"I understand what this is" - Top star after being made to lose to Randy Orton in 3 minutes by WWE
As the Legend Killer, Randy Orton has defeated many all-time greats. However, recently, he defeated a star in just three minutes, leading to a lot of criticism. The said star has opened up about the match and shared his thoughts.
The star in question is the TNA World Champion, Joe Hendry. The 37-year-old recently faced the 45-year-old Randy Orton at WrestleMania 41, in what was the latter's 20th 'Mania appearance. Following the match, which, as mentioned earlier, ended in three minutes, a number of fans took issue.
Fans believed that Hendry was put in a squash match by WWE, and that it had scuppered his momentum and, in turn, devalued the TNA World Championship. Appearing on Insight with Chris Van Vliet, Hendry responded, claiming he knows how this business works.
He pointed out the importance of the occasion and that he was not only facing Randy Orton, but an Orton who was performing at his 20th WrestleMania. Furthermore, he stated that he did manage to get some offense in, which means he wasn't completely squashed, and that the match, in his opinion, helped TNA in the long run.
"The thing is, one, it was back and forth, so I got offense in. It’s Randy Orton’s 20th WrestleMania. It’s also Randy Orton. The thing is, I did the spin around. So it’s like me being the Joe Hendry character, the RKO is one hit kill. And in that show the feedback that I got was exactly what it was supposed to be. And let’s be honest, the next how many days later, we had the biggest show TNA has ever had in 10 years, we had a higher attendance at Slammiversary. So we were past 4,000. I understand what this is, and my job is to put as*es in seats for TNA wrestling," said Joe Hendry [H/T Chris Van Vliet]
At the end of the day, Hendry's match with Orton was epic and provided viral moments for fans to enjoy.
Randy Orton could be suspended for his actions at Backlash 2025
Following his battle with Joe Hendry, Randy Orton took on John Cena at Backlash 2025. He challenged the Last Real Champion for the Undisputed WWE Championship, but failed to take the title away from him.
During the match, The Viper's frustration grew with every passing minute. It reached its peak after the referees involved were knocked out, leading to WWE Officials intervening.
Angry about the whole situation, Orton decided to hit everyone with an RKO. It started with SmackDown GM Nick Aldis and then the rest of the officials in the ring. Safe to say, his actions have earned him a hefty fine and perhaps even a suspension.
Perhaps this will be addressed in the upcoming episode of the blue brand. It would be surprising if it isn't.
