Yardbarker
x
Believe it: Joe Hendry lands his first win in NXT with Trick Williams
Image credit: ClutchPoints

Believe it: Joe Hendry lands his first win in NXT with Trick Williams

Originally posted on ClutchPoints  |  By Matty Breisch  |  Last updated 7/9/24

After watching of the best individual shows WWE has produced all year long in NXT Heatwave, fans within the WWE Universe were treated to a few seconds of Joe Hendry at the end of the broadcast, hinting that, while he wasn’t on the show, the “Prestigious One” might be heading to Orlando in the not-too-distant future.

Well, as it turns out, that “not-too-distant future” lasted all of two days, as, after hinting at it in seemingly every segment of the show, with Gallus treating his name like the “Scottish Play,” Hendry appeared just in time for the main event of the show to serve as Trick Williams’ tag team partner against Shawn Spears and the new NXT Champion, “All Ego” Ethan Page.

Now sure, Hendry has hit certified meme status for his catchy song and savvy social media usage, with some having become fans without ever actually watching him work a match, but watching someone with about five minutes of total WWE screentime have the entirety of the NXT Performance Center sing his song was a sight to see, and signified that Shawn Michaels and company might have really found something cool in the “Prestigious One,” even if it’s hard to imagine he will get too much of a push due to his status as a TNA wrestler.

Still, in the moment against Page and Spears, a pair of certified pros with four decades in the business, you would think Hendry was the biggest star in the ring, as whenever Williams tagged him into the match, he was cheered on like 2024 John Cena, hitting his foes with his strong man offense as the crowd went wild. Factor in the return of Oro Mensah, who has it out for Page even as the champion, and Hendry was able to officially secure his first-ever WWE win with a chokeslam.

What does WWE have planned for Hendry? Will he continue to be a fixture of television through the summer? Will WWE send some NXT performers over to TNA to wrestle him there? Or will this be more of a sporadic thing that forces fans to tune in weekly just in case he returns? Only time will tell, but you know, Hendry’s theme song really says it all: say his name, and he appears.

Booker T loves the direction NXT is heading with Ethan Page

While Booker T isn’t the biggest fan of Joe Hendry, as he ripped up his sign at Heatwave and wasn’t too kind to him on commentary, one person he does like with experience from the Impact Zone is “All Ego” Ethan Page, who secured the belt in Toronto via a Trick Shot from the former champ.

Though he’d watched Page wrestle before in AEW, he’s really liked what “All Ego: has brought to WWE and believes he can be a real star with the promotion heading into the future.

“Ethan Page, six weeks, man, six weeks since joining NXT, and now he’s the NXT Champion. What a ride this kid is on. What a ride Ethan Page is on. When he was in AEW, and I’m not just saying this, I always thought he was a guy that stood out. I always thought he wanted more. He wanted to be the frontman. Every time I saw him, he was talking. I don’t know what it was, but it was something about him. Now, he’s a part of NXT. I’ve liked his work since he joined the company. Him becoming champion is definitely is a flip-the-script moment. Nobody really saw this coming. We were in the ‘Whoop that Trick’ era, and then all of a sudden, boom. We changed gears, and now we’re in the ‘All Ego’ era,” Booker T explained on his Hall of Fame podcast via Fightful.

“If you’re good, and the radar’s on you, your name will get there before you do. I really believe that. I feel like a guy like Ethan Page, he fits perfectly in the NXT system, even though he’s been in the business for 17 years. He doesn’t look weathered. He doesn’t look like a guy that’s been overused or anything like that. I think perhaps maybe the time in AEW may have helped him just because it gave him exposure. Before that, Ethan Page being in the business 17 years, I didn’t know him. But once he was there, I got my eye on him, and then next thing you know, boom. There was just something about him. I was like, ‘Who is this guy?’ Not really ever thinking it imagining he would be in NXT or in the WWE system, but he fits in perfectly for my eyes.”

Will Booker come around on Hendry and enjoy him like he does Page? Only time will tell, but considering the two-time Hall of Famer is anything but an objective commentator, with the Harlem Heat member championing his favorites and trashing his non-favorites whenever he sees fit, it feels like these opinions may remain pretty firm until one party or the other changes his mind.

This article first appeared on ClutchPoints and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: