Exclusive Interview with TNA World Champion Joe Hendry

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Time absolutely man. And like Austin said, you know, done in some new hardware, that beautiful TNA Championship that's new since you were on the show last of course, and say his name, he appears here. He is Joe Hendry with that belt on his shoulder. So how does it feel to be, you know, kind of the face of the TNA brand nowadays.

Yeah, it's it's a huge owner, it's a privilege, it's a massive responsibility, but it is Yeah, it's it feels like a long journey, but it feels like it happens so fast as well.

It just feels it feels right, is the answer.

Now, it feels right. Like I said when we were talking off air, it just looks right. And you've had just like this, this growth over the last year which culminates and you winning the title just a couple of months ago you defeated Nick Neamoth, who's had the title for a long time too, and it's faced some extreme challengers. What was that moment like when the refs hand hit three and then you're finally hoisting one of the most prestigious titles in the company. Think about all the names

The moment itself was incredible, you know, it was it was the culmination of a lot of hard work. It was a moment of validation. And yeah, Nick is obviously an awesome champion. He's one of the best to ever

Nickname, like Alstin mentioned, a super prestigious title. Of course, you think of the names that have held it, the Kurt Angles, the aj Styles, Jeff Hardy, Sting, I mean, the list goes on and on. Are there any guys that kind of stick out to you personally? Though? When you were up and coming in the business, and you know, you were watching TENA growing up hoping that you'd be on that stage one day.

Well, yeah, I've told this before. I had a video iPods.

I had only one video on it and it was a kerr Angle versus Simula Joe from Genesis two thousand and six. So it's very full circle to win the championship at Genesis and actually got the chance to wrestle kerr Angle when I was only three years in the business. So to be able to have the championship that Kurt once had, it's yeah, things like that put into perspective.

How would you say that the TNA locker room is right now? It seems that everything is going in such good direction. Everybody seems and other TNA people that we talked to before has constantly hammered home. I'm like, this is a show that you should be watching, and I think that speaks to everybody having the same mindset, everybody having the same goals. What's it kind of been like in the locker room and what's everybody looking forward towards.

It is very much a team environment every you know, you ask anyone at TNA with the locker rooms, like and Neil to say the same thing. We have an amazing locker room. It's very kind of is a team environment is a little stressed when it comes to that sort of thing. It's people very much enjoy working there. I think is what you will find is the common answer, Joe.

I understand.

You guys got some big shows coming up in El Paso, including Sacrifice going down on March fourteenth. Of course, are actually our favorite football team here in Louisville. The Cardinals played a bowl game in El Paso this past year and the fans that went to l Paso said it was just an awesome city, awesome atmosphere and all that. So how much you're looking forward to to getting down there and giving the fans a show in Texas?

Very much? Looking forward to it. Texas has really been a hot market for us.

It's somewhere we're investing a lot of time, and every time we go there, the attendances are great, the audiences are loud, and it's just a great time. So as you can see from our schedule, we're making a lot of time for Texas this year.

Happy to be there and looking forward to Headtel Paso.

And after that, of course you're going to be going up to Slammiversary. It's going to be in New York, And I was just saying off air, New York is one of my favorite places. And you talk about mecca of sports, especially pro wrestling days, the old territories, and everybody knows the old Northeast is rowdy crowds as a performer that's actually in the ring, because us as viewers can kind of tell it's a different environment when wrestling

Well, I mean, if you look at the lineage in history of professional wrestling in New York, for for a long time, New York was the nucleus of professional wrestling. So you know, it's very much a case of if you can make it in New York, you can make it anywhere.

You know, That's that's a phrase for a reason. So we feel that way as well, and we're super excited to be here.

We were at the Ubs Arena last night again to see TNA wrestling. You know, we were able to cut a promo at the Islanders and Rangers game and to see TNA in mainstream settings like that on a regular basis.

Is very very cool.

But that arena is a size and a level of production that TNA hasn't seen in a long long time.

This is this is huge.

If you look at the cube, the big video cube at the top of that venue, that just the fact that we're going to see the wrestler's entrances on that.

This is a very this is a very high end. This is a big deal.

So when we run this arena, I am quite confident it's going to be the biggest that TNA has ever done to date, and you know it will likely be it might be the highest gate.

That is entirely Oh Joe, I know what, I would love to walk in his Champion.

I really feel strongly that I'm contributing to the company and its growth, and my goal is to keep this thing until then and walking the walking his Champion.

Well, let me ask just because when last time we spoke to you're still a rising star and you still are as champion, do you feel any sort of like what kind of pressure do you feel to kind of hold the champion going into pay per views like that? Because Slammiversary is one of the like the larger TNA pay per views that there is, and of course you got bound for Glory, hard to kill stuff like that. So do you feel any pressure or is this something that you've always sort of wanted out of your career?

Like I have, course there's pressure to deliver, but look, I'm just I'd like to deal with facts, figures and metrics, and you know, the story is when Joe Hendry's on top sort of the numbers.

Sorry, but that's just those are the facts I bring. I bring a lot to the table.

That's a perfect segue into my next question because I was going to say that, you know Joe Hendry right now is really it's one of the more recognizable names in mainstream wrestling, not just TNA wrestling in general. So that's going to be an awesome feeling for you, of course, and why that that strap is on your shoulder right there? But I think a huge part of that has been the development of your character and just how captivating you

It happened over a long period of time, and there are you know, the song has been the same for five years, but we've made changes to the video and the nuances and things like that as I've learned more about what I wanted to portray, and ultimately the character is uh, you know, as the greats have said.

Like Steve Awson and has said in the past, like you know, it's uh, he just wants to take his own personality and turn the volume up to ten. And that's kind of what I've tried to emulate what they've said in that regard.

I've also puilled influences from other places.

I you know, I actually had to get buy my own visa. I had to pay for my own visa to get over to America, and I remember I had to do this job that I just despised, and I had this guy who's like this, this motivational sales coach. I just just couldn't stand and I would put, I would put, I'd.

Put the zoom on mute and just you know, yell at the screen. But you're all about this guy.

Yeah, so, but this guy would just say things like you go, guys, you know when when you.

Need motivation to sell, I mean, just look out the window, find a tree, Find a tree, and what does a tree have roots? And we all need to have roots and those roots are skills, and skills are sales.

And it's just so I was like, ugh, I really thought, you know, there's something to this guy. Like no matter all the all the stuff that he was saying, he always had a smile on his face, which made me hate him even more.

So.

I think I originally had wanted the character to be a bad guy, but the audience just started cheating.

And that's an interesting thing too.

As you were saying that, I was about to say, that makes your character a little bit more versatile. So if you wanted to go be a bad guy or hears a smart so let's say it's.

Heels and baby faces. Obviously the name of the show. It could just go anywhere.

And you mentioned something about like the music has stayed the same, but you've always changed, like these little nuances I mentioned when you guys were here for Emergence back during the summer at Paris Town Hall, that was one of the more fun times I've ever had at a show TNA Live. If you guys have never been to it,

So and that's who you came out with.

You had a absolutely a fun match there and what really popped everybody is you had the yeah, the Joe Hendry music, but it was mixed with like the Hardy Boys, and then you got I believe in Matt Hardy and Jeff Hardy and it's such a fun, integrative entrance. What was that experience like teaming with one of the most legendary tag teams and in the business is history.

So the thing is, like the Hardy the Hardys are just the best. You know they're they're the best.

They're the most positive influence in the locker room, their leaders, you know they are. You want to talk about numbers. I mean, these guys are just you know, they're killing it. They are killing it. Their their merch lens are just unfathomably.

And I'm like, what is going on?

I'm here, you know, asking Matt and Jeff Hardy if they can, Yeah, if you can, just let's wait three seconds then do the spin and if it can be a little more of this wady.

I'm good, what what is going on? But the fact that they were open.

To trying my idea and the idea paid off, you know, that's a that's a great feeling. But you know, to know that the Hardy's trust me with that creatively again, you know, I did a concert with Jeff where I was just told, you know, do a concert with Jeff, and it's like, all right, so when I've just learned, Yeah, I've just learned when you get given an assignment.

You know, you can bitch about it. And that's when I say bitch about it.

I just been like, you're thinking about the logistics of well, we've never played before or anything like that. So you can either bitch about the logistics or you can just get to work, you know. So what I did is I constructed some like chord sequences and ways of playing Jeff songs that we could that we would be able to do it without practicing.

And again the fact that Jeff was open to that was awesome.

And and again it's one of those moments you're like, I am doing a live concert with Jeff Hardy was you know.

So that was an awesome experience. Jeff was a great Jeff.

The thing I really like about Jeff as well as he does have like this this insane like passion for music as well, and it was very cool he was he was able to just like slot into the chord structures that had made and we played his songs and it came out really, really well. So that was a great honor and a privilege to to work with Jeff on that.

Well, Joe, that's been awesome. I want to thank you again for taking the time. And you know we've mentioned that the big stars in TNA, Joe Hendrey, the Hardy's, you know, Nick Neamath, among many others that you can catch every Thursday on TNA. And you know, we're so fortunate as wrestling fans right now, Joe, that there's so much wrestling content out there for all of us.

To enjoy it on a weekly basis.

And you know, maybe there's somebody out there listening right now that that's kind of looking to expand their horizons as far as what they watch weekly and what would kind of be your sales pitch to them as far as you know, you should check out TNA.

There's something for you here.

I think that TNE is, you know, it has a argument for being, you know, the strongest wrestling shoe out there. I think that if you think about what a wrestling shoe is, you know, there's something for everyone.

Is very much a variety shoe.

I think that whatever it is that you are a fan of, TNA does it exceptionally.

So.

We have, you know, amazing athleticism, we have an incredible we have.

Each of our individual divisions are incredible.

We have amazing characters, we have phenomenal athletes, we have you know these, we have amazing matches, we have awesome backstage segments.

We have moments that surprise you as well.

So for example, if you saw the latest episode with Elijah debuting, that was real. That was a shock and that and people did not find out about that, And it's very cool when something like that happens, which is a surprise and professional rest.

Yeah, once again, it's awesome.

We're looking forward to it these shows, especially it's going to be an El Paso and New York and really excited to see how everything is done in that well produced arena.

It's gonna be awesome. Big things looking up for TNA.

Joe.

We certainly appreciate you coming on and like I said, we're looking forward.

To your career developing.

You're still skyrocketing out there, and hopefully when we have you on again sometime you'll be having more Gold, different Gold, other promotions, Gold, you just never know.

We appreciate all your sacrifices.

For all the entertainment of us and millions of other wrestling fans out there, and as personally, we appreciate your time today, Joe, thank you very much.

Guys,