WWE legend Bully Ray has compared TNA stars Joe Hendry and Mike Santana’s current characters, explaining why he feels the latter has greater upside than the previous.
Hendry has captured the imagination of the professional wrestling world along with his catchy entrance and energetic character. “Busted Open” host Dave LaGreca stated that TNA fans have chosen Santana over Hendry, to which Bully Ray responded that Santana’s character has more depth, and that is why he’s backing the previous AEW star to flourish.
“I will return to my Joe Hendry example. Everybody was saying how great it was, Joe Hendry at WrestleMania, blah, blah, blah. Does it feel so great now?” asked Ray. “Because Mike Santana has more emotion than Joe Hendry has. Joe Hendry is a tagline in a song. Mike Santana’s got depth, he’s got fat, he’s passed through his own hard times. When Santana speaks, there’s passion behind it, there’s emotion. For those who put Mike Santana next to Joe Hendry they usually’re each talking, it’s Santana daily of the week on Twice on Sundays. That is why.”
Ray feels that fans are emotionally invested in Santana’s story, despite acknowledging that Hendry has a variety of good things going for him.
“All of it goes back to the emotional investment of individuals. I imagine in Mike. With Joe, yeah, it’s fun, it’s good, we sing, ‘I imagine.’ We chant along. It’s like with Jey Uso, we do the ‘Yeet,’ we do the doorway, blah, blah, blah. We’re joyful, we’re in an excellent mood, we would like to see Jey win, but we love Cody.”
Santana and Hendry have been battling to take the TNA World title from WWE’s Trick Williams and failed at Slammiversary. It seems now, though, that Santana will pick up the baton to go after Williams following his win over Hendry on last week’s “Impact,” where the 2 shook hands after the match.