TNA World Champion Joe Hendry has addressed his brief appearance at WrestleMania 41 where he answered Randy Orton’s open challenge on Night 2 of the premium live event. The match concluded with Orton scoring a pinfall victory following an RKO after approximately three minutes of action.
Speaking on Busted Open Radio, Hendry pushed back against characterizations of the match as one-sided.
There was an exchange of blows. A real squash would be bell, RKO and that was it.
The TNA champion revealed he received encouraging words from CM Punk following the defeat.
Punk told me, ‘It was exactly how it was supposed to be.’ If it had lasted longer, it could have been worse for me. Losing to a legend like Randy Orton is no shame.
The WrestleMania appearance marked Hendry’s second WWE showcase in 2025, following his participation in the Royal Rumble match earlier this year. Despite the quick loss, Hendry’s presence at WWE’s showcase event represented a continued relationship between WWE and TNA Wrestling, allowing crossover appearances while Hendry maintains his status as TNA World Champion.
