WWE’s Current Brand Assignment Plans for Joe Hendry Revealed

Joe Hendry may have signed with NXT to evolve as a wrestler, but according to a new report, we might see him become a regular on Friday nights soon enough.

According to a report by WrestleVotes Radio on Fightful Select, Hendry is now being considered for a full-time main roster call-up, specifically to WWE SmackDown. Internal WWE discussions have taken place, and USA Network is said to be “keen” on making Hendry a regular fixture on the blue brand.

The momentum makes sense: Hendry made his SmackDown debut on the December 26th episode, which was taped on December 19, where he defeated The Miz in a Miracle on 34th Street Fight. It wasn’t just a holiday gimmick match — it was a sign WWE may be ready to put serious stock in the Scottish star.

This comes after TNA President Carlos Silva confirmed Hendry’s WWE signing, and Hendry himself revealed the real reason behind his move to NXT: an obsession with growth and self-improvement.

“Right now I’m obsessed with getting better at wrestling and becoming the absolute best professional wrestler I can be,” Hendry said on the No Contest Wrestling podcast. “That’s the main reason I chose to come to NXT — to evolve as a wrestler, because I truly feel I can take this all the way.”

But now, with USA Network pushing for Hendry and internal talks about a call-up ramping up, it seems the evolution phase will lead him to becoming a mainstay on Friday Night SmackDown.

Will Joe Hendry become SmackDown’s next breakout star? Or will WWE continue to refine him in NXT a little longer before the jump? Either way, it’s clear—we believe in Joe Hendry, and so does WWE.

Do you think Joe Hendry is ready for a full-time SmackDown run? Who would you love to see him feud with first? Let us know in the comments!