Nic Nemeth or Joe Hendry: Did TNA Make the Right Choice?

While many were hoping Hendry would walk away with the gold, Nemeth won the TNA title at Slammiversary

A week-and-a-half ago, TNA delivered its Slammiversary pay-per-view.

The main event saw Nic Nemeth, after a legendary career, capture the TNA World Heavyweight Championship for the first time. However, the spotlight was also on rising star Joe Hendry.

While Hendry’s moment will surely come, for now, Nemeth’s victory felt like a validation for a talent that was once in the same shoes as Hendry. It’s a sign of the bright future that awaits Hendry in the wrestling world.

Nemeth’s path to TNA isn’t unfamiliar. He starred as Dolph Ziggler in WWE, and many great talents who were once in WWE found their way to TNA in hopes of elevating their place in the industry–like Kurt Angle, Christian Cage, Bobby Lashley, and Drew McIntyre.

If you were to go back and watch every show Nemeth appeared on during his WWE run, it would be hard to find a show where he wasn’t involved in the best match of the night. But no matter how popular Nemeth would be, it felt as if the powers-that-be–ie; Vince McMahon–did not share that same faith in him.

It's time for the MAIN EVENT! Montreal BELIEVES in @joehendry!

WATCH #TNASlammiversary NOW on TNA+: https://t.co/7qa29ykLbb pic.twitter.com/Ttkbz7DBsF

— TNA Wrestling (@ThisIsTNA) July 21, 2024

Which brings us to Hendry. The crowd’s loudest reaction of the night was when Hendry’s music hit during his entrance. It felt that the stars were aligning for Hendry to have his big moment at Slammiversary. Then, suddenly, he was not even one of the final two in the six-way elimination match.

Will the steam for a Hendry push still be here in a couple of months? If not, then TNA was right not to pull the trigger. Or maybe the company is banking on the long-term story.

Nemeth can understand the frustrations of Hendry and his fans. Eleven years ago, Nemeth was given his opportunity at those hard-to-get brass rings when he successfully cashed in his Money in The Bank briefcase in one of the most iconic moments in Monday Night Raw history.

Unfortunately, an injury sent a curveball in Nemeth’s direction, ending his moment at the top. This was Nemeth’s second and final time holding a world title in WWE.

Nemeth received a hero’s welcome on his first Impact! as TNA World Heavyweight champion, a reaction well deserved for someone who has earned his moment in the spotlight. Nemeth already has his first challenge for his title, as Mustafa Ali gets his chance at gold tomorrow night.

There will be more to the Hendry story. He was already back in NXT last night, and he could be the one to dethrone Nemeth. But Slammiversary wasn’t meant for his coronation. It was redemption–long overdue–for Nemeth to show the wrestling world he belongs as champion.