Wrestling fans believe in Joe Hendry. And Joe Hendry is looking to prove that their belief is well-founded by becoming the TNA World Heavyweight Champion on Saturday night at the company’s annual Bound For Glory pay-per-view event.
To do so, Hendry will have to not only beat the current champ Nic Nemeth, but also to do so under the watch of the guest referee Frankie Kazarian, who Hendry suspects will not be impartial.
“Whoever in management thought Frankie will call it down the middle should be fired,” Hendry griped to SlamWrestling.net in an exclusive interview in the days leading into the event. “Because Frankie does not like me. He doesn’t like Nick, but my concern is that he likes me a lot less than he likes Nic.”
“I have nothing but distaste towards Frankie, and I (would prefer) they have a comfortable seat in catering for him, rather than him being in the ring as referee for my match.”
While Hendry is more complimentary and respectful of Nemeth’s abilities, he’s still predicting he’ll walk out of the match with a victory.
“Nick is one of the best in ring performers to ever lace up a pair of wrestling boots,” Hendry praised. “He’s a world-class professional at the top of his game, and I really can’t say enough good things about him.”
“But I think it’s my time,” he said confidently. “This is my first opportunity at the TNA World Championship in a one-on-one match, and it happens to be at the biggest event of the year. This means a lot to me on many different levels.”
Different levels is also an apt description of Hendry himself as he strives to constantly up every aspect of his game.
“Anything I go into, I try to think about what’s the most entertaining way that we can deliver,” he said. “That’s the approach I take with everything, and I find that it’s served me pretty well. If I find something that I do is entertaining or funny or moving, then I have to trust that the audience will, too.”
That includes his musical performances – including the concert he will be holding this Sunday afternoon as part of the Bound For Glory festivities. He and Jeff Hardy will be performing at the Wayne State University Fieldhouse in Detroit that afternoon, before Sunday night’s TV tapings.
Hendry wouldn’t reveal what he has in store for the concert – whether he will be performing some of the parodies that he’s used for his wrestling entrances or to mock his opponents, or whether he’ll be performing other original tunes. Which adds to the level of intrigue that makes the event a hot ticket. As to why he’s secretive about the planned set, Hendry said it’s a
“I think it’s sometimes exciting to to not reveal everything to the fans that we have planned. All I will say,” he teased, “is that we have some exciting things happening for the whole weekend – Bound For Glory, the concert, and the TV tapings.”
That he will play such a big role during the weekend – both in and out of the ring – is a testament to the company’s trust in Hendry’s abilities to entertain the audience in a variety of ways. And he is committed to maintaining that trust by always delivering in spades.
“I have a lot of creative freedom,” he acknowledged. “You earn creative freedom by delivering over and over and over again. To become someone that can be trusted to entertain the fans. And I’m very thankful to be in that position.”
“My goal is, whatever I’m doing for TNA Wrestling, to deliver every single time. That’s all I’m thinking about. To deliver great entertainment for the fans over and over again.”
“That’s what professional wrestling is,” he stressed. “I think it’s the greatest art form ever. I’ve never found something (else) where you can express yourself as much as you want as you can in professional wrestling. From the match itself, to your promos, to your entrance, to the gear that you wear, to how you conduct yourself on social media. There are endless ways to express yourself in professional wrestling. And I get to bring other areas of entertainment into that fold. And that’s why I love being a professional wrestler.”
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