4 Superstars Paul Heyman couldn't get over

#3 Curtis Axel

Originally known as Michael McGillicutty, Axel was later given another name that seemed easy on the tongue. He came up to the main roster along with Husky Harris, attacking John Cena during his match with Wade Barrett, helping him win the bout. Years later, McGillicutty was repackaged as Curtis Axel, with Paul Heyman being named as his manager.

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The association lasted for a while, with Heyman and Axel teaming up against CM Punk at Night of Champions. Axel was eliminated by Punk, but Heyman eventually won the match after interference by Ryback. Soon after, Heyman declared that Axel was no longer a Paul Heyman Guy, marking the end of their alliance. Over the next few years, Axel was given new gimmicks, like AxelMania (a Hulk Hogan impersonator), The Social Outcasts (alongside Heath Slater, Adam Rose, and Bo Dallas), and a tandem named The B-Team, with Bo Dallas. Heyman being Axel's manager didn't help matters for him, and he was released from the company in 2020 after languishing in the mid-card segment for a long time.

Axel was wrestling royalty. He was the son of one of WWE's most technically sound wrestlers, 'Mr Perfect' Curt Hennig. But he was unable to replicate even a small portion of his old man's storied career and hence phased out without a trace.

Another example of a Heyman guy who couldn't make it big in the business.

About the author

Abhilash Mendhe is a pro wrestling journalist at Sportskeeda with nearly five years of experience. He completed his MBA from the Symbiosis Institute of Telecom Management in 2016 and worked with multiple banking institutions, including Tech Mahindra. While he started writing WWE articles for Sportskeeda in 2019 as a hobby, it eventually became a significant part of his professional journey.

Abhilash checks his articles thrice before sending them to the editing team, ensuring his work is highly accurate and reliable.

He has interviewed prominent pro wrestling personalities like Noam Dar, Angry Miz Girl, Brendan Cobbina, and Jesse Lambert. Abhilash is a big fan of AEW star Orange Cassidy, as he believes the former International Champion’s on-screen gimmick of an extremely lazy guy resonates with him.

Given the opportunity to script WWE’s next big storyline, Abhilash would treat fans to the second installment of The Bloodline Civil War. He would book Roman Reigns to re-form The Bloodline with The Usos and Sami Zayn upon his comeback. The angle would see The Tribal Chief-led group go head-to-head with The Rock, Solo Sikoa, Tama Tonga, and Jacob Fatu in a blockbuster family feud.

When not reporting on pro wrestling, Abhilash likes to work out, go on walks, read, and explore new eateries.

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Edited by Kaushik Das