Mark Henry just dropped a surprising truth about one of WWE’s quietest title belt redesigns. According to the Hall of Famer, the ECW Championship was changed not because of branding—but because the original belt looked way too small on him.
During a conversation with Isiah Madrigal, Henry recalled winning the ECW Title at WWE Night of Champions 2008 by defeating Big Show and Kane in a triple threat match. But fans quickly noticed the title he hoisted afterward wasn’t the one he won. That was by design.
“They wanted to find a title that fit me, because if you look at those pictures, that ECW Title was very small. It was like one of the old school type belts.”
Henry explained that WWE’s creative and production teams agreed the classic ECW Title didn’t do justice to his image as a dominant, powerhouse champion.
“And they wanted me to have a belt that befitting of a giant. So they designed this – I mean, that belt was huge. It was probably about 10 to 12 pounds, it was very heavy.”
The new silver ECW Title belt was introduced shortly after Henry’s victory and stayed in circulation until the title was retired in 2010. But the size of the belt wasn’t just an aesthetic shift—it was literally so big, Henry had to change how he traveled.
“I had to go buy a new bag for a carry-on because it wouldn’t fit in my old luggage.”
Mark Henry’s run with the ECW Title may have been brief, but his belt’s redesign had long-term implications. That version of the championship remained until Ezekiel Jackson won it from Christian in February 2010—the last ECW match before the brand was shuttered.
Do you think WWE should continue customizing title belts for its champions’ size and presence like they did with Henry? Sound off in the comments below.
