With the ongoing partnership between TNA and WWE, fans have enjoyed the invasion of several TNA stars on NXT. Many names were added to this list as several TNA wrestlers appeared in a battle royal to determine the next challenger of the NXT Championship. Among the names, one of the most notable appearances was undoubtedly of TNA’s rising star Joe Hendry.
Hendry finally made his WWE debut on June 18, fulfilling the desire of the fans to witness him at the yellow brand during the specifically scheduled bout. Joe participated in the Battle Royal and even had the chance to cut a promo before the highly publicized match.
Joe Hendry made a stunning entrance on the ramp, followed by a face-off with recently signed NXT artist Ethan Page. To put it mildly, the fan-favorite star was swiftly eliminated from the contest, so this exchange with Page turned out to be his lone significant moment in the match.
This was a surprising move for the supporters since everyone was expecting him to make a big impression in his NXT debut. Furthermore, Hendry is a well-known figure in TNA, so it’s unclear what his future holds. While he likely deserved to have some time in the ring to demonstrate his abilities, WWE had other ideas. As fans were surprised to see him in WWE, this wasn’t the first time Hendry was seen on the Stamford-based promotion.
TNA’s top star was previously seen on WWE TV in 2014 during his segment with Rusev. Monday Night Raw hosted a celebration for Miro (Rusev) following his victory in the WWE United States Championship towards the end of 2014. C.J. Perry (Lana), Joe Hendry, and the late Adrian “Lionheart” McCallum were present during the promo marking Hendry’s first televised WWE appearance.
Joe Hendry forgot his lines during his RAW appearance in 2014
During his segment in November of 2014, as “representatives of Russia,” Hendry and McCallum were present to publicly congratulate Miro on winning the title. Hendry talked about this appearance on the House of Hardcore Podcast with Tommy Dreamer. He recalled getting his opening lines, but as the day progressed, Vince McMahon decided to give Hendry further airtime.
He had previously committed his words to memory, but while Hendry was making his way to the ring, further lines were added, and he forgot to say them. Brian “Road Dogg” James gave him credit for keeping the audience engaged during his speech. Hendry claimed he was able to get away with forgetting the exact words he was meant to say.
Hendry stated “So I went to the ring and as Iām walking to the ring, Iām looking around and Iāve just forgotten everything, Iāve forgotten everything. Iām on Monday Night Raw and Iām like, youāve asked for this opportunity and here you are and you canāt remember a God damn thing.”
He further added that it was an unforgettable memory for him, something that he will always cherish. Fans would be surprised to see him in the Stamford-based promotion almost a decade ago after his recent NXT debut.
How Joe Hendry became the biggest viral star in wrestling
Joe Hendry has shot to fame in a field where entrance music can serve as the springboard for an extraordinary career. Its straightforward statement tells the globe how renowned Hendry is and how much everyone loves the TNA Wrestling star. Nonetheless, the catchy song has become popular among fans of wrestling as well as non-fans of the sport.
From a young and passionate age, Hendry was heavily involved in making music. Soon in his professional career, Hendry started making his songs and released them on the internet. Wrestling came into the scene when he was 25, which is a bit late for superstars to take wrestling as a career. While observing the product, he instantly recognized how important the entrance music of a superstar affects their careers.
When Hendry wrestled for Insane Championship Wrestling in his native Scotland, he realized his potential. He discovered that while matches could be viewed on demand, they could also be found on YouTube, which had a global audience. He ensured that videos featuring his songs were released, and they quickly gained popularity.
As his profile grew, he was able to project himself as a great artist. He discovered that wrestling is all about the moments, a little work of magic, marketing, and making yourself undeniable. His song ‘I Believe in Joe Hendry’ gained even more fame when he signed up with TNA. After the opening lyrics, the audience started clapping twice.
Hendry kept adjusting the entrance video, which contributed to its phenomenal rise in popularity. He also included the opening smile, the motivational stances in the woods, and the solo guitar performance. The entrance then became well-known on TikTok in April. With millions of views on social media and one million views on YouTube, Hendry instantly gained a lot of fame. Acknowledging that his fame was immense, Hendry made the song available as a single. After his campaign, it broke into the top 10 official singles sales and downloads in the UK in May.
As for his wrestling career, he has ventured through several wrestling promotions including ICW, WCPW, TNA, ROH, and most recently WWE. Hendry is a one-time TNA Digital Media Champion and has the longest reign of the title holding it for a record 266 days. It’s hardly surprising, considering his ascent, that Hendry also attracted the interest of WWE. His in ring performances have been decent enough to be a fan favorite for almost an year now.
Joe’s fans are generally upbeat about his future, even though his NXT debut didn’t go as planned. The WWE Universe thinks Joe will appear more frequently in the Triple H-led company. Hendry’s outrage is reasonable given that he was let down by his early elimination on NXT. Joe might wind up signing a deal with the Triple H-led organization if this is the kind of backing he can expect from the WWE.