Mark Henry's performance in the 2002 Arnold Strongman contest is a reminder of how freakishly strong he was, and even Schwarzenegger couldn't help but appreciate it.

With only a month left for the prestigious Arnold Sports Festival, the authorities shared an Instagram video of the very first Arnold Strongman contest held in 2002, featuring the winner, Henry's performance. 

In the video, Mark Henry pressed 366lbs (166 kg) Apollon Wheel, a feat that led him to the Arnold Strongman victory.

Many fans flood the comment section with praises like “One of the strongest men to ever walk the earth!” and “Absolute Unit.” However, Schwarzenegger didn't use words to appreciate Henry's feat. Instead, he used the 💪 emoji to express himself.

Henry was awarded a decent cash prize of $10,000 and a Hummer H2. His performance with the Apollon Wheel not only led him to victory but also made him a world record holder. He became the first person to press the original Apollon wheel three times. 

Since then, the record has been broken by Icelandic strongman and actor Hafþór Júlíus Björnsson, who pressed it 4 times in 2018. The current record holder is Canadian strongman Mitchell Hooper, the current Arnold Strongman champion, who pressed 400lbs (181.5 kg) in 2024. 

The video garnered immense praise from fans and athletes alike, most notably from the big boss of the Arnold Sports Festival, Arnold Schwarzenegger. He commented on the video with the flexing bicep emoji. Pro wrestler Raymond Jazikoff also commented with a clap emoji.

Many fans flood the comment section with praises like “One of the strongest men to ever walk the earth!” and “Absolute Unit.”

Mark Henry has a complaint against Arnold Schwarzenegger

After many failed gimmicks at the WWE, Mark Henry decided to shift his focus to the Strongman contest. His decision proved fruitful as he won the 2002 Arnold Strongman contest. This win also catapulted his WWE career, with Vince McMahon capitalizing on it.

However, he aspired to be in a movie with the 7X Mr. Olympia champion a long time before he claimed the Strongman title. Henry suppressed his wish with a resolve that he would only be in a movie with Schwarzenegger if he won the 2002 Arnold Strongman contest. 'The Austrian Oak' also promised him a role in one of his movies following his victory.

Nevertheless, in a conversation with GW Sedberry Jr. Henry complained that Schwarzenegger hadn't kept his promise about casting him in a movie. He said, "It's 2002. I win the World Strongest Man, and I see Arnold, and I say, 'Hey, now I'm the World's Strongest Man, can I be in one of your movies?'"

But he lamented, saying, "Arnold, what's up? Don't you like [me to be in a] movie."

Well, do you think that Henry deserved to be a movie, especially with Schwarzenegger promising him?

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Written by

Ruwa Javed

Edited by

Souvik Roy