Why Joe Hendry Refused To Join WWE 10 Years Ago

Joe Hendry opens up about why the career path he took made sense.

Joe Hendry became NXT Champion last week. The star, who has been a hit with fans in the developmental brand as a major entertainer, struck a chord with WWE fans during his main roster appearances, for instance, his roasting of and subsequent match with The Miz on the Christmas special episode of SmackDown in 2025.

Hendry had the opportunity to join WWE in 2016, but instead chose to travel the world and gain enough skills to compete at the highest level.

He eventually joined WWE in 2025 after quitting TNA and has been winning hearts in the Stamford-based promotion since.

Joe Hendry Reveals Crucial Backstage Conversation With WWE Legend

In an interview with Metro UK, Joe Hendry recalled being an extra on WWE Raw in 2014 as Rusev and Lana’s lawyer.

But a backstage conversation with William Regal gave him all the advice he needed to have a great career in pro-wrestling.

That conversation with William Regal was probably one of the most important moments in my career. I’ve never spoken about that before

I can remember most of that conversation, and it’s really guided a lot of my decisions in the professional wrestling business.

Despite crossing paths with WWE over the years, including the 2016 United Kingdom Championship Tournament in Blackpool, Hendry chose not to sign a contract at the time.

There are things we can talk about, things we can’t talk about. I personally don’t think I was ready to be in WWE at that point. I felt I needed to travel the world to get the skills required to perform in WWE at the highest level, and discover who I was as a performer.

h/t: ringsidenews.com

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