Mark Henry has opened up about one of the most bizarre and memorable moments of the WWE Attitude Era: the storyline where he and Mae Young conceived a child, which ultimately turned out to be a prosthetic hand. Speaking with Inside the Ropes, the WWE Hall of Famer reflected on the angle that took place in early 2000, revealing that despite his accolades and championships, he considers the segment the highlight of his career.
The storyline began with a romance between “Sexual Chocolate” and the legendary Mae Young. Things escalated quickly when Young announced she was pregnant. Henry recalled his confusion when creative pitched the idea, noting the biological impossibility of the timeline they suggested. When told the pregnancy would unfold over a few weeks rather than nine months, Henry questioned the logic. He even took his concerns to Vince McMahon multiple times, asking why they were doing this given Young’s age. McMahon simply assured him that it would come to a “great conclusion,” keeping the true payoff a secret until the very end.
It was the late Pat Patterson who eventually broke the news to Henry on the day of the segment. Patterson told Henry to sit down before revealing that Young would be giving birth to a hand. Crucially, Patterson instructed Henry not to tell Gerald Brisco, as Brisco had a weak stomach. This set the stage for a practical joke within the segment itself. Patterson directed Henry to gather uneaten food from catering to mix with slime inside a plastic bag to simulate the afterbirth.
When the moment came to film the segment, the gruesome mixture and the sudden appearance of the hand provoked a genuine reaction from Brisco. As the hand was pulled out with a popping sound, Henry burst into laughter while Brisco gagged, nearly throwing up due to the visual. Henry described himself as “completely useless” in the scene because he was laughing so hard at Brisco’s distress.
Reflecting on the logic behind the hand, Henry shared a conversation he had with Vince McMahon after the fact. When he asked the WWE Chairman why they chose a hand of all things, McMahon simply clapped his hands and said, “Mark, I’m giving you a hand.” Henry cited this as an example of McMahon’s “goofy” sense of humor and the erratic genius that drove the Attitude Era. Despite winning world championships and having serious, emotional moments in the ring, Henry maintains that “there ain’t nothing that I enjoy more than that hand.”
Currently, Mark Henry remains an active voice in the professional wrestling world as a host on Busted Open Radio. After departing AEW in May 2024, Henry signed a Legends contract with WWE in 2025, allowing him to be involved with the company for merchandise and potential appearances. He has also been focused on his son’s budding career, Jacob Henry, who has signed with WWE’s NIL program while wrestling at the University of Oklahoma.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Inside the Ropes with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
