Henry O. Godwinn Talks HHH Hogpen Match, Slopping Sunny, The BSK, Career-Ending Injury

HENRY O. GODWINN was the bucket-wielding pig farmer who left the hogs behind and became a two-time WWF World Tag Team Champion. From slopping Sunny to rolling around in hog pens with Triple H, Mark Canterbury’s creation became one of the most memorable characters of the New Generation Era.

Behind the scenes, the man behind the persona – Mark Canterbury – was a member of the Bone Street Krew, who played as hard outside the ring as they worked inside it. Canterbury put in the hard miles on the road with his brothers-in-arms: The Undertaker, Yokozuna, The Godfather, Savio Vega, and Paul Bearer. The Krew inked themselves with BSK tattoos and were known for their appetite for Jack Daniels and late-night games of dominoes.

On screen, Canterbury wasn’t cosplaying as a farmer, that’s who he really was. And that authenticity came through the screen. Henry O. Godwinn entered the World Wrestling Federation in late ’94, initially aligning himself with “The Million Dollar Man” Ted DiBiase. But after DiBiase insulted him, the hog farmer went on a slopping rampage, resulting in a grudge match with the Million Dollar Corporation’s Sid at In Your House 3.

Godwinn’s most famous match came against the now-WWE Chief Content Officer Paul “Triple H” Levesque at In Your House 5. The Arkansas Hog Pen Match was a bloody brawl that descended into slapstick chaos, ending with Hunter Hearst Helmsley being slammed into the filthy hog pen.

In 1996, Canterbury reunited with Dennis Knight, now introduced as cousin Phineas I. Godwinn (HOG and PIG – geddit?). The Godwinns defeated Zip and Skip, The Bodydonnas, to capture tag team gold for the first time in May ’96. The reign lasted just one week, as they were quickly dethroned by Billy and Bart, The Smoking Gunns.

Months of chasing the titles from Owen Hart and “The British Bulldog” Davey Boy Smith proved unsuccessful. But in October ’97, The Godwinns won the belts again – this time from Mosh and Thrasher, The Headbangers. Two days later, they lost them on Raw to their long-time rivals, the legendary Legion of Doom.

The Godwinns didn’t need the belts. The duo became cult favourites, capable of getting a bucket over. Beloved for their chemistry and their willingness to do the dirtier jobs (literally), they entertained WWF audiences across multiple eras. As the company transitioned into the Attitude Era, The Godwinns left the farm behind and re-emerged as Southern Justice in 1998, backing Jeff Jarrett in his war with D-Generation X.

You didn’t enter The Undertaker’s inner circle unless you were a trusted hand and a respected member of the locker room. Now, get ready for a trip down memory lane as Wrestling Life with Ben Veal welcomes WWF legend Mark “Henry O. Godwinn” Canterbury for an unmissable interview.

From mud-soaked battles to championship gold, Mark opens up on:

• How the Henry O. Godwinn gimmick was created and why it came so naturally

• Vince McMahon’s secret nickname backstage

• Facing Triple H in the infamous Hog Pen Match

• What was really in the slop bucket the night Sunny got slopped

• Winning the WWF Tag Team Titles with his on-screen cousin Phineas Godwinn

• The influence of Hillbilly Jim on his career

• His career-ending injury

• His deep bond with The Undertaker and being part of the Bone Street Krew

• Being there in person for The Deadman’s emotional final WWE match

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This is the story of a blue-collar brawler who lived the highs and lows of the WWF’s New Generation Era, Attitude Era, and beyond.

Country Boys: How Henry Godwinn First Met Phineas Godwinn

Henry O. Godwinn looks back on the night he first met Phineas I. Godwinn: his future tag team partner, brother in gimmick, and longtime real-life friend. Mark Canterbury reflects on his instant chemistry with Dennis Knight and the beginning of one of WWE’s most unforgettable teams.

“I started in the business in ’89 with George South and The Italian Stallion and trained for a couple of years. They started taking me to do TVs in Atlanta, I would ride with them, go down and be an extra.

“I was doing pretty good, so they started putting me in different matches. I worked El Gigante, Ron Simmons, P.N. News, Johnny B. Badd – all as ‘Mean’ Mark Canterbury.

“Phineas was doing Memphis and some stuff in Florida with Mike Graham. They brought him up and he did his TV debut and they put us together that night. And here we are 30-something years later and we’ve never had a cross word with each other.”

Vince McMahon Had a Secret Nickname: Henry O. Godwinn Tells All!

Mark Canterbury opens up about how the Henry O. Godwinn character was created, Vince McMahon’s reaction to his real-life background – and the nickname Vince carried from his own country roots.

“Vince goes, ‘Tell me about yourself, what did you do?’ And I said, ‘Well I drove a truck, I’m a country boy. I worked on a psych floor. I worked in a hospital for a while.’ And I said, ‘We’ve always farmed.’ And when I said that it was like a lightbulb went off. Because he’s a country boy at heart too.

“We used to call him Ridgerunner because he was from North Carolina and went to school there. We always picked on him about running moonshine, we called him Ridgerunner.

“I told him we had cows, we had hogs, we had a regular farm. He goes, ‘What about the hogs?’ He loved that concept and that’s how that came about.”

Henry O. Godwinn Breaks Down the Triple H Hogpen Match!

It was muddy, messy, and totally unforgettable. Henry O. Godwinn looks back at his infamous Hogpen Match with Triple H: how it came together, what went wrong, and why it still gets talked about nearly 30 years later.

“We didn’t know how we were gonna do it. Vince said, ‘We gotta have a hog pen somewhere!’

“The chemistry me and Hunter had was crazy. It was awesome. We worked with each other over in Europe a lot. God bless him, he got slopped every night and we’d have to wash our clothes out and hang them in the hotel.

“He was a trooper, he took it every night. And it paid off, because our Hog Pen match was up for a Slammy that year.”

Henry O. Godwinn: What Was Really in the Slop Bucket That Hit Sunny!

The moment Sunny got slopped was unforgettable, but what was really in the bucket that night? Henry O. Godwinn shares the chaotic behind-the-scenes story of a catering creation that didn’t quite go to plan.

“We got to TV one day and Bruce Prichard said, ‘Y’all are gonna slop Sunny tonight.’ I was like, ‘Oh yeah, that’ll be awesome.’ We went down to catering and I made my slop like I always did. Usually some bread and lettuce, a little milk and just threw some other stuff in there. That was usually the basic one.

“I made the slop, we went back to the locker room. We were gonna go talk about the match with the office. So I set the slop down in the locker room and all the boys were there. I said, ‘Now Sunny’s getting slopped tonight, nobody mess with this.’

“We were gone an hour or two, came back and I noticed my bucket was filled up to the top. I never fill to the top because it’s hard to carry, I fill it about halfway.”

Henry O. Godwinn On The Undertaker's WWE Survivor Series 2020 Farewell

As a proud member of the Bone Street Krew, Henry O. Godwinn reflects on sharing the ring with The Undertaker one final time at Survivor Series 2020 and what it meant to be reunited with BSK after two decades.

“It’s a breath of fresh air to see him let his hair down and be Mark, instead of The Dead Man. I was with him so many miles up and down the road, him and Paul, and him staying in character and not breaking it – it was tough. I was a silly hillbilly so I could do anything I wanted to!

“It’s real nice ‘cause he’s very intelligent, very reserved, conservative and it’s nice to see him come out of his shell and be able to do all this.

“We all got together that night [Undertaker’s Hall of Fame induction], the BSK, and we did pretty good at the bar. I remember Godfather and ‘Taker had to put some of us to bed, as usual. We hadn’t been together for over 20 years, all of us at one time. So we were talking how we made up for 20 years in one night. I’d seen everybody but not together. So, for us to get together down there and let our hair down – we made up for 20 years. I love those guys, got good memories.”

Mark Canterbury has led an extraordinary wrestling life. From mud-soaked brawls to backstage brotherhood, the story of Henry O. Godwinn is a remarkable one. He may have provided comic relief on screen, but in the locker room, he commanded nothing but respect from his peers.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Lee Herbert is the author of the forthcoming book Rampage — a heartfelt tribute to the glory days of the WWF’s first UK boom. Packed with moments, merch, and memories, it explores how a golden era of American wrestling turned a generation of British kids into lifelong fans. Lee’s writing is a celebration of everything that’s great about professional wrestling. Follow the book's progress at @wwframpagebook.

WRESTLING LIFE ONLINE: REAL TALK FROM REAL TALENT

Wrestling Life with Ben Veal shines the spotlight brightly and positively on those who shaped wrestling's past, drive its present and influence its future. Widely available, the show features honest, open and inspiring conversations with many of the sport's biggest names, including Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Lilian Garcia, Candice Michelle, Buff Bagwell, Doug Williams, Eric Bischoff and many more. The show is presented by award-winning journalist and content creator Ben Veal, co-author of Marc Mero's autobiography, Badd To Good: The Inspiring Story of a Wrestling Wildman.

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