Joe Hendry already has a major opponent in mind now that he is officially part of the WWE RAW roster full-time, and it is none other than CM Punk.
While appearing at Insight with Chris Van Vliet Live in Tampa, Hendry was asked which WWE stars he most wants to face next. After initially mentioning Logan Paul, Hendry quickly shifted to the name that generated the loudest crowd reaction.
“I really want to wrestle CM Punk.”
Hendry explained that while he has previously trained with Punk inside the ring, the two have never actually wrestled each other in an official match.
“I have had the opportunity to train with him in the ring at Ace Steel’s, but I’ve never wrestled him.”
Hendry previously worked with Punk and Ace Steel at The Foundation wrestling school in 2025 ahead of his TNA World Championship defense against Trick Williams at WWE Battleground. Steel currently works as a producer for TNA Wrestling and has maintained close ties to Punk dating back to their Ring of Honor history.
The crowd reaction to Hendry mentioning Punk was immediate, something Hendry himself acknowledged.
“You guys want to see Joe Hendry versus CM Punk.”
Hendry also revealed which championship he has his sights set on next after previously holding both the TNA World Championship and the NXT Championship.
“Intercontinental Championship, please.”
Hendry officially signed with WWE full-time in late 2025 before winning the NXT Championship in a seven-man ladder match earlier this year. He later moved to RAW in April.
Meanwhile, Punk has been absent from WWE television since the April 20 episode of RAW following his WrestleMania 42 loss to Roman Reigns, and WWE has not yet announced when he will return.
With Hendry already openly calling him out, fans are now speculating whether WWE could eventually turn the teased matchup into one of RAW’s biggest future programs.
