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The Wrestling World Starting to Believe in Joe Hendry

“You have to ruffle some feathers. You have to take a shot and go outside the lines. I’m willing to do that.”

Justin Barrasso

Five years ago, Joe Hendry set out to take his professional wrestling career to the next level.

A decorated amateur wrestler and a legitimate force at 6’2”, Hendry was seeking his breakout moment toward superstardom. And he thought that the right entrance song would go a long way in achieving that goal.

“I wanted to progress to the top of the card, and I thought I needed an epic theme song to go along with that rise,” said Hendry, who is in the six-man elimination match for the TNA world title this Saturday at Slammiversary. “I love music as much as I love wrestling. I love getting lost in both.”

A musician at heart, Hendry spent two-and-a-half weeks writing and recording “I Believe in Joe Hendry”. Five years after its creation, it is fulfilling every prerequisite of a wrestling theme: it is the type of song that repeats in your head, its upbeat nature makes you want to listen again, and it is tailor-made for people to sing along.

“I wanted audience participation,” said Hendry, a native of Edinburgh, Scotland. “That’s what I knew it needed. Clapping hands and waving hands were the best options, so I reverse engineered the song in that manner. And the lyrics came to me. I wanted the audience to believe in me. What better way for that to happen than to sing it?”

Suddenly, Hendry, 36, is an overnight sensation that manifested after 11 years of unrelenting grind and passion. His notoriety has reached altogether new tiers in NXT amid its partnership with TNA, where each of his appearances–beginning with a number-one contender battle royal on June 18–has ended with people clamoring for more.

“Did I think it was going to go well?” asked Hendry. “Yes, I did. Did I think that was going to be WWE’s most watched video on X for the year? No, I did not. People saw my real emotions, and that’s what wrestling is all about.”

After a brief cameo at NXT Heatwave, Hendry returned last week to team with Trick Williams to defeat Shawn Spears and new NXT champ Ethan Page. His surprise appearances have captured the spirit of his “Say his name and he shall appear” lyric, and Hendry signs have become commonplace at WWE signs.

“It’s been very rewarding and pleasantly surprising,” said Hendry. “I could appear on any wrestling show. You’ll just have to keep watching.”

Joe Hendry is making his mark in both NXT and TNA
Joe Hendry is making his mark in both NXT and TNA / NXT

One place where Hendry will be is Slammiversary this Saturday. It marks TNA’s return to Montreal, and the sold-out crowd at the Verdun Auditorium would relish the chance to sing along as Hendry wins the world title for the very first time.

“Cody Rhodes spoke about this with Ariel Helwani, and it’s a principle I genuinely believe,” said Hendry. “Cody was talking to John Cena about his loss at WrestleMania, and Cena told him to be the champion without the belt.

“That really hit me. In TNA, I am the champion without the belt. Now it’s time for me to win at Slammiversary.”

As Hendry’s popularity continues to climb new levels, it is fascinating to learn the method behind his manner of chaos. Whether it is buying electronic billboard space outside of Clash at the Castle, releasing his memes to build fan support, or using algorithms to his advantage to generate buzz, Hendry is leaving no stone unturned in his quest for greatness.

“You have to ruffle some feathers,” said Hendry. “You have to take a shot and go outside the lines. I’m willing to do that.

“Plus, sometimes you have to have something taken away from you to show how much it really means. Wrestling was taken away from me during the pandemic. I love wrestling so much. So I’m now using my business acumen and I’m having fun doing what I love.”

The only piece missing from Hendry during his appearances in NXT is that he is not carrying the TNA world title. This Saturday at Slammiversary, he would take an enormous step in his career if he crowns himself champion.

“The world is waking up to the level of talent we have in TNA,” said Hendry. “We’re thrilled to work with WWE in a way that benefits everybody–NXT, TNA, and wrestling fans.

“And we’re going to see something special at Slammiversary. You’re about to witness a defining moment in professional wrestling.”

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Justin Barrasso
JUSTIN BARRASSO

Justin Barrasso has been writing for Sports Illustrated since 2014. While his primary focus is pro wrestling and MMA, he has also covered MLB, NBA, and the NFL. He can be reached at JBarrasso@gmail.com and followed on Twitter @JustinBarrasso.

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