“I Loved Every Second of It”: Mark Henry Reveals Wild Backstage Truth Behind WWE’s Infamous Mae Young ‘Hand’ Moment
Some WWE storylines fade with time. Others live forever in wrestling folklore—and few moments are as unforgettable (or bizarre) as Mae Young giving birth to a hand.
More than two decades later, Mark Henry is finally peeling back the curtain on how one of WWE’s strangest angles came together—and why he still considers it the highlight of his entire wrestling career.
The Storyline No One Saw Coming
Back in early 2000, WWE television took a surreal turn when Mae Young and Mark Henry were paired in an unexpected on-screen relationship. The angle escalated quickly, ending with the revelation that Young was pregnant.
What no one was prepared for was the payoff.
Mae Young went into labor—and delivered a hand.
The moment instantly became one of the most talked-about segments in WWE history, leaving fans stunned, confused, and oddly entertained.
“That’s Not How This Works”
Speaking with Inside the Ropes last August, Henry recalled his initial reaction when WWE creative first pitched the idea.
He thought it was supposed to happen immediately.
“They were like, ‘No, Mark. Over a few weeks.’ I said, ‘That’s not how it works. It takes nine months,’” Henry said.
Creative had no intention of waiting that long.
Henry admitted he didn’t understand why the pregnancy angle was happening at all. He even tried getting answers directly from Vince McMahon—repeatedly—but got none.
“I asked Vince at least two or three times. He would never answer me,” Henry recalled. “He just kept saying, ‘Don’t worry, Mark. It’s going to come to a great conclusion.’”
The Secret Reveal Backstage
The truth finally came out on the day of the segment — and it wasn’t Vince who told him.
Pat Patterson pulled Henry aside and warned him to sit down before revealing the plan.
“You got to sit down. I don’t want you to hurt yourself,” Patterson told him.
Then came the reveal.
A hand.
Henry couldn’t believe it.
Patterson even instructed him not to tell Gerald Brisco, knowing Brisco had a notoriously weak stomach.
Chaos, Laughter, and Pure WWE Madness
Henry described the behind-the-scenes chaos that followed. Leftover catering food was mixed together, slime was added, and the fake hand was hidden underneath the hospital sheet.
When the moment arrived on screen, everything went perfectly wrong.
As the hand was pulled out, it made a loud popping sound. Henry couldn’t stop laughing and was completely useless during the scene. Meanwhile, Gerald Brisco reacted exactly as predicted—by getting sick on the spot.
Fans saw shock.
Henry saw comedy gold.
“The Best Thing I Ever Did in Wrestling”
Despite winning championships and sharing serious, emotional moments in the ring, Henry says nothing tops that segment.
“It was the best thing that I ever did in wrestling,” he said. “There ain’t nothing that I enjoy more than that hand.”
Henry even asked Vince McMahon why a hand of all things was chosen.
Vince’s answer?
Pure Vince McMahon.
“He said, ‘Mark, I’m giving you,’” Henry recalled, mimicking McMahon clapping excitedly. “See how goofy that is? That’s what’s going on in Vince McMahon’s brain. He’s crazy.”
A Moment That Will Never Be Forgotten
Love it or hate it, Mae Young giving birth to a hand remains one of WWE’s most unforgettable moments — and according to Mark Henry, it was lightning in a bottle.
Absurd, shocking, hilarious, and completely unrepeatable — exactly the kind of madness that defined an era of WWE television.
