Ring name(s) Henry Orpheus Godwinn,Mark Canterbury,Shanghai Pierce
Billed height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Billed weight 297 lb (135 kg)
Born March 16, 1964,West Virginia
Billed from Arkansas
Trained by George South,Italian Stallion
Professional wrestling debut: 1989
Mark Canterbury (born March 16, 1964 in West Virginia) is an American professional wrestler, currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Henry Orpheus Godwinn (often abbreviated to Henry O. Godwinn or Henry Godwinn).
Canterbury trained under George South and the Italian Stallion before debuting in 1989 under the ring name "Mean" Mark Canterbury. He quickly formed a tag team with Dennis Knight (wrestling as Tex Slazenger) known as the Texas Hangmen.
In October 1992, the duo began wrestling for World Championship Wrestling, with Canterbury adopting the ring name Shanghai Pierce. They remained with the promotion until 1994.
In the mid-1990s, Canterbury joined the World Wrestling Federation, where he was renamed Henry Orpheus Godwinn and given the gimmick of an Arkansan pig farmer who carried a bucket of "slop" to the ring, which he would throw upon his opponents. Canterbury was originally a heel, and assisted the Million Dollar Corporation on several occasions. However, when the leader of the Corporation, Ted DiBiase, was asked on an episode of WWF Action Zone whether or not Canterbury was a member of the Corporation, DiBiase instead insulted Canterbury. This inspired Canterbury to turn face by "slopping" DiBiase, and led to a brief feud between Canterbury and Corporation member Sid.
Godwinn engaged in a feud with the aristocratic Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The feud culminated in December 1995 in an "Arkansas Hog Pen match" that was won by Helmsley.
In 1996, Canterbury was reunited with Knight, who had been renamed Phineas I. Godwinn. The duo were portrayed as being cousins and were collectively known as The Godwinns. Over the following two years, The Godwinns held the WWF World Tag Team Championship on two occasions and were managed by Cletus Godwinn, Hillbilly Jim and Sunny.
In 1997, in a match between The Godwinns and the Legion of Doom, Canterbury suffered a cracked C7 vertebra when the Legion of Doom botched a Doomsday Device. He was advised by doctors to rest for 15 weeks, but returned to the ring in less than eight weeks.
In 1998, Canterbury entered the Brawl For All, a shoot-fighting tournament held by the WWF. He lost in the first round to Bradshaw.
Later that year, the Godwinns dropped their pig farmer gimmicks and became "Southern Justice", the bodyguards of Tennessee Lee. Six months later, Canterbury herniated his C7 vertebra and pinched a spinal nerve, necessitating spinal fusion surgery. This came as a result of him returning to the ring too early after his neck injury. He evenutally left the WWF and retired, due to the neck injury suffered in 1997.
In September 2006, Canterbury wrestled several tryout matches with World Wrestling Entertainment. On September 15, 2006, WWE announced that he had been signed to a contract. He debuted in Deep South Wrestling, LLC on 11/30 as a tag partner for Ray Gordy.
He and Ray Gordy then wrestled in a dark match at the December 2, 2006 Smackdown taping, defeating the team of Rob Conway and Tatanka.
Billed height 6 ft 4 in (193 cm)
Billed weight 297 lb (135 kg)
Born March 16, 1964,West Virginia
Billed from Arkansas
Trained by George South,Italian Stallion
Professional wrestling debut: 1989
Mark Canterbury (born March 16, 1964 in West Virginia) is an American professional wrestler, currently working for World Wrestling Entertainment under the ring name Henry Orpheus Godwinn (often abbreviated to Henry O. Godwinn or Henry Godwinn).
Canterbury trained under George South and the Italian Stallion before debuting in 1989 under the ring name "Mean" Mark Canterbury. He quickly formed a tag team with Dennis Knight (wrestling as Tex Slazenger) known as the Texas Hangmen.
In October 1992, the duo began wrestling for World Championship Wrestling, with Canterbury adopting the ring name Shanghai Pierce. They remained with the promotion until 1994.
In the mid-1990s, Canterbury joined the World Wrestling Federation, where he was renamed Henry Orpheus Godwinn and given the gimmick of an Arkansan pig farmer who carried a bucket of "slop" to the ring, which he would throw upon his opponents. Canterbury was originally a heel, and assisted the Million Dollar Corporation on several occasions. However, when the leader of the Corporation, Ted DiBiase, was asked on an episode of WWF Action Zone whether or not Canterbury was a member of the Corporation, DiBiase instead insulted Canterbury. This inspired Canterbury to turn face by "slopping" DiBiase, and led to a brief feud between Canterbury and Corporation member Sid.
Godwinn engaged in a feud with the aristocratic Hunter Hearst Helmsley. The feud culminated in December 1995 in an "Arkansas Hog Pen match" that was won by Helmsley.
In 1996, Canterbury was reunited with Knight, who had been renamed Phineas I. Godwinn. The duo were portrayed as being cousins and were collectively known as The Godwinns. Over the following two years, The Godwinns held the WWF World Tag Team Championship on two occasions and were managed by Cletus Godwinn, Hillbilly Jim and Sunny.
In 1997, in a match between The Godwinns and the Legion of Doom, Canterbury suffered a cracked C7 vertebra when the Legion of Doom botched a Doomsday Device. He was advised by doctors to rest for 15 weeks, but returned to the ring in less than eight weeks.
In 1998, Canterbury entered the Brawl For All, a shoot-fighting tournament held by the WWF. He lost in the first round to Bradshaw.
Later that year, the Godwinns dropped their pig farmer gimmicks and became "Southern Justice", the bodyguards of Tennessee Lee. Six months later, Canterbury herniated his C7 vertebra and pinched a spinal nerve, necessitating spinal fusion surgery. This came as a result of him returning to the ring too early after his neck injury. He evenutally left the WWF and retired, due to the neck injury suffered in 1997.
In September 2006, Canterbury wrestled several tryout matches with World Wrestling Entertainment. On September 15, 2006, WWE announced that he had been signed to a contract. He debuted in Deep South Wrestling, LLC on 11/30 as a tag partner for Ray Gordy.
He and Ray Gordy then wrestled in a dark match at the December 2, 2006 Smackdown taping, defeating the team of Rob Conway and Tatanka.
