In true Grand Theft Auto fashion, Grand Theft Auto 6 is expected to be a treasure trove of parodies referencing popular brands, memes, and real-life scenarios from Florida. Although information about GTA 6 has been scarce since the first trailer came out in December 2023, many fans have been picking up crumbs about the game, like information on its voice actors or rumored features, which has understandably gotten them excited. Sometimes, well-known personalities, like TNA pro-wrestler Joe Hendry, would fuel the excitement through the possibility of collaboration.
Recently, Hendry tweeted at Rockstar Games in an effort to include his song, “I Believe in Joe Hendry,” in GTA 6‘s soundtrack. The track, which is also Hendry’s entrance song in TNA and WWE, has gone viral within the wrestling community because of its catchy lyrics and meme-worthy vibes. While it’s unknown if Rockstar will take Hendry up on his offer, his campaign could open up an opportunity for GTA 6 to feature pro-wrestlers in other ways.
Related
Cars Aren’t the Only Vehicle That GTA 6 Needs to Perfect
For GTA 6, cars are—quite literally—the name of the game, but Rockstar will have to hone in on another, less familiar vehicle as well.
Pro-Wrestlers Like Joe Hendry Can Be a Good Fit in GTA 6
Mainstream professional wrestling combines athletics with entertainment, and the wrestlers are the stars of the show. Companies like WWE, TNA, and AEW, to name a few, are homes to many recognizable characters within the industry, all with various kayfabe gimmicks that help build up their babyface or heel personas, ultimately contributing to compelling storylines that fans invest in. Between their physical abilities and star qualities, many also consider wrestlers great actors in and out of the ring – in fact, many have already dabbled in films and TV shows.
Considering the comedic and action-packed themes of the GTA franchise, it’s only fitting for pro-wrestlers to be featured in GTA 6 in some way. Apart from possibly including songs like “I Believe in Joe Hendry,” it could either invite wrestlers to do some voice acting or create character models based on them. For the latter, Rockstar Games could take notes from the Yakuza franchise, which featured a number of wrestlers like Kenny Omega and Kazuchika Okada, and even had Kiryu and Majima doing wrestling moves during fights.
There are many wrestlers today that have caught the attention of fans because of their charisma and skills in the ring. Prominent champions like Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, and even John Cena are instant shoo-ins, but GTA 6 could also explore other options, such as the hilarious R Truth and The Miz or scary figures like The Undertaker and Bray Wyatt. A story could also be made about a former wrestler shifting to politics, especially with Kane (Glenn Jacobs) now being the mayor of Knox County, Tennessee. It’s safe to say that there are a lot of kayfabe and real-life events in wrestling that GTA 6 could pull from.
Another cool approach that GTA 6 could take is to introduce a pro-wrestling company in Vice City with absurd gimmicks inspired by real-life wrestlers. This could also be a great venue for main and side quests, where the protagonists could face off against NPC wrestlers to earn money or even watch matches in person or on TV to kill time. Plus, two of the biggest promotions, WWE and AEW, are both partly based in Florida, and there are many independent promotions in the state as well, so GTA 6 could definitely make some space in its open-world setting for a wrestling venue.
- WWE Performance Center: Located in Orlando, Florida, this is the training facility for WWE hopefuls.
- Daily’s Place: Known as AEW’s home venue, this amphitheater in Jacksonville, Florida regularly hosts Dynamite and Collision shows.
The advantage of including pro-wrestlers and wrestling elements in GTA 6 is that they would provide Rockstar Games with additional material to liven up Vice City and the state of Leonida as a whole. GTA 6‘s trailer already gave fans a glimpse of what Vice City is going to be like this time, and it looks like it’s going to be a crazy time. There are bound to be unexpected characters that will help this installment stand out from its predecessors, and hopefully, some will be donning their wrestling attire.
