Heading towards WWE WrestleMania 41, Randy Orton’s opponent remains a mystery, and Kevin Owens is forced to miss the event due to injury. Orton’s Open Challenge was answered by TNA star Joe Hendry and debuted WWE’s main roster single debut on the biggest stage offered by the promotion.
Orton did a quick job with Hendry, clearing up the RKO just a few minutes later and hitting a second RKO after Bell. Still, it was definitely a big moment for Hendry. It was also something that Hendry had built for so long as he had made his name over the last few years.
Much of Hendry’s popularity comes from his theme music that he sings. Hendry first released this entrance music in 2019. The track, called “I Belied in Joe Hendry,” was eventually caught up in a meme and is now widely distributed around the internet, and began primarily in the spring of 2024. The popularity of the song changed Hendry’s career, and in the end WWE brought Hendry as a guest star.
Joe Hendry’s entrance music becomes a meme
The music at his entrance wasn’t an immediate sensation, but Hendry was clearly pleased with the song and continued to use it for the next few years. In 2023 he decided to create an updated music video, but began to have a stronger impact until he began posting edited clips featuring the songs on social media.
The song begins with the lyrics, “He’s coming and he’ll be featured,” and the accompanying music video shows Hendry turning around with a goofy smile on his face. The meme features this clip inserted into popular films and TV shows. Hendry’s videos have begun to spread around platforms such as Tiktok and Instagram. Fans quickly joined in on the lookout by doing their own editing.
At this point, Hendry had already climbed the TNA card. This includes a long reign with the company’s digital media championship. However, as his memes began to take off online, his theme music reached the UK iTunes charts, attracting attention by TNA officials. He participated in the World Title Program against Nic Nemeth and ultimately won the TNA World Heavyweight Championship. That was just the beginning of Hendry.
Joe Hendry makes his debut in WWE
The timing of Hendry’s rise would have been largely unbearable as TNA was lining up to expand its WWE partnership. Just as TNA noticed Hendry’s popularity online, WWE did the same thing.
In June 2024, months after his music went viral, Hendry made his first appearance on WWE since his one-off guest spot in 2014, taking part in the Battle Royale for “WWE NXT.” He continued to appear on the show for months after his debut in the ring, building a shot with Ethan Page for the WWE NXT Championship in September. Hendry lost the match, but it has become clear that WWE has a strong interest in Hendry.
Fast forward to the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble. While serving as the TNA World Heavyweight Champion, Hendry appeared in the prestigious match. Like his future appearance in WrestleMania, the TNA star lasted about three minutes before being eliminated. This time, through the rule of Rome.
Following a brief match with Orton at WrestleMania, Hendry did not disappear from the surface of the globe. He showed off his backup on “NXT” the following Tuesday and re-entered the title photo. He’s not yet known about his future at the company, but it’s safe to say that WWE appears interested in signing Hendry when time with TNA is over.
