Below are a couple of top WrestleMania 41 news stories of the day, featuring Joe Hendry and Jade Cargill.
• Backstage News On Who Chose Joe Hendry As Randy Orton’s WrestleMania 41 Opponent
After Kevin Owens got injured, Randy Orton was left without an opponent at WrestleMania 41, which led to Orton issuing an open challenge on Night 2.
The challenge was answered by TNA World Champion Joe Hendry. Orton defeated Hendry in a short match that lasted 3 minutes, with Orton delivering another RKO after the bout.
According to Fightful Select, Orton personally chose Hendry as his opponent after Owens got injured. This was Orton’s 20th WrestleMania match.
Also Read: Top WWE Star Sustained Broken Fingers At WrestleMania 41
• Jade Cargill Could’ve Won The WWE Women’s Championship At WrestleMania 41
In the lead-up to WrestleMania 41, WWE had plans for a blockbuster showdown between Nia Jax and Jade Cargill for the WWE Women’s Championship. However, as revealed through recent reports and insider insights, this highly anticipated title bout was scrapped due to unforeseen circumstances, leaving fans to wonder what could have been.
The Jade Cargill vs. Nia Jax match was internally discussed and even featured on WWE’s planning whiteboard, as seen in the WWE Unreal series trailer. The bout was envisioned as a clash of titans, with Cargill, a rising star and former AEW standout, challenging Jax, the reigning WWE Women’s Champion at the time.
The plan reportedly positioned Cargill as a potential Royal Rumble winner, setting her up to face Jax at WrestleMania 41 in Las Vegas. This matchup was seen as a perfect opportunity to highlight Cargill’s strength and charisma against Jax’s dominant in-ring presence, especially since both are known for their commanding physicality.
The storyline was further fueled by their brief interaction at the 2024 Royal Rumble, where Cargill eliminated Jax, planting the seeds for a future rivalry. WWE saw this as a chance to elevate Cargill to the main event scene while giving Jax a formidable opponent to solidify her championship reign. Cargill most likely would’ve won the WWE Women’s Championship here.
However, WWE decided to change plans and booked a feud between Cargill and Naomi, while Jax lost the WWE Women’s Title to Tiffany Stratton.
