TNA World Heavyweight Champion Joe Hendry made headlines with his shocking appearance at WWE WrestleMania 41 – Night 2, stepping in as the surprise opponent for Randy Orton. The moment marked a major crossover between TNA and WWE, with Hendry receiving a massive reaction from the Las Vegas crowd at Allegiant Stadium.
During a recent appearance on The Ariel Helwani Show, Hendry finally revealed the timeline of how this high-profile opportunity came together — something he had previously dodged in other interviews.
Ariel Helwani: “When did the possibility of this — you at WrestleMania — first come across your desk?”
Joe Hendry: “So, I’ve actually never answered this question. I’ve evaded this question every time someone has asked it, but because it’s you, Ariel, I will answer it. I found out about a week before. I had to sit on this for a week.”
Hendry detailed receiving the life-changing call while at the airport, preparing for an unrelated appearance.
“I was in the airport, and I got a text from Triple H saying, ‘Can you talk?’ I was scheduled to be at WWE World to do signings. I figured maybe it had something to do with the Slammys or doing a promo at WWE World,” Hendry recalled.
“But Triple H said, ‘Listen, I’m sure you’re aware that Randy needs an opponent.’ And yeah, that threw me off completely. I was in a state of shock.”
Despite the short notice, Hendry approached the opportunity with confidence and professionalism.
“I knew there was a job to be done. I just thought, I want to bring as much value as possible and make this the best moment we possibly can. And I’m so proud of what we did out there.”
The match concluded with Orton catching Hendry mid-spin and delivering a signature RKO — a moment that has since been immortalized as a WWE trading card.
“That shot of the spin around into the RKO — it was a really fun moment for the fans. Walking into the ring in front of 60,000 people… it was a huge moment for me. What an honor to share the ring with Randy Orton. AEW. I just wrestled Randy Orton at WrestleMania. What is going on?”
Stay tuned to PWMania.com for continued coverage of Joe Hendry, WrestleMania fallout, and all things WWE and TNA.
