Document Type

Poster Presentation

Publication Date

Spring 4-7-2026

Abstract

This project explores Mark Henry’s 2013 “retirement” speech in WWE as an example of how genre expectations can be used, or broken, for rhetorical impact. Professional wrestling blends athletic competition with theatrical storytelling through kayfabe, where scripted storylines are presented as real. When Henry delivered his emotional retirement speech on live television, it closely followed the structure and tone of traditional sports retirement speeches. Because of this, it seemed like many audience members believed the moment was genuine.

The speech included familiar elements found in well-known athletic retirements such as gratitude, reflection on career highlights, acknowledgment of family, and a sense of closure. However, just as the audience seemingly accepted the speech as authentic, Henry attacked John Cena, revealing the entire moment as a planned narrative “swerve.”

To better understand how this was successful, I compiled and analyzed a corpus of 32 retirement speeches from athletes across multiple sports. This comparison helped establish the common patterns and expectations that define the retirement speech as a genre. Drawing on genre theory, such as Aristotle’s concept of epideictic rhetoric and Drury and Rountree’s understanding of genre as shaped by recurring situations and audience expectations, this project argues that Henry’s speech was a powerful use of genre conventions.

Ultimately, this research positions professional wrestling as an example of rhetorical genre performance. Henry’s “retirement” shows how genres can be deliberately constructed and then disrupted to create meaning. The “swerve” reveals how powerful genre expectations are in shaping audience belief and emotional response.

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