Joe Hendry Has Unfinished Business With WWE Star
Joe Hendry feels like there is one WWE NXT superstar in particular that he has unfinished business with.
At the September 2024 WWE NXT PLE called No Mercy, Joe Hendry made history by challenging for the NXT Title while being under contract to TNA Wrestling. Not only that, but Hendry headlined the show against the NXT Champion Ethan Page.
While Hendry failed to beat Page in that No Mercy match that saw Trick Williams in the role as the special guest referee, the current TNA World Champion Hendry still thinks about it.
During an appearance on Sportskeeda’s WrestleBinge, Joe Hendry reflected on his time on WWE’s NXT brand while also discussing his past with Page and the current NXT Champion Oba Femi.
“I had a wonderful time when I was at the Performance Center. I trained there throughout the summer. I was there every day. I was doing TNA and NXT, indies and signings as well as training full-time, so that was a very intense schedule. But I just feel like I improved so much as a wrestler in that time, and it really prepared me for this role.
So I think to go back to NXT as TNA Champion would be extremely exciting. I feel like there’s unfinished business with Ethan Page.
I saw Oba Femi was dressed as me last night [laughs], he had the blue shirt and the white trousers, so hey, maybe there’s a tag team for me and Oba there. I don’t know, watch out if me and him come to the ring with the blue shirts and the white jeans, better make some room on the other shoulders.”
Joe Hendry Wants A Match With John Cena
The last time Joe Hendry was in a WWE ring was at the Royal Rumble in Indianapolis when he entered as the TNA World Champion and got a huge ovation from the crowd. Hendry only lasted a few minutes in the match before he was eliminated by Roman Reigns, but he certainly made his presence felt.
That Royal Rumble appearance also gave Joe Hendry the chance to talk to John Cena, who gave Hendry some valuable advice. Hendry has made it clear he wants to face Cena at some point in 2025, which is Cena’s last year as an active wrestler.
“As soon as I won this championship, the next day, I’m calling out John Cena. The same way I believed I would be in the Royal Rumble, I believe that I will wrestle John Cena this year. There is no doubt. I had the opportunity to tell John Cena that. We had a one-on-one conversation.
It was awesome. He is the greatest. Basically, what he did say is the fortune favors the bold. What he made clear is that, if I want that match to happen, it’s on my shoulders. I have to make it happen and I have to generate the interest to make it happen. It was almost like a challenge.
Aside from that, he gave me some great advice. With all the chaos of the Rumble going on, John Cena sat down with me and had a long meaningful conversation where he could have used that time to think about what he was doing. Instead, he invested the time to talk to me.
I think he may see something in me, but I have to prove myself. I have to put myself in a position where me vs. John Cena is one of the most compelling matchups in professional wrestling.”
That conversation that Hendry had with Cena was one month before Cena’s shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber, so if the Hendry-Cena match does happen then it’s likely that Hendry will be the wrestler that the fans want to cheer for.