Lately, which wrestler’s theme song can’t you get out of your head? The answer is likely Joe Hendry. Just a few months ago, almost no one knew who this guy was. But now, he has become one of the most popular wrestlers on the planet, with his song topping the UK charts and beating artists like Taylor Swift and Sabrina Carpenter. But how did Joe Hendry achieve all of this? Was it sudden success, or had he executed a perfect plan to stardom?
Early Career
Joe Hendry has been a musician for over 10 years, and his band was actually close to signing a deal with Sony Music. However, things didn’t quite work out. Nonetheless, he has incorporated his prior career into his professional wrestling work. Another important thing to note is that Hendry has a master’s degree in Business and Marketing, which helped in his rise on social media. After university, at the age of 25, Hendry decided to become a pro wrestler and put 100% of his efforts into wrestling, starting on January 1st, 2013.
Hendry’s journey began in Scotland, eventually finding himself in the UK independent scene, spending most of his time at Insane Championship Wrestling (ICW). As a face, Hendry was known as the “Local Hero,” doing flashy ring entrances and parodying famous songs to mock his opponents. Those early performances might seem cringe-worthy now, but he eventually improved and reached the level he’s at today.
One of Hendry’s first big breaks came when he wrestled Kurt Angle at WhatCulture Pro Wrestling (WCPW) in 2016. Kurt Angle choosing to come to WCPW in the first place is wild, but wrestling Hendry of all people is even wilder. This shows how Kurt recognized Hendry’s talent very early on.
Being a black belt in Judo, Hendry transitioned to amateur freestyle wrestling and represented Great Britain at the 2017 Commonwealth Wrestling Championship, subsequently earning a position on Team Scotland at the 2018 Commonwealth Games.
Initial Impact Run
Joe Hendry made his debut in Impact Wrestling (now TNA) on the July 5, 2018, episode of Impact!. His first feud was with then-Eli Drake, now known as LA Knight (Yeah!). On the July 17 episode, Hendry defeated Drake in his first match for the company. Later that year, he also signed with Ring of Honor (ROH). However, his initial run with both companies didn’t go too well. While some of his segments were entertaining, he didn’t move the needle for either company. On February 15, 2019, Hendry announced that he was no longer signed to appear for Impact Wrestling.
In 2020, something happened that completely changed Hendry’s perspective on everything. What happened in 2020, you ask? Well, Covid, of course. Covid was a hard time for everyone, but pro wrestlers were especially hit hard. A lot of them were out of work, including Joe Hendry. However, Hendry saw this differently. In an interview, he described what sparked his transformation—comparing himself to a character in a wrestling video game. “Do you want to play as yourself? Why not?” He asked himself that question and got his answers on how to improve himself.
The Impact Run
Following Covid, Joe Hendry returned to Impact Wrestling in 2022 with an entirely new look. He took steps to improve his in-ring ability, taking inspiration from wrestlers he watched back in the ’90s. On October 7, 2022, at Bound for Glory , Joe Hendry made his return to Impact Wrestling. On November 10, Hendry won his first title in Impact Wrestling by defeating Brian Myers for the Impact Digital Media Championship. He feuded with Moose, Matt Cardona, and Brian Myers over the title, becoming the longest-reigning Digital Media Champion. On July 15, 2023, at Slammiversary, Hendry lost the title to Kenny King, ending his reign at 266 days.
At Impact! 1000, Hendry started a feud with YouTuber Simon Miller, eventually facing Miller at Turning Point and defeating him. On October 26, during the UK Invasion Tour, Hendry participated in the Glasgow Cup, defeating Rich Swann in the semifinal and Frankie Kazarian in the final to win the tournament.
Rise Through Social Media
In 2023, Hendry, with the assistance of his brother, started using social media to boost his wrestling career to new heights, similar to what Zack Ryder (now known as Matt Cardona) did in 2013 but with actual support from management. In April 2024, Hendry went viral on social media with his theme tune, “I Believe In Joe Hendry,” being released as a single. It peaked at number 4 on the UK Singles Downloads Chart and number 6 on the UK Singles Sales Chart. The song also peaked at number 4 on the Official Big Top 40 Charts. But the surprising thing was that he had been using this song for a long time. So why did it suddenly explode in popularity?
Hendry, being a marketing genius, saw the opportunity when people started using his theme song on TikTok. He instantly became a meme—or should I say, he made a meme out of himself. Through that, he gained exposure to a wider audience. People became invested in who this guy was and why his face was on every wrestling page.
People searching for answers noticed that this dude could actually sing. We’ve seen tons of musical acts in wrestling before, but Joe Hendry was different. How he used his musical talent with comedic delivery is on a completely different level. No other wrestler in recent times has connected with the audience as quickly as he has. And this rise wasn’t limited only to Impact; it wasn’t meant to be.
WWE Bound?
On June 18, 2024, Hendry made his WWE debut on NXT as one of TNA’s representatives. That video of him debuting on Twitter instantly became the second most-liked video for WWE since WrestleMania this year. The reaction he got at the Performance Center truly shows the power of social media. Because a majority of the people there, like me, first got exposure to Joe Hendry through social media and not TNA television. But we have to give a lot of credit to TNA because they’re allowing Hendry to do all of this in WWE.
After making his debut, Hendry has appeared in NXT multiple times, tagging with Trick Williams, doing a live concert, defeating Joe Coffey, and finally defeating Pete Dunne and Wes Lee to earn an NXT Championship match against Ethan Page at NXT No Mercy.
So, what’s next for Joe Hendry? He seems to have no boundaries. We might see a “TNA star” win a WWE Championship soon enough. It was reported weeks back that Hendry is working under a unique deal between WWE and TNA where he is signed with his original company but also training with WWE. It’s almost certain now that WWE will sign him permanently once his TNA deal expires. Joe Hendry is super over, and they may want to strike while the iron is hot. This would create buzz if it were to happen, and you have to think he has the full support of the upper regime with all of the success NXT has garnered. How would you feel about Joe Hendry becoming NXT champion if it were to happen, and where would you take him from there? And most importantly, do you believe in Joe Hendry?
