Joe Hendry brought the TNA World title to Wrestlemania 41, where he was the surprise opponent of Randy Orton. Orton was left without an opponent after Kevin Owens was withdrawn from the event due to a neck injury.
According to Fightful Select, Hendry was one of the names WWE thought when it was clear that Owens would not be able to compete. Hendry was not registered on the starting sheets and even the officials of the TNA did not know the appearance only on Saturday, the day before. Hendry remains under contract with TNA, but the contract will expire in the next 12 months and WWE would have maintained the interest in the champion of the TNA. The sources within TNA did not seem to have a problem with the world champion beaten so deep at a WWE event.
Hendry was said to have been planned to have a program with MIZ during WWE stop at Glasgow earlier this year, but TNA officials put Kibosh on appearance, as it would probably have led to Henry. Some claim in the TNA that it was the cause of the recent liberation of Ariel Shnerer, because he would have been the one who had shot the appearance.
TNA and WWE have a work partnership that led Hendry to make many appearances on “WWE NXT”, with the star of the TNA itself difficult for the NXT championship at the No Mericorat event last September. WWE stars like Wes Lee and Tatum Paxley also appeared on TNA programming.
