WWE Hall of Famer Mark Henry has shared a behind the scenes story about how Bryan Danielson first caught WWE’s attention, admitting he bent the truth to help get him through the door.

Speaking on The Undertaker’s Six Feet Under podcast, Henry recalled watching Danielson wrestle long before his rise to stardom. At the time, Danielson was making waves on the independent scene and quickly stood out to Henry as someone who belonged on a much bigger stage.

“I didn’t train Bryan Danielson, I just saw Bryan on TV and said ‘hey y’all need to get this dude,’” Henry said. “Because I saw a match he had and I was like ‘this dude is as good as people we’ve got in WWE.’”

Henry went on to explain that WWE’s focus on size almost kept Danielson from getting a real look, so he decided to stretch the truth when pitching him to the company.

“And I lied, I told them he was like six feet tall because they wanted bigger guys, like 200 lbs, and Bryan’s 5 11 maybe,” Henry admitted. “To have somebody that’s a Hall of Fame calibre wrestler that you can hang your hat on is pretty damn cool.”

Danielson was initially brought into WWE on a developmental deal, working with the company from 2000 to 2003 before returning in 2009. His second run proved to be career defining, as he became one of the most popular and respected performers of his generation, remaining with WWE until 2021.

Although he is no longer wrestling, Danielson remains involved in the industry. He currently works as a commentator for All Elite Wrestling. His last match took place in a dark match on Collision, where he faced Max Caster on June 25 2025.