Joe Hendry Shocks Fans, Answers Randy Orton’s WrestleMania 41 Challenge – Randy Orton’s open challenge for WrestleMania 41 Sunday was officially answered—and to the surprise of many, it came from none other than TNA World Heavyweight Champion Joe Hendry.
On Friday’s edition of SmackDown, Orton made it clear that he wanted to compete on night two of WrestleMania 41 and invited any willing competitor to step into the ring with him on the grandest stage of them all. Speculation ran wild throughout the weekend, but it wasn’t until Sunday night that the mystery was resolved.
Joe Hendry, a current standout in TNA Wrestling and the reigning TNA World Heavyweight Champion, stepped onto the WrestleMania stage and officially answered the call. Hendry had previously appeared in WWE at the 2025 Royal Rumble, where he entered the Men’s Rumble Match but was eliminated by Roman Reigns. Sunday marked his first singles match on a WWE premium live event.
The bout itself was brief but impactful. Hendry got in some early offense, showcasing his power and charisma, but the match quickly turned in Orton’s favor. As Hendry struck a pose mid-match—a nod to his theatrical persona—Orton caught him off guard with a thunderous RKO out of nowhere to score the pinfall victory.
Following the match, Orton extended a moment of respect by helping Hendry back to his feet. However, in classic Viper fashion, Orton immediately dropped Hendry with a second RKO to close the segment with authority.
Joe Hendry Shocks Fans, Answers Randy Orton’s WrestleMania 41 Challenge
