Mark Henry Responds To ‘Nepotism’ Claims After Son Signs WWE NIL Deal

WWE legend Mark Henry has given his take on “nepotism” in wrestling and claims that it’s a negative thing for the business.

There are multiple second (or more) generation talents on the WWE and NXT rosters at present, with more waiting in the wings.

The latest WWE NIL class included Titus O’Neil’s son TJ Bullard, Scott Steiner’s son Brock Rechsteiner and Henry’s son Jacob.

In an interview with CBS Sports, Henry gave his comments on why “nepo babies” are actually a good thing for the business and for WWE.

He said:

“Why would you not emphasize what’s expected of you in pro wrestling? Those are the people who will be on their best behavior because of where they’ve come from, and not wanting to put a stain on the family name. You have people who are willing to sacrifice and do the right thing.

“That’s the most important part of nepotism in wrestling. The name means more than you do. You want to make sure you uplift that name, so the next one that has it will have a quality footing in the wrestling industry if they choose to.”

Talking specifically about his son Jacob, Mark Henry said:

“His love for pro wrestling has been there since he was a little kid. He would grab my titles, he had every action figure known to man…

“Every wrestler would say the same thing, ‘Do I win?’ He’d say, ‘Yes!’ I’d say, ‘No, you don’t.’ It was a prerequisite at my house that I had to win, except if it were against John Cena or Cody Rhodes. Those were his favorites.”