As Joe Hendry prepares for the next chapter of his professional wrestling career, jumping from TNA contender to a focal point of NXT's main event picture, fans have openly wondered how the “Prestigious One” will handle the transition.
Will his schtick work outside of social media clips and the occasional appearance, with full-on storylines designed to get him over as a John Cena-esque babyface? Or will his schtick go stale with repeated exposure, with some fans wondering if Hendry will eventually fall out of favor for one reason or another?
Well, while being in WWE is new for the “Prestigious One,” working with WWE talents isn't, as in a recent interview with Fightful, Hendry discussed his program with AJ Francis and how it has impacted his professional wrestling career.
“With AJ. We have this love-hate thing. He's absolute unbearable on social media. I've never been more thankful for the mute button in my entire life. If I ever challenge for the Digital Media Championship…have you seen some of the videos he's posted with the title? Some of the things he's done with the title? If I ever win the belt again, we have to get a new one made. All jokes aside, AJ is the perfect foil for what I do. Us working together is a really good example of everybody winning. The fans won, AJ won, I won. Everybody won. It was a great piece of business. We worked really well together and have really good chemistry, but we annoy the hell out of each other, so it's a weird dynamic. I like him, but we hate each other,” Joe Hendry told Fightful.
“Oh yeah. If it wasn't for AJ Francis, I'd be under a bridge somewhere [laughs]. The reason the stuff with AJ works so well is because you know it's killing him on the inside. The reactions are real. That's why it works. It kills him. Whether he agrees or disagrees, this is the difference. I've had people who don't like the entrances and throw a tantrum. If AJ doesn't like the entrance or what I'm going to say, he'll voice his opinion, but regardless of what that is, he'll go out and do his job to the best of his ability. That's what a professional do. AJ Francis, it kills me to say it, but he's way better than people think.”
You know, when you really think about it, the Hendry-Francis storyline does feel like something Top Dolla, Swerve Strickland, and the rest of Hit Row would have pulled off back in their NXT glory days, right down to the diss tracks and the fractional goofing. If Shawn Michaels can take a page from that oldie but goodie, having Hendry bring his guitar to him with the PC in the future, well, the “Prestigious One” may just be able to not only maintain his momentum but take it to new heights.
AJ Francis is down to join Joe Hendry in NXT
Turning the table to the opposite side of the feud, AJ Francis also did some media to hype up the forthcoming running of Slammiversary and let it be known that if NXT wanted to bring him over as the TNA Digital Media Champion, he would be happy to take part in the deal alongside fellow former WWE Superstar Rich Swann.
“If anybody's going to walk through that, quote-unquote forbidden door, from NXT and TNA, to WWE and TNA, if anybody's going to do it, it's gotta be me and [Rich Swann]. [Swann] is not only a TNA World Champion, former, but he was a Cruiserweight Champion in WWE. I am the current TNA Digital Media Champion, and the fact that I was [at WWE] twice and never got an opportunity to actually show what I can do, and now I am,” AJ Francis told The Angle Podcast via WrestleZone.
“I'm everywhere, and I'm in your face with it, there's no way to deny my greatness anymore. So you have us come back, and yeah, I mean, we can go with The Pride, Street Profits. We got a lot of mutual friendship there, as well as Cedric and Ashante, they're a great tag team as well.”
Francis also commented on Hit Row's fate since he was released last year, noting that he still supports them, even if they aren't progressing very much in their current roles.
“It is funny to me that I got released for B-Fab, and Ashante to be in the exact same role that they were in almost a year ago when I got released, but that's neither here nor there. I have no problem, me and [Swann] coming into WWE, beating the Street Profits, beating Ashante and Cedric, establishing TNA dominance,” Francis noted.
“I have no problem with that, if the writers want to put that on the script, I'll accept my role. But I'm not worried about going back to WWE right now, because I'm doing such a good job in TNA, and it's not like they don't have my number. And they had my number both times they released me, so if they want me back, I have the same number.”
Should HBK get into the First Cla$$ business? Yes, considering everything Francis has said thus far, it's clear his return to the PC would create massive headlines and get fans talking, which, in the end, is sort of the whole point of this collab.