Joe Hendry is a true self-made success story, but he admits not everyone has been happy with him over the years.
The Scottish star, who signed with WWE late last year and just last week became NXT Champion, spent years building his brand across the UK and US, using his talents as a musician to give himself an edge.
For a long time now, wrestlers have felt his wrath with scathing, hilarious and genuinely brilliant parody songs, and most of them seem to take it in good humour.
However, Joe exclusively told Metro: ‘There are definitely people who have been upset in the past.’
The 37-year-old star didn’t go into detail, in the past, he’s admitted that three unnamed wrestlers have been annoyed, walked out and even got physical in the ring.
Ever-positive, Joe instead was more interested in hyping up ‘the best sport of all time’, and someone who really ‘gets’ his act – namely, Chelsea Green and Ethan Page.
The duo went viral last year when Joe and Thea Hail hit Chelsea and Ethan with cream pies, which led to all manner of jokes, although Joe’s American Pie spoof has since been deleted from X and YouTube.
‘They are superstars, and they’re all business,’ he raved.
He also has some praise for SmackDown’s viral sensation Kit Wilson, whose theme song and camp war against toxic masculinity is winning over the fans.
‘I think when you have something that clicks with the audience, you can only really take a beat to celebrate it, and then the next thing has got to be, what’s next?,’ he said, referencing his own theme song climbing the charts in 2024.
‘I have to say, the [Kit] song’s pretty catchy. Do I think it’s as good as I Believe In Joe Henry? Come on, let’s not get ridiculous.’
He teased: ‘But that sounds like the type of thing that two people could feud over. So you never know. We may cross paths at some point.’
Joe knows the importance of making the most of every moment, no matter how big or small.
His first taste of WWE actually came as an extra, including an episode of Raw in 2014, when he appeared as a lawyer alongside Rusev and Lana – but it was a conversation with William Regal that week which really changed his life.
‘I can remember most of that conversation, and it’s really guided a lot of my decisions in the professional wrestling business.
‘So actually, that conversation with William Regal was probably one of the most important moments in my career. I’ve never spoken about that before.’
Things could have been different, as Joe admitted there were opportunities to join WWE much earlier.
‘There are things we can talk about, things we can’t talk about,’ he coyly replied, before admitting the 2016 United Kingdom Championship Tournament in Blackpool was one moment his life could have gone a different direction.
‘I personally don’t think I was ready to be in WWE at that point,’ he explained. ‘I felt I needed to travel the world to get the skills required to perform in WWE at the highest level, and discover who I was as a performer.’
That growth continued, with Joe previously telling us how he worked on all areas of his game – his weight, his amateur wrestling background and more – to enhance his worth for WWE.
His journey took him to TNA Wrestling, where things really took off, and he’s glad his time there ended on good terms, with him even returning after signing with WWE late last year.
‘Credit to all parties involved,’ he said of the whole process. ‘Everybody wins.’
His commitment is still strong, as he’s at the Performance Centre every day ‘honing his skills’, and modelling himself off some all-time greats.
‘The Miz really inspired me as a young person who was interested in professional wrestling, because I feel like he faced a lot of adversity in his career,’ he said.
Early in his career, Joe found himself ‘struggling to showcase’ his unique skillset, and he took inspiration from the A-lister.
‘I just looked at what The Miz did, and how tough he was and how durable he’s been as a performer, and the heights that he’s got to by being a true professional,’ he added.
‘He might be the most underrated wrestler of all time. And it’s weird to say that about a Grand Slam champion; the guy has done it all.
‘He really is an inspiration for me, not just for what he’s done in professional wrestling, but how he carries himself as a human being as well. The Miz is a credit to the professional wrestling business.’
Now, Joe refuses to rest on his laurels, and he’s constantly looking to the future.
‘My goal was to become NXT champion, and now that I’ve done that, I have a responsibility to help and try to elevate NXT and take it to the next level,’ he smiled. ‘That’s what you’re supposed to do as a champion.’
Netflix UK & Ireland subscribers can watch Raw, SmackDown, NXT and all WWE Premium Live events as part of their subscription, including WrestleMania on 18th-19th April.
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