Joe Hendry has had a lot on his plate this year and that includes Slammiversary on July 20th and a slew of TV tapings in Pittsburg, TNA+ will livestream an episode of iMPACT! for free on Friday, June 20th. Hendry took some time from his busy schedule to talk regaining the TNA World Championship from Trick Williams, his unanswered challenge to WWE Champion John Cena and wanting to team with Mr. Iguana.
John Powell: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us. TNA is heading into Pittsburgh for some TV show tapings. I hear that at that taping everyone will be celebrating Elijah’s birthday. Have you picked out a present for him?
Joe Hendry: Elijah is a great friend but I have not considered what birthday present I will be purchasing. Perhaps a Joe Hendry guitar pick? There you go!
John Powell: What’s it been like to team with him? He’s had your back thus far.
Joe Hendry: Absolutely. I mean, he’s a phenomenal performer. He’s done it at the highest levels. I think it’s cool for the fans. It’s cool for us as well to have two totally different musical acts but work in a way that can cross paths and we can do concerts together but also tag and do other things. It’s just an exciting combination.
John Powell: Is there any kind of friendly competition there since you’re both musicians and you’re both wrestlers?
Joe Hendry: I think the cool thing is that we both do very different types of music that we do our acts are very different. I think that’s what makes it work as well. It’s like, yes, we both do musical things but the music that we’ve done in wrestling is completely different. So, it’s fun to bring the two of us together.
John Powell: Do you think it’s going to up make you both up your games?
Joe Hendry: Absolutely, there’s always friendly competition in TNA.
John Powell: Now, obviously you’ve had some time to think about this, to contemplate this, but you did lose the championship to trick Williams. How are you feeling today about all of that?
Joe Hendry: It feels horrible. To be honest, I was the team captain and I dropped the ball and now the TNA World Championship is in WWE territory so someone has to get it back. I believe that someone has to be me.
John Powell: You’ve also been helping out Elijah a bit. Would you be in for a push for him to grab that title?
Joe Hendry: I think the priority is to get it back to TNA wrestling. He obviously had championship opportunity at Against All Odds. There’s a lot of question marks over the division right now. I do believe that I’m the person to do it. I do have a contractual rematch that I’ve not exercised yet so that is going to be very important.
John Powell: What do you think of Trick Williams’ title reign?
Joe Hendry: Well, I think that trick is a phenomenal athlete. He’s got a huge amount of charisma. I think that he probably needs to employ someone else to come up with catch phrases. (laughs) “Trick-N-A’ is just about the worst thing I’ve ever heard in my entire life. But hey, ho, that’s what we’re running with. I do think that he is a super talented athlete. He obviously got the ‘W’ over me so cannot be underestimated. I do question his commitment to to TNA wrestling but again, why should he be committed to TNA wrestling? He’s an NXT superstar. So, do I think he’s the man to lead TNA wrestling? No, I do not. Do I think it’s Mike Santana. No, not right now. I think it’s me right now.
John Powell: We’ve seen recently that Trick has been teaming up with First Class. What do you think about that? Because, as some would say, that’s ‘no class’.
Joe Hendry: I think that’s a better name for the tag team. Yep, anytime anything good happens to AJ Francis is very is deeply upsetting to me. (laughs) So for him to be anywhere near the championship or out there to new eyeballs it’s upsetting me. I’ve tried to to kick AJ Francis out the business but unfortunately I hate to say it, the man is talented. He is a huge threat. He’s a great athlete. He’s a talented musician. It hurts me to say these things. (laughs) KC Navarro is a super talented athlete as well. First class and and Trick Williams? They have quite the alliance there. That’s something I need to be very mindful of.
John Powell: On the last episode of Impact we saw you not only fighting Trick but the System joined in. What is that all about?
Joe Hendry: Same with the System. Just awful. Any way that I can sidestep Brian Myers or be away from Brian Myers, yeah. He has just been a thorn in my side since the day I got here to TNA wrestling. You always have to worry about the System, you know? They will never go away. There’s three certainties in life: death, taxes and the System are going to show up.
John Powell: Over the weekend, we saw you in AAA. They sang your song. It was done in Spanish for the audience. Were you surprised by the reaction? How was it to be accepted and by the Mexican fans?
Joe Hendry: It was a beautiful moment for me. It was unbelievable. To get that reaction in Mexico, just to know that that support there is for me, I really appreciate it! I love Mexico! I love the Mexican people! To get that reaction, that honestly meant the world to me…It was a huge honor and a privilege.
John Powell: You mentioned about wanting to face Mr. Iguana.
Joe Hendry: Oh, no! No! Not take him on, TAG with Mr. Iguana,
John Powell: I think that would be interesting as obviously your Scottish heritage is a big part of your persona and for him, his hometown, which is home of the biggest iguana population in Mexico, is first and foremost on his mind too. I think there’s a meeting of the minds there. You both have something very much in common.
Joe Hendry: Honestly, if me and Mr. Iguana team up, that’s going to do insane business for everybody. We need to have Joe Hendry and Mr. Iguana in a tag team match in the next year. It has to happen.
John Powell: This year has been an amazing year for wrestling. You have AAA, TNA and WWE all coming together. There’s this tornado of change. Joe, you’ve been in the center of all that. How has it been, not only as a performer but I mean the scheduling, all that kind of stuff. You’re in the middle of this huge whirlwind of that’s going on.
Joe Hendry: Well, this is what I keep saying. Everybody wants to sit in the chair until it’s time to sit in the chair. There’s TNA World Champion appearing on WWE television, TNA television, AAA, not only that, but all the other obligations that you have. It’s a huge responsibility and it’s an opportunity that I pride myself on taking on to continue to promote TNA wrestling and to do these interviews. You know? There’s a number of people that you could put in that spot as TNA World Champion. Trick Williams really should be doing these interviews but his loyalty is not to TNA wrestling and that’s the issue. That’s why I need to get the TNA championship back because when people think about my championship reign I do not think I got a fair shake of being the world champion. I do not think I was given the opportunity to run with the ball in the short reign that I had but in the time that I had it I believe we did phenomenal business and brought unprecedented eyes to TNA Wrestling. I deserve to pick up where I left off.
John Powell: There’s various competition out there for fans dollars TNA is coming, to Pittsburgh and all sorts of other areas around the world. What would you say to a fan? Why should a fan spend their money on the TNA product? Why should they come to see TNA.
Joe Hendry: TNA wrestling is a brand that excels at contributing to professional wrestling. If you look at TNA wrestling, its fingerprints are all over the industry. The X Division was really the precursor for the modern style of wrestling. The Knockouts division set the tone, in my view, for what women’s wrestling has become. Tag team wrestling is a huge focus as well. TNA is commitment to divisions and that has inspired other companies. We’ve seen that regardless of what happens. TNA has always found a way to survive and now we are thriving for a multitude of reasons but one of the great reasons is because we just put on a damn great wrestling show! It is the ultimate variety show and there’s something for everyone. If you spend your money with TNA wrestling we will make sure that you get value for that.
John Powell: We’ve heard you call out John Cena. You want John Cena in the ring. Has there been any movement towards that?
Joe Hendry: No, there has not but then again I didn’t know that it was going to be in the Rumble until the week of. I didn’t know that was going to be at WrestleMania until shortly before. I don’t know about things way before they happen. I don’t know. All I can do is tell you that I feel in my heart that I will wrestle John Cena. It’s as simple as that and put it this way if I do get to wrestle him it will be on me. If I don’t get to wrestle him it’ll be it’ll be my fault. John Cena made it very clear to me. It’s on my shoulders. I’m the one that needs to make it happen and I’ll do everything in my power. If it doesn’t happen it won’t be due to lack of trying but I really believe in my heart that it will.
John Powell: You have AAA, WWE, TNA, all of these different angles, all these different stories combining throughout. How confusing or do you feel like you’re being battered about? How is it like? I’m sure there’s a lot of things that are last minute. Lot of things are proposed and change. How is it being through that and is being flexible more important than ever?
Joe Hendry: Put it this way, when the train arrives at the station if you don’t get on someone else is going to get on it. It’s just as simple as that. You are a cog in the machine. I was taught this by my wrestling mentor: Sometimes you just have to say ‘yes’. That’s what being a top talent is. You have to say ‘yes’. You have to deliver. You have to solve problems and thankfully I pride myself on having been able to do that in multiple companies for a long period of time now.
I would put my schedule over the last 13 to 18 months, up against anyone. There was a point where I was training full-time at the Performance Center, I was doing TNA, I was doing NXT, I was doing indies, I was doing signings all at once whilst being back there on Monday morning to show up first thing to train in the Performance Center. I put my schedule up against anybody’s and I’m incredibly proud of that. In this business you have to be durable. Either you step up to the challenge or you move aside. I’m just not willing to do that. I’ve worked too hard to get here. So I accept that to be in this position, there are certain sacrifices that must be made, and I will make them.
John Powell: In the old school world of wrestling those personal sacrifices were people weren’t home for their families because they’re on the road so much. It’s a little bit easier right now but it’s still very difficult at times.
Joe Hendry: It’s not easier for me, my friend. There was a point where I think I went, I think it was home for like three days in seven weeks. So, again, I would put my schedule up against the old school schedule. Now, part of that is because I I live in Scotland, right? I’m in the process of of moving so things will be a little easier once that’s done. I really have made the sacrifice and I’m willing to do it for the reactions like Mexico, things like that. They just give you that little boost that you need. Sometimes meeting the fans at the meet and greet and just seeing the support, you’re like, I’ve got to keep going. I’ve got to do it. I can’t stop.
John Powell: You also need a strong support system at home as well.
Joe Hendry: Absolutely! I’ve got a dog back home so my family have been incredibly supportive of looking after him. My sister is moving house. She’s got her own kids. There’s a whole lot going on but she’s like: Yeah, no problem. I’ll look after the dog. My dad looks after the dog when I can’t get home. I’m really well supported with that. If I didn’t have that so much help with looking after the dog, it would be tough.
