John Cena believes in Joe Hendry.
Cena spoke about the top TNA Wrestling star while appearing on Monday’s edition of The Pat McAfee Show, reflecting on how the viral sensation did on Sunday and recounting a past interaction with him.
Hendry made a shocking Wrestlemania debut on Sunday night in Las Vegas. He was the surprise opponent for Randy Orton, who was celebrating his 20th year as a Wrestlemania performer but was left without a match following the departure of Kevin Owens in recent weeks.
While Hendry lost in roughly three minutes to Orton – succumbing to his famous RKO finisher – Cena thought the moment was a great spotlight for him.
“I thought he was brilliant,” Cena said about Hendry. “If I don’t know that kid, I got to know him. He got to do his stuff, he got to be in a Wrestlemania match with Randy Orton. He got a fantastic moment in giving Randy his 20th Wrestlemania.”
Cena recounted having a run-in with Hendry earlier this year following their appearances in the Royal Rumble match.
“Joe’s awesome. I got the chance to meet Joe at the Rumble face-to-face,” Cena recalled. “He had a small moment at the Rumble. He was like ‘Hey, you’re good at this, how do I make this more?’ I gave him some advice: ‘You don’t. You go out there and you be yourself, and you make your moment your moment. When you try to make your moment more than it’s given, that’s selfish. You’re a small piece of a greater show.'”
Overall, Cena thinks there’s much more to come with Hendry: “I think he’s gonna be a major player because he loves it and he gets it right.”
