3 reasons Joe Hendry was chosen as Randy Orton's opponent at WWE WrestleMania 41

Randy Orton's WWE WrestleMania 41 match was put in jeopardy recently when it was revealed that Kevin Owens required major neck surgery that could keep him out for over a year. Despite The Prizefighter's shocking announcement, Orton was eventually promised a WrestleMania payday with a mystery opponent.

While over a dozen names were brought up as possible contenders, ranging from NXT's Oba Femi and Je'Von Evans, to recent AEW departures Malakai Black and Miro. In the end, it was TNA World Champion Joe Hendry who answered the call of The Viper.

The crowd shot to their feet to sing along to Hendry's catchy theme song as the Prestigious One soaked it all in. A truly stunning WrestleMania moment for sure, but why did WWE go with Joe Hendry in this moment?

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#3. Joe Hendry's entrance is perfect for a WrestleMania surprise

If there's one thing WWE is always looking for, it's loud reactions. The deafening pops that can be heard throughout the entire city. While they could've absolutely given the opportunity to someone like Carmelo Hayes, who's been impressing on SmackDown lately and even competed against Randy Orton recently, Hendry presented two things to capitalize on.

First off, Joe Hendry is a genuine surprise for the audience. With the recent departures of names like Miro and Malakai Black from AEW, some fans were expecting to see them return to the promotion to go one-on-one with The Viper. We've already seen teases for Black on SmackDown in recent weeks. Clearly, they've got something else planned for them.

Second, he's a name that fans obviously know. While we weren't sure if his NXT appearances would translate to the main roster, the WWE Universe screamed his name when he emerged during the Men's Royal Rumble match this year. He was proven to have broken through the reach held by TNA, making him one of the better "in case of emergency" options they could've used after Kevin Owens' injury.

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#2. Joe Hendry has no problem getting caught off-guard to make a moment in WWE

While fans were elated to see Joe Hendry, some TNA diehards and longtime critics of WWE were quick to point out that the promotion just beat TNA's WORLD CHAMPION in a little over three minutes. Joe Hendry launched Randy Orton overhead with a fallaway slam, then turned to the crowd for his patented pose.

It was that one moment that ended Hendry's WrestleMania moment, as Randy Orton flattened him with an RKO out of nowhere and pinned him. After the match, Orton encouraged Hendry to take in the crowd one last time before dropping him with another RKO for good measure. It seems mean, absolutely, and I can't say I personally loved the top champion of a partnered promotion being beaten so easily.

The thing is, Joe Hendry has proven that he's willing to get embarrassed for one night in WWE if it leaves fans with something to look back on fondly. In his shocking NXT debut, Joe Hendry appeared in a battle royal to determine the #1 contender to then-NXT Champion Trick Williams. He arrived, the crowd chanted along to his song, and he even got some mic time.

The second the match began, he was eliminated by TNA's Frankie Kazarian. An embarrassing moment, but a debut fans remembered. Cut to the Royal Rumble this year, where Joe Hendry makes his main roster debut at #15. This time, Hendry gets some offense off and even goes toe-to-toe with some of WWE's biggest names. He's eliminated by Roman Reigns in just over three minutes.

Yet again, it was a memorable debut. Hendry has a habit of breaking the internet when his moments are posted to WWE's social media, so don't hang your heads too low on this one. He did lose fast, but it could lead to bigger and better in the near future.

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#1. A chance to highlight the WWE & TNA Partnership

The promotion made a historic announcement on the WrestleMania 41 Night One kick-off show. The promotion revealed that they had acquired Mexico-based lucha libre promotion Lucha Libre AAA Worldwide.

On the same night, fans were introduced to AAA highlight Vikingo, who struck El Grande Americano with a kick before his match with Rey Fenix. WWE has repeated the announcement several times over the past 27 hours, but there's already a major partnership between them and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling that had not been taken advantage of this weekend.

Cue Joe Hendry, the current TNA World Heavyweight Champion, who has also been on NXT multiple times, as well as making his Royal Rumble debut earlier this year. The Prestigious One is a perfect competitor to bring out to a WrestleMania crowd.

With a stadium of fans who probably watch more than just WWE, they gave them a moment with one of the most charismatic performers outside of their locker room. They also reminded their viewers of TNA, their partnership, and hopefully, convinced those not in the know to check them out with this moment.