Even on the phone, Mark Gordon Henry, 37 (June 21, 1971), can scare the wits out of you. I was at my room at The Imperial Hotel in Tokyo (for the exclusive interviews with Angels & Demons stars Tom Hanks and Ayelet Zurer, plus director Ron Howard) and Henry was in faraway Texas when, on the side, we did a one-on-one.
And yet, with thousands of miles between us, I expected him to leap out of the phone any moment and throw himself on top of me. Ouch, ouch! Imagine a 392-pounder pressing a 128-pound flyweight onto the floor and you get the picture, don’t you?
After all, isn’t Henry the World’s Strongest Man, a 6’1” giant who rose to fame in 1992 at the Barcelona Olympics where he competed in weightlifting in the super-heavyweight division? He’s an ECW Champion and a European Champion.
Three years after the Barcelona Olympics, at the Pan American Games, Henry harvested medals (a gold, a silver and a bronze), cementing his reputation as one of the strongest men to ever walk the planet. He has also engaged in Strongman competitions, including the 2002 World’s Strongest Man competition at the Arnold Schwarzenegger Classic in which he won first prize.
Henry began his WWE career in 1996 and went toe-to-toe with top stars like Rob Van Dam, Shawn Michaels, the half-Filipino Batista, Undertaker and Big Show.
After being drafted to the Land of the Extreme, Henry reached the pinnacle of his career by capturing the ECW Championship. He was also recently named the “Second Strongest Man That Ever Lived” by Flex Magazine.
In July 10, Henry and other strongmen will have a show at the Araneta Coliseum. Will the Big Dome collapse under their combined weight? I shudder to think of that possibility.
Hold your breath, now. He has vowed to destroy anyone who gets in his way.
Very scary!
So even on the phone, I was very, very careful not to provoke him. Or else.
Have you always been this heavy, 392 lbs. (and 6’1” tall)?
“Ahhh...I was under 300 lbs. when I was younger. I’ve been close to 400 lbs. for a long, long time.”
What about as a child? Were you heavier than other kids?
“I was always the biggest kid on the block.”
So how does it feel to be one of the strongest men in the world?
“It’s a great honor to be the strongest man in the world. It takes a lot of work. I did not become the strongest man in the world just like that; I work hard to become the strongest man in the world.”
Oh, so you really work hard for it, at it.
“Yes, I work hard for it, at it. I train my whole body, my back, my biceps and my chest. I work my legs tremendously. It’s a big job.”
Aside from a super-heavyweight lifter, did you dream of becoming somebody else?
“My ambition as a child was to be a baseball star. I was a big baseball fan. But I pursued a different direction toward wrestling.”
Who are your role models?
“There aren’t many people like me. I am my own hero.”
You are going to Manila in July. Are you going to show us how strong you are?
“I will, I will.”
How are you going to do it?
“I don’t know yet what I’m going to do but whatever it is, it’s gonna make national news.”
What was the heaviest weight that you have lifted?
“A quarter of a thousand pounds.”
How do you maintain your body? What sort of diet do you follow?
“I’m what they call a ‘slay food diet.’ I slay the food and I eat it.”
What’s usually for breakfast?
“You know, I stop eating when I’m full. Sometimes, I eat chicken for breakfast or bacon. Or whatever I want.”
For lunch?
“One whole chicken and lots of potatoes. I love potatoes.”
For dinner?
“Pretty much the same.”
Snacks in-between?
“I eat lots of fruits and I drink protein shake.”
How much water do you take per day?
“Lots of water...lots and lots of water!”
“Not much.”
Coffee or tea?
“I drink tea only in the morning.”
Do you take hard drinks?
“No, I don’t.”
Vitamins and minerals, or any supplements?
“No, not really.”
Aside from lifting weights, what sort of workout do you do?
“I do about an hour of cardio exercises four times a week.”
How do you unwind?
“I like to read. I play video games. I take my e-mail. I do a lot of things.”
And how much sleep do you get per night?
“Five or six hours are good enough for me.”
Do you have any problem traveling? How do you fit into a plane seat?
“Ahhh...It’s always a problem. But you know, I try to make the most of it.”
Do you pay double the fare?
“No, no, no!”
It says in your bio-data that you vowed to destroy anyone who gets in your way. True or not? It’s very scary! Is it some kind of a joke?
“No, it’s not a joke. Anyone that wrestles me is trying to diminish who I am. And who I am helps me make my mind. So anytime I get into the ring, somebody is trying to get money out of my pocket and food out of my mouth. And I’m not gonna make him do that.”
Any message for your fans in Manila?
“It’s been a long time that I’ve been wanting to go to Manila. I’m looking forward to be there. I want to see how many fans I actually have. I wanna see them at the airport, at the hotel and at the arena.”
(Note: The WWE SmackDown & ECW Live Tour in Manila will be held on July 10 at the Araneta Coliseum. For ticket inquiries, call SM TicketNet 911-5555 and 374-9999.)
(E-mail reactions at rickylo@philstar.net.ph or at entphilstar@yahoo.com)