Randy Orton Wasn’t Originally Sold on Joe Hendry as WrestleMania Challenger

Randy Orton didn’t know what to expect at WrestleMania 41—until he heard the fans erupt for Joe Hendry.

With Kevin Owens sidelined by a neck injury, Orton’s 20th WrestleMania moment was suddenly in limbo. But when TNA World Champion Joe Hendry shockingly stepped out to answer the open challenge, everything changed. And in a backstage interview after the show, Orton made it clear the crowd helped shift his entire mindset.

“Having fun, that’s the part of what we do that sometimes you don’t get to have as much fun out there,” Orton told Cathy Kelley. “Because the nerves, the adrenaline, it’s through the roof. You can’t sleep nights before. But me not knowing who my opponent was going to be, all those nerves were gone, and I was able to soak up all that energy.”

Orton said once he saw Hendry walk through the curtain, he wasn’t quite sold. But the crowd changed that. “Now, when I first heard the music, and I first saw who it was, I wasn’t quite sure how it was going to feel about it,” he admitted. “But then I heard the people’s reaction to this guy, and they love him. They love him.”

And yes, The Viper even gave a nod to Hendry’s infamous spin move. “I had to hit a couple of RKOs, as per the usual, but then I did my own little version of the Hendry spin around,” Orton said with a grin. “I don’t know what he calls it, but I’ll tell you what, I might have to steal that for next week. Maybe, we’ll see when we get there.”

Joe Hendry may have lost the match—but he won over one of WWE’s biggest legends in a matter of minutes.