Joe Hendry may be the new face of NXT as its reigning champion, but according to Hendry himself, the WWE door couldve opened long before his 2025 signingif he had chosen to walk through it. In a new interview with Metro UK, the Scottish star revealed that WWE had been in the picture much earlier in his career, dating all the way back to 2014 when he appeared as an extra on an episode of Monday Night Raw as a lawyer for Rusev and Lana. But it wasnt the segment that changed his trajectoryit was a conversation backstage. Despite brushes with WWE over the yearsincluding the 2016 United Kingdom Championship Tournament in BlackpoolHendry chose not to pursue a contract at the time. And it wasnt because WWE wasnt interested. Since officially joining WWE in November 2025 following his TNA departure, Hendry has become a fixture on NXT programmingand last week, he captured the NXT Championship. But that climb, Hendry says, wouldnt have happened if he hadnt taken the long road. So itsclear that Hendrys rise feels all the more complete knowing it was on his terms, in his time. Do you think Joe Hendry made the right call by holding off on WWE until he was ready? Or should he have joined back in 2016? Drop your thoughts and join the conversation below. G Add as a preferred source on Google
