“Heavy lies the crown …”
This historic quote is something Joe Hendry is experiencing first-hand these days as the current king of the men’s division in WWE NXT.
Zack Heydorn of Sports Illustrated recently “said his name”, and so of course, he appeared, and during their discussion for The Takedown on SI (see video below), the reigning NXT World Champion spoke about the pressures and responsibilities of being in the top spot.
“It’s a huge responsibility,” Hendry said of being NXT World Champion. “Being the champion is a rare privilege, and when you are the champion, there is now pressure on your shoulder to try and help elevate the ticket sales. You need to be aware of ratings. You need to be aware of locker room morale. You need to try and lead by example. There’s a lot of pressure.”
Hendry went on to talk about the NXT roster and WWE Performance Center talent being “divided into different groups,” and mentioned his group are “so motivated.”
“But like I said, I’ve spent a lot of time at the Performance Center,” Hendry said. “I’m really, really enjoying the training, and I feel like we’ve got a real team environment down there. We’re divided into different groups, and I feel like my group is just .. we’re so motivated. The roster is hungry, and it’s an exciting time.”
Hendry continued, “So to be the one that gets to wear this championship and spearhead the brand right now, it’s a huge honor and it’s a responsibility that I take very seriously. Every championship title reign has a story, and I want the story to be that I was able to elevate the championship and help elevate the brand.”
The former TNA World Champion went on to discuss what he feels is a key attribute in being a successful top guy and champion for the business, crediting past legends such as CM Punk and John Cena for teaching him that.
“Anytime I get to a live event, my first question is to ask, ‘Where are we at with the draw? Where were we last time?’ And I’ve learned that from .. CM Punk does that, John Cena did that, all the top talents did that.”
The current top dog in NXT added, “So I’ve tried to learn as much as I can from these guys. I’ve been fortunate enough to spend time with these guys and learn from them. And that is one thing I’ve noticed, is that they’re very hands-on with the stats and knowing what they are. And, yes, it’s pressure, but in this game pressure is a privilege.”
Joe Hendry is scheduled to defend the NXT World Championship against Ricky Saints at the upcoming NXT Vengeance Day special event on March 7, 2026, live from the WWE Performance Center in Orlando, Florida.
Make sure to join us here at WrestlingHeadlines.com on 3/7 for live NXT Vengeance Day results, and every Tuesday night for live WWE NXT Results coverage.
