It’s not uncommon for Olympic or high level amateur athletes to make the jump over to professional wrestling – in fact, it’s quite a common occurrence. Olympic level wrestlers like Kurt Angle, Chad Gable, and Author of Pain‘s Akam have all made the jump to professional wrestling in the past, amongst others. But today it was announced that something far more uncommon was happening – a professional wrestler was jumping into the amateur ranks at the highest level. Scottish professional wrestler “The Prestigious One” Joe Hendry has qualified for Scotland’s wrestling team for the upcoming 2018 Commonwealth Games in Australia, which runs from April 4 through April 15 this spring. Hendry won the 97kg British championship.
The Prestigious One Joe Hendry has qualified for the Commonwealth Games 2018!!
The 97kg British Champ will be in Australia for a month racking up medals, but those gimmicks in the mail keep coming!
If youd like to support him, grab the #TeamHendry tee!https://t.co/trKDXlJaZ7 pic.twitter.com/vv3LUC2QUb
— Joe Hendry (@joehendry) February 14, 2018
As noted in the Scottish Sun, Hendry said “make no mistake about it, we are proving that professional wrestlers are elite athletes. End of story. I’m doing this for the people I love, my fans and the hard working professional wrestlers who put their bodies on the line up and down the country for your entertainment.”
Joe Hendry has been a professional wrestler in the UK since 2013, after being trained by Robbie Brookside, Marty Jones, Mikey Whiplash and Killian Dain, becoming a regular with Scotland’s ICW. In 2016, he also began working with WCPW (now Defiant Wrestling), winning the WCPW World Championship. He’s also began working in North America, working with Smash Wrestling in Canada. He’s also lead the faction The Prestige that featured such wrestlers as Joe Coffey, El Ligero, Travis Banks and BT Gunn.
https://twitter.com/InsaneChampWres/status/963728597478445056
https://twitter.com/KillianDain/status/963766605275713536
https://twitter.com/mikey__whiplash/status/963736424523673600
This is incredible news! Congrats are in order to the Prestigious One!! https://t.co/KzRAx1itcx
— Smash Wrestling (@smashwrestling) February 14, 2018
The 2018 Commenwealth Games just got even more Prestigious… Joe Hendry, the 97kg British freestyle champion, has qualified! #WeAreDefiant pic.twitter.com/8TI0WiqR59
— DEFIANT Wrestling (@DEFIANTwres) February 14, 2018
