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The WWE Universe is still reeling from the 41st annual WrestleMania extravaganza. As John Cena wrapped his final WrestleMania, others were celebrating their debuts on The Grandest Stage of Them All, including Joe Hendry. Despite his big loss, the fan-favorite had significant success outside of the ring, including one area where he outdrew Cena and other top Superstars.
TNA's popular World Champion shot to superstardom during the early days of the WWE-TNA alliance. Fans called on officials to push Hendry, and both sides delivered. Randy Orton hand-picked the UK grappler to be his WrestleMania 41 open challenge opponent, and the current Undisputed WWE Champion himself had a man-to-man talk with Hendry and has openly praised him. Sources continue to claim Hendry signing with WWE is a lock once he's able to.
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The Global Hero was a top merchandise seller for World Wrestling Entertainment through the company's biggest month of the year. The Wrestling Observer reports that Hendry's WrestleMania Vegas-themed t-shirt was the second-best-selling merchandise item in April, according to data obtained by Wrestlenomics. The list was topped by Roman Reigns' OTC 10-star t-shirt.
Look who just shut down all of Tony Khan's critics! More HERE.
Steve Austin continues to be a top draw after all these years. The WWE Hall of Famer's iconic Austin 3:16 t-shirt came in third under Hendry, while Cena's WrestleMania 41 victory t-shirt ranked #5. Jey Uso's 'Mania victory t-shirt rounded out the top five.
Travis Scott has focused on custom merchandise since his wrestling journey began. The Straight Edge t-shirt from the company and the rapper ranked sixth on the list of top merchandise movers for April 2025. Orton's Viper t-shirt was seventh, followed by Cena's Farewell Tour Dallas shirt. The World Heavyweight Champion's Yeet t-shirt ranked ninth, while CM Punk's black logo shirt rounded out the top 10.
Joe Hendry and John Cena to defend at WWE events this month
John Cena and Joe Hendry are both heading into the summer of 2025 as the top champions of their respective companies. The Undisputed Champion will retire at the end of this year, while the TNA World Champion is rumored to sign with Triple H when he's able to.
Big Match John and The Prestigious One will defend their titles at different WWE PLEs this month. Cena vs. Randy Orton for the last time will take place at Backlash tomorrow in St Louis. Hendry vs. Trick Williams for the first time has been confirmed for NXT Battleground on May 25 in Tampa.
Billed as "One Last Time," Backlash will be headlined by the 23rd Cena vs. Orton televised singles bout, and their 124th one-on-one encounter overall. Battleground will mark the first TNA World Championship match at a PLE hosted by the Stamford-based company.
