WWE: Joe Hendry on Criticisms Over WWE’s Booking of His Randy Orton Match at WrestleMania 41, Paul Heyman on His Reasons on Turning His Back on CM Punk & Roman Reigns, WrestleMania 41 Night 1 & 2 Producers

Apr 21, 2025

Joe Hendry Comments on Criticisms Over WWE’s Booking of His Randy Orton Match at WrestleMania 41

As noted before, Sunday’s WWE WrestleMania 41 Night 2 event in Las Vegas, Nevada featured current TNA World Champion Joe Hendry making a surprise return appearance and revealed as the mystery opponent for Randy Orton’s open challenge match.

A recent episode of the Busted Open Radio podcast featured Hendry as the guest. One of the topics discussed included Hendry’s thoughts about the online criticisms over WWE’s booking of his match to be a glorified squash and disrespecting TNA over having their top champion lose in a quick fashion.

“I disagree. The offense was back and forth, whereas a squash, to me, it could have been ‘ding, ding, RKO,’ there you go. For me, what I was thinking about, my different title reigns are defined by different things. When Josh Alexander was TNA World Champion, it was classic match after classic match. My job as TNA Champion and what defines this reign is business and getting as many eyeballs on TNA Wrestling as possible. You know who else lost quickly at WrestleMania in a similar fashion? John Cena. All of a sudden, I’m going to say I’m too good to do that? To me, that’s exactly how it should have gone. Do you know what CM Punk told me? We had a great conversation after, CM Punk told me, ‘That’s exactly how it should’ve gone.’ If it had gone longer, I think it would have worked out worse for me. There is no shame in taking a RKO and losing to a legend like Randy Orton.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com

Paul Heyman Comments on His Reasons on Turning His Back on CM Punk & Roman Reigns

As noted before, this past Saturday’s WWE WrestleMania 41 Night 1 event in Las Vegas, Nevada featured Paul Heyman turning heel on CM Punk and Roman Reigns and aligned himself with Seth Rollins.

Monday’s WWE themed episode of The Pat McAfee Show featured Michael Cole and Heyman among the guests. One of the topics discussed included Heyman giving his thoughts about his reasons for turning his back on both Punk and Reigns at WrestleMania 41.

“My savior did not resurrect himself on Easter Sunday. He couldn’t because he was put down on Saturday and there was no resurrection, benediction, or absolution in the life of the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns. There couldn’t be. Let’s be clear about this, I didn’t betray Roman Reigns. Did I put my hands on Roman Reigns and shove him down to the canvas in front of millions of people? I didn’t touch Roman Reigns. What did I do? I got shoved to the canvas. I got emasculated in front of the WWE Universe by my Tribal Chief. I pleaded with him. My best friend did a favor. Saved Roman Reigns’ family. CM Punk, not much of a best friend, look at the position he put me in. What a compromising position CM Punk put me in against my own Tribal Chief. What kind of best friend was CM Punk? A lousy best friend. A shitty best friend. I was loyal to CM Punk. I brought him back after Hell in a Cell. I gave him a spotlight. I gave him a chance to redeem himself with Roman Reigns. He puts me in this impossible, emotional, compromising position that was an absolute no win. Not only was it a no win, it was a must lose with my Tribal Chief Roman Reigns. That’s my best friend?”

Heyman also gave his thoughts about when his alignment with Rollins came to fruition being when he handed him the steel chair to attack Reigns.

Heyman also gave his thoughts about his belief that Rollins will take the same big step for his career’s stardom under his mentorship that Reigns did going from being “The Big Dog” to the “Tribal Chief.”

“Seth Rollins is exactly where Roman Reigns was in August 2020. Roman Reigns was a multi-time WrestleMania main eventer, multi-time WWE Heavyweight Champion, multi-time Universal Heavyweight Champion, he had been on top for eight years in WWE. The Big Dog was as big of a name in WWE as he possibly could be, and then he sat on a couch next to Paul Heyman and the Tribal Chief was born and tell me anybody who truly remembers The Big Dog today. That’s exactly where Seth Rollins is today. Everything you’ve seen Seth Rollins accomplish has led him up to this point in his career, and the same transformation of The Big Dog into the global record-breaking box office attraction known as the Tribal Chief Roman Reigns is the same step up that Seth Rollins takes starting tonight.”

Transcript h/t: Fightful.com 1 & 2

WWE WrestleMania 41 Night 1 & 2 Producers

PWInsider’s Mike Johnson reported that the following people were the producers for the matches at this past Saturday’s WWE WrestleMania 41 Night 1 event in Las Vegas.

Booby Roode was the producer for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship match of Jey Uso vs. Gunther (c)
Chris Park and Adam Pearce were the producers for the WWE World Tag Team Championship match of New Day vs. War Raiders (c)
Jason Jordan and Petey Williams were the producers for the Jade Cargill vs. Naomi match
Shane Helms and Kenny Dykstra were the producers for the WWE United States Championship match of Jacob Fatu va. LA Knight (c)
Shawn Diavari was the producer for the Rey Fenix vs. El Grande Americano match
TJ Wilson and WWE Hall of Famer Molly Holly were the producers for the WWE Women’s Championship match of Charlotte Flair vs. Tiffany Stratton (c)
Jamie Noble and WWE Hall of Famer Michael Hayes were the producers for the Triple Threat match of Seth Rollins vs. CM Punk vs. Roman Reigns

In a follow-up report, Johnson reported that the following people were the producers for the matches at Sunday’s WWE WrestleMania 41 Night 2 event in Las Vegas.

Jason Jordan and Petey Williams were the produdcers for the WWE Women’s World Championship Triple Threat match of Rhea Ripley vs. Bianca Belair vs. IYO SKY (c)
Chris “Abyss” Park and WWE Hall of Famer Molly Holly were the producers for the Sin City Street Fight match of Drew McIntyre vs. Damian Priest
Jamie Noble and Adam Pearce were the producers for the WWE Intercontinental Championship Fatal Four-way match of Penta vs. Dominik Mysterio vs. Finn Balor vs. Bron Breakker (c)
Shawn Daivari and Nick Aldis were the producers for the Open Challenge match of Randy Orton vs. Joe Hendry
Shane Helms was the producer of the Logan Paul vs. AJ Styles match
TJ Wilson and Kenny Dykstra were the producers for the WWE Women’s Tag Team Championship match of Lyra Valkyria & Becky Lynch vs. Raquel Rodriguez & Liv Morgan (c)
Bobby Roode and WWE Hall of Famer Michael Hayes were the producers for the Undisputed WWE Championship match of John Cena vs. Cody Rhodes (c)