Joe Hendry Reveals He Was Almost In The NXT United Kingdom Championship Tournament

Joe Hendry is glad he wasn’t in the NXT UK tournament despite it once looking likely.

Back in January 2017, WWE laid the foundation for the NXT UK brand by crowning the first United Kingdom Champion in a two-night tournament. The shows brought together some of the country’s best professional wrestlers, including the likes of Trent Seven, Joseph Connors, Pete Dunne, and eventual champion Tyler Bate. However, one name that was missing is Joe Hendry, who was beginning his rise in the British wrestling scene. Now, the Scotsman has opened up on possibly being in the tournament almost 10 years ago.

Speaking to Chris Van Vliet on Insight, Joe Hendry looked back the NXT UK tournament and how he’s glad he wasn’t in it.

“There was a time, I think, in 2016 where it was looking like I might have been a part of the UK tournament, and I’m glad that I wasn’t, because I don’t feel I was ready for it. Because I feel like, back then, I was doing my entrances, they were getting views, and I was operating on this level of my entrances. But at that point, I had my debut two or three years previous. I would have been up against guys like Pete Dunne and Trent Seven, who were seasoned in-ring professionals at that point. So I feel like it was almost good that I didn’t get that opportunity then, and kind of took a different path, and I feel like everything has happened for me when I’ve been ready for it and in the right order. I wouldn’t change a thing. I love the path that I’ve taken.”

-Joe Hendry

Instead, Hendry continued his development in promotions such as ICW, WCPW, and ROH. However, it was in TNA where he truly made his name. Having returned to the company to begin a second run in 2022, Hendry slowly captured the attention of fans through his use of social media, with his entrance theme attracting industry-wide attention in 2024. Off the back of his popularity, the Scotsman was able to reach the top of the mountain in TNA last year.

Nowadays, the former TNA World Champion is finding his feet on RAW just weeks after his call-up from NXT. Since arriving on the red brand, Hendry has had The Vision in his sights. In particular, the 38-year-old has poked fun at Logan Paul through his Joe Hendry concerts, getting arenas of fans to sing along to his disses at the social media star as they continue to butt heads.