TNA President Addresses Joe Hendry’s Status Amid Expected WWE Jump
TNA Wrestling President Carlos Silva has clarified Joe Hendry’s contractual status following recent speculation about the breakout star’s relationship with WWE.
During an appearance on the Battleground Podcast, Silva directly addressed questions about Hendry’s future.
“He’s still a TNA guy,” Silva confirmed.
Silva praised Hendry’s contributions across both promotions. “Joe’s been great for us, Joe’s been great with WWE and NXT. We’ll continue to work through that together as good partners do,” he explained, before reiterating Hendry’s current status: “He is [TNA], until he’s not, but you know, he is.”
The clarification comes amid TNA’s expanding partnership with WWE and NXT. Silva described the relationship as a long-term strategic play rather than short-term collaboration.
“We entered into the partnership to make it bigger than just the way it starts. You start dating, you go to the movies, you go to dinner; it takes time,” he noted.
Despite the crossover success, Silva emphasized TNA’s commitment to maintaining its distinct identity. “We’re playing the long game here. Inside of all of that, though, we’re still TNA and we’ve always been TNA,” he stated. “WWE and NXT both understand that TNA is its own property. Everyone’s got to have your own property because that’s how you build the foundation.”
Joe Hendry’s crossover appearances in WWE NXT served as a crucial precursor to the ongoing TNA-NXT Invasion storyline. After his viral NXT debut in June 2024, Hendry became an increasingly prominent figure, competing in both TNA and WWE events. His appearances included challenging for the NXT Championship at No Mercy, entering the Royal Rumble as the first reigning TNA champion to compete, and sharing the WrestleMania 41 stage with Randy Orton, where he made a surprise appearance as Orton’s mystery opponent. These high-profile NXT and WWE showings helped establish Hendry as a key link between the two promotions, laying foundation for the Invasion angle that would see TNA and NXT rosters collide in 2025.
