TNA World Champion Joe Hendry recently addressed fan concerns that he was “squashed” by Randy Orton during their highly publicized encounter at WWE WrestleMania 41 in April 2025.
Speaking on “Insight With Chris Van Vliet,” Hendry offered his perspective on the match and its impact. Hendry emphasized the context of facing a legend like Orton on such a significant stage. “The thing is, one, it was back and forth, so I got offense in,” Hendry stated. “It’s Randy Orton’s 20th WrestleMania. It’s also Randy Orton. The thing is, I did the spin around. So it’s me being the Joe Hendry character, the RKO is one hit kill.” He believes the feedback and the match achieved their intended purpose for TNA Wrestling. “That show, the feedback that I got was exactly what it was supposed to be,” Hendry said.
He then pointed to subsequent TNA success: “And let’s be honest. The next how many days later, we had the biggest show TNA has ever had in 10 years, we had a higher attendance at Slammiversary… I understand what this is, and my job is to put asses in seats for TNA wrestling.”
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article please credit Chris Van Vliet with a h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
