WWE

WWE Would Have Never Signed Daniel Bryan If It Wasn't For Mark Henry's Lies

Originally posted on The Sportster | By Josh Coulson | Last updated Dec 19, 2025 2:09 PM ET

WWE used to be known as the land of the giants. A company that was built on the backs of larger-than-life wrestlers, with smaller competitors rarely, if ever, getting a look in, no matter how talented they might be. You might think that era ended in the late 1980s, but Mark Henry has recalled having to lie about a wrestler's size to make sure they landed on WWE's radar less than 20 years ago.

That wrestler was Daniel Bryan, now Bryan Danielson, his real name, in AEW. A guest on the latest edition of The Undertaker's podcast Six Feet Under, although Henry wasn't training Bryan, nor had he even met him at that time by the sounds of it, the Hall of Famer had seen him wrestle and clocked his WWE-level caliber.

Mark Henry Lied About Daniel Bryan's Size To Get Him A Chance In WWE

"I just saw Bryan on TV and said 'hey, y'all need to get this dude', because I saw a match he had and I was like 'this dude is as good as people we've got in WWE'," Henry revealed on the podcast. "And I lied, I told them he was like six feet tall because they wanted bigger guys, like 200 lbs, and Bryan's five foot 11 maybe."

Henry claims that, even then, he knew Bryan was a "Hall of Fame caliber", hence his feeling compelled to lie about his size to make sure WWE actually paid attention. Even five foot 11 sounds like a bit of a stretch, having seen Bryan wrestle live. That's what he is officially billed as, although it wouldn't be the first time WWE has artificially beefed up a number to make it sound more impressive.

Imagine A World Where WWE Missed Out On Daniel Bryan

That Bryan is billed as being a shade under six feet tall when he almost certainly isn't just adds more credence to Henry's story. That, had he gone back to his bosses and been completely honest about Bryan's height and weight, WWE probably wouldn't have even bothered checking him out. Had that not happened, there would have been no Yes Movement, and WrestleMania 30 wouldn't have closed with one of the most iconic wins and moments in WWE history.

Even though this is a story with a very happy ending, it's a shame to hear WWE was conscious of a wrestler's size in relatively recent history, and would have missed out on a generational talent just because they weren't quite six feet tall. That land of the giants era is one some in WWE found harder to shake than others. Nowadays, I'd hope that while those factors might be considered, they aren't what make or break a wrestler's chances of becoming a WWE Superstar.

This article first appeared on The Sportster and was syndicated with permission.

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