can compose literature. He in fact is so presumptuous that he also believes that he should be allowed to attempt to woo a white woman (the hideous Chyna).

Henry is a powerlifter and like many powerlifters (possibly due to muscle memory from repeated squats) has a big vertical leap. The Rock match consists of Henry flying around for Rock’s offense during opening parts. Henry comes back with lots of high elevation offense (big elbow and leg drop) and then Henry puts Rock in a chinlock. Rock comes back and Henry goes back to bumping—shmoz finish. Really a nothing match.

Second match is from 2003. Henry has gone from being heel Black guy who thinks he’s a poet to being heel sullen Black guy who never says anything just grimaces.

Henry is no longer flying around the ring. He’s working lots and lots of immoveable wall spots and it makes the match feel like a big deal. Makes it feel like a “Big time Heavyweight” clash. How will Goldberg take down this wall? Crowd pops big for the first time Henry goes down. Henry continues to work as Wall. His big “ups” offense here consists of a nasty leap through the ropes on Goldberg’s back and neck and a jumping forearm shiver. Henry holds Goldberg in a keylock variation which Goldberg struggles in until countering out of it with a take down escape. And Henry goes back to fighting as a wall. Every time he does get taken down it means something, it makes Goldberg look strong and the crowd pops accordingly.