3 hours ago
5 ARTICLE AD
Joe Hendry is ready to have an even bigger year in 2025.
Hendry won the TNA World Championship at Genesis on Sunday night. The new champion spoke with WrestleZone Managing Editor Bill Pritchard about what the moment meant to him and what might be in store moving forward. Hendry said it’s hard to convey how satisfying his title win feels, but he’s ready to see just how far this run can go.
“I believe that Kurt Angle was the very first holder of this incarnation of the championship, so it’s one of those moments where it really hit me,” he explained. “I was like, ‘Wow, this is Kurt Angle’s belt. This is AJ Styles’ belt, this is Sting’s belt, this is Samoa Joe’s belt.’ This is big. It means a lot.
“I’m excited and ready for the opportunity to see how far we can take this in 2025,” Hendry added. “You’ve seen the packed arenas that we’ve been running. 2024 was crazy, but I have a sneaking suspicion 2025 is going to be even bigger.”
Joe Hendry “completed the mission”
Hendry has a history with Angle, as he booked himself in a match with Angle early on in his career. Now that he’s TNA Champion, he’d love to reconnect with Angle and show that he’s delivered on the hype and become a big name in pro wrestling.
“I remember Kurt telling me in 2016 [that] he really thought I was going to be a huge star in wrestling. It took me a long time to finally to get to TV and to get to this level,” Hendry pointed out. “I remember seeing an interview with Kurt where he was sad, he was saying, ‘I really thought Joe Hendry was going to be a big star.’ And I remember his co-host said, ‘No, no, he’s starting to really, really get over in TNA.’
“Now to have the championship, I would love the opportunity to talk with Kurt because the last time we saw each other in person was in Glasgow. He was doing a live tour for Inside the Ropes. He just got a chance to say hello,” he noted. “I said, ‘Kurt, I’m thinking of going to TNA,’ and he thought it was a great idea. So for me to complete the mission like this, it’s very satisfying.”
Joe Hendry says fans should “expect the unexpected” on live TV, in NXT partnership
On Thursday night, TNA Impact will air live for the first time in nearly a decade (a second live taping at Full Sail University was announced on January 22) Hendry sees the return as a “huge sign of progress” for TNA and emphasized the unpredictable nature of live television.
“It’s huge progress for the for the brand. Can you imagine that the first time that people see me after winning the championship is going to be on live TV where anything can happen? And as you know, we’re in an era in professional wrestling where absolutely anything can happen. It’s even more explosive when it’s live. Pro wrestling is at its very best when it’s unpredictable and you have no idea what’s going to happen,” Hendry said. “I have no idea what’s going to happen. When you add in that element of live TV, I’m telling you now, you better be there in person or you better be watching on TV because expect the unexpected.”
Joe Hendry on the NXT/TNA partnership
TNA and WWE/NXT just formally announced a long-term partnership with each other, and Hendry already has a brief history of showing up on NXT. He said it’s hard to give the TNA roster advice since nobody knows what’s coming, but he feels like TNA has been well-represented on NXT. Because of that, he believes the TNA talent will be ready for whatever comes their way.
“We know there’s a partnership, but we don’t know what’s going to happen. The roster doesn’t know. That’s super exciting as well,” Hendry said. “Professional wrestling is a difficult game. I don’t know if people realize how difficult professional wrestling is, so if you’re in TNA, if you’re on NXT, if you’re on a major company, if you’re on television, you’re pretty damn good at this. We’re in locker rooms with world-class professionals. Whether it’s you know TNA wrestlers crossing over to NXT, NXT wrestlers crossing over to TNA, they ain’t going to need advice from me. They’ve been ready for a long time.”
Hendry touted the mutual benefit of a partnership between NXT and TNA. It’s been rewarding for him personally, but there’s so much more they can all accomplish in the new year.
“When I think about my own journey in representing TNA in NXT, we had the most viewed clip on X in all of wrestling when I made my debut in NXT. I was fortunate enough to win both the TNA and NXT moments of the year. I was fortunate enough to main event No Mercy. There’s an N64 cartridge in my house with No Mercy on it. I’m going, ‘What is going on?’
“And that happened before we’d announced a formal multi-year partnership. To say, ‘expect the unexpected’ sounds like it could be an understatement. I don’t know what’s going to happen and that’s what’s awesome about it,” Hendry said. “To me, the sky is the limit and we’re all ready for it.”
