Make Ring Of Honor Prestigious Again
Joe Hendry prepares for his ROH pay-per-view debut at Final Battle.
Photo Credit: RING OF HONOR/James Musselwhite
Photo Credit: RING OF HONOR/James Musselwhite
Christmas comes early for Joe Hendry as he makes his Ring of Honor pay-per-view debut this Friday in Baltimore, the same city he traveled to back in 2016 for a tryout with the company.
Sure, it took three years for ROH to sign the Scottish sensation, but that has made the musical genius even hungrier. Honing his craft in promotions around the globe, including a stint in Impact Wrestling last year, The Prestigious One is now gunning for gold in ROH.
First, he and Dalton Castle have a date with Silas Young and Josh Woods this Friday at Final Battle.
Tickets are available here. You can order the pay-per-view here or stream it live on FITE TV.
ROH will come to Philly on Sunday, Dec. 15, for its TV tapings. Tickets are available here.
Follow Joe Hendry on Twitter and YouTube and Patreon.
The Free Agent is no more…….@ringofhonor pic.twitter.com/FAsfLkvMGi
— Joe Hendry (@joehendry) August 8, 2019
The following has been edited and condensed. To hear the full interview, listen to Corrigan’s Corner on Team LeftJab Radio.
Since signing with Ring of Honor in August, how has your time with the company been?
Joe Hendry: “It’s been awesome. It’s been a huge opportunity for me. I’m working with some of the best talent in the world, enjoying the travel, seeing places I’ve never seen before. It’s the dream.”
We’ve been hearing so many things about the company in the news as of late, how would you describe the current state of ROH?
Hendry: “All I can give you is my experience. I’ve always been honest with my fans. This is the truth: I feel very well looked after. I come from a place where on the indie scene, I’ve had conversations with girlfriends where, if I don’t sell 10 T-shirts this weekend, then the next week might be a little bit tricky. I’ve gone from fighting and scratching and clawing to pay the bills to working my way up to earning a comfortable living. I have a worker-friendly schedule that allows me to get the rest and recuperation I need. I feel respected and when I do come over, I get nice hotels and transport. A lot of companies don’t pay hotel and transport, but Ring of Honor does.”
In lite of the recent controversy, and with so many options out there, why should fans stick with the product?
Hendry: “If you look at the current wrestling product, it’s impossible to say wrestling would be where it is without the influence of Ring of Honor’s product. Look at the top talents and champions in the industry, chances are they came through ROH. People sometimes forget and don’t even see the innovation going on right now. We have some of the best talent in the world, as well as some of the best up and coming talent. I chose to come to ROH. My gut told me that’s where I had to go. I understand there are a lot of options right now, but ROH has so much to offer. The roster is going in the right direction. There is a healthy competition to get on the card and to get to the top of the card, as well as elevate the entire standard of the show. In the long term, it’s going to pay off.”
What’s it like teaming with Dalton Castle?
Hendry: “It’s two huge egos, the two biggest personalities in ROH. Together we’re the most entertaining tag team in ROH. There’s a video of us laughing on a couch and it’s one of my favorite promos I’ve ever done. We both have different styles of comedy and his just catches me off guard. That’s genuine laughter in that clip.”
How do you feel heading into this match against Silas Young and Josh Woods?
Hendry: “It’s an awesome opportunity to showcase what we can do. Dalton and I are known as entertainers, but we have both amateur wrestling backgrounds. Silas is a vet and long-term TV Champion. Woods is a decorated amateur wrestler. There’s a lot of fire power in this and I’m excited to get on that plane.”
Besides your match, which match are you most looking forward to at Final Battle?
Hendry: “You’ve got to be gunning for the world title. PCO vs. RUSH is going to be a ridiculous match in the best possible way.”
Who do you consider the tag team of the year?
Hendry: “I’d have to say the Briscoes due to the amount of times they’ve held the tag titles, their overall dominance, and the match they had in Nashville with the Rock n’ Roll Express is one of my favorite matches I’ve ever seen.”
Who should we keep our eye on in 2020 and beyond?
Hendry: “Josh Woods. He’s stepping into another gear. He’s always had the amateur credentials, but now his personality is coming through. He’s developing every time I see him. I think you’ll see him ascend the card.”
Who is the MVP of 2019?
Hendry: “I’d have to say Joe Hendry. He’s pretty good.”
What’s your goal for 2020?
Hendry: “When I announced I was coming to Ring of Honor, I said I was about to become a world champion. So my goal is to win either the World TV Championship, the World Tag Team Championship or the World Championship.”
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