One of the interesting talking points coming out of WrestleMania 41 was Joe Hendry’s surprise appearance. He stepped up to answer Randy Orton’s open challenge on Night Two and paid for it dearly, losing in 3:10. Fans and pundits are debating whether he was buried in the moment, and the answer is “no.” However, the same could not be said for TNA Wrestling and its championship.
Joe Hendry is the current TNA World Champion, and he’s in the midst of a 95-day run as of this writing. He built himself up as one of the most popular performers in the promotion, building himself up organically along the way.
Hendry has popped up in WWE before, making the jump to NXT several times before he became champion, and on the April 22 episode of NXT to face down Trick Williams and Oba Femi. His first appearance in a battle royal was one of the most-viewed social media moments in WWE social media history. The fans love him and that plays into why he didn’t let them down in this moment.
On top of that, Hendry’s TNA contract is coming up within the year. Many expect him to make the jump to WWE, as it is clear that the company is interested in him. Triple H even answered a question during the post-event presser that this was not Hendry’s last WrestleMania. Joe Hendry will be fine and by “fine” we mean getting a strong run in WWE at some point in the future.
TNA Wrestling did not get out of WrestleMania 41 unscathed
TNA Wrestling can’t say the same about the perceived value of its championship. The TNA World Championship has been around since 2007, when Kurt Angle became the first champion. Since then, there have been 61 different reigns. TNA may remain as the third most important promotion in North American wrestling, but it still has value for its longevity in the business.
That championship meant something, as it’s helped build the careers of several top names like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, Bobby Roode, and more. But seeing the current champion get dispatched by Randy Orton so quickly immediately puts that belt and the men who hold it at a level that is even less than the WWE midcard. Several midcard performers on the WWE roster have lasted longer than 3 minutes against Orton in recent matches. But Hendry could not match that effort. He’ll be rebuilt on WWE television in the future, but there’s nothing that the TNA Championship can do in the eyes of WWE fans and even its own to have that same impact.
Joe Hendry stepping up in front of more than 61-thousand screaming fans is a career-defining moment for him. One that he will never forget. He’ll soon be in WWE, adding on to his own legacy. The TNA Championship, on the other hand, was buried in a sense in that match. Now, it’s up to the company to rebuild it and protect the importance of its title.