Mark Henry Says Power Slap Is “Asking For A Concussion” And Compares Slapping Someone To A Falling Watermelon
WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has no interest in following Jake Hager into Power Slap, calling the combat format dangerous and reckless.
Speaking on TMZ Inside the Ring with Branson Quirk and CJ Perry, Henry was asked about the possibility of him stepping into a Power Slap competition after Jake Hager signed a six-appearance deal with the promotion. Henry was not even slightly interested.
“I’m not a fan of the Power Slap. It’s just asking for a concussion. We live enough of an aggressive existence to not put yourselves in harm’s way. If somebody tells me, hey man, that’s hot, don’t touch it, I’m not touching it. I don’t have to feel, smell my own flesh sizzle for me to get the message.”
Henry also pushed back on the basic premise of the sport, which forces participants to stand still and absorb a strike from their opponent without defending themselves.
“If you let somebody hit you, then do you really get the true measure of the man? I’m not letting nobody do me wrong. I’m just not gonna do it. You have to sneak up on me.”
When host Branson Quirk joked that he wanted to see Henry slap somebody during WrestleMania week in Las Vegas, Henry responded with a colorful warning about what would happen to whoever stepped up.
“Have you ever seen a watermelon fall and hit the ground? That’s what it would look like.”
Henry did acknowledge that Hager has the credentials to compete, calling him “athletic and strong as shit, country strong” and noting his amateur wrestling background as an All-American at the University of Oklahoma and his MMA experience. He just doesn’t see the upside in the format itself.
Jake Hager’s first Power Slap appearance under his new six-event deal goes down on Friday during WrestleMania 42 week in Las Vegas.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit TMZ Inside the Ring with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
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