TNA's Joe Hendry Addresses Dedication Required By Pro Wrestling

Between his hit song, TNA Heavyweight Championship aspirations, and his popular appearances on "NXT," many people are believing in Joe Hendry right now. But the TNA star learned long before his career began to take off this year that, in order to reach this point, one person needed to believe in Joe Hendry more than anyone else; himself.

Hendry talked about that self belief during an interview with "Fightful's" Sean Ross Sapp, while also discussing the importance of being passionate about what you do. For Hendry, success cannot happen in wrestling without that.

"You have to absolutely love every aspect of this game," Hendry said. "And then, when it really starts to pay off, it's like 'Oh, that's very cool.' But for anybody who's passionate about anything...all these things are happening because we have a passion for it. And I think you need that passion to get through it. I've always said this to people. At no point, did I ever go 'I'm quitting. I'm stuck.' It had to happen. I just had this passion for it, and I still do, and I love it. And I just tell people 'Stay in the game. Stay in the game.'"

Hendry provided an example of said passion by revealing that, while he had primarily worked as a wrestler over the last eight years, circumstances, such as the COVID-19 pandemic, had forced him into finding other jobs here and there. And one job in particular inspired Hendry to not only keep going with his wrestling career, but also influenced his wrestling character.

"There was a point where I was doing Telly sales before I got to TNA," Hendry said. "And that is where I actually got the character elements for the Joe Hendry character, cause I had this boss that was just, like, you'd have to go to these meetings and it be like 'Everybody stand up!' And we'd all have to stand up on Zoom and I'm going 'Oh my god.' 

"And I remember he went 'Look outside. Look outside! Really look!' And I'm having to turn my head and I'm like 'This guy is unbearable.' And that was the character. It was based on this guy. But yeah, I was doing Telly sales a couple of years ago. You know what I mean? But you know what, I wouldn't change a thing. I wouldn't change a thing."

If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit "Fightful" and provide a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription