Curtis Axel: A perfect rise or a perfect plunge

Curtis Axel

It’s somewhat of a blessing in disguise that Curtis Axel used to be Michael McGillicutty, because even if as a Nexus member, he botched a promo and never quite made a mark, that name, which was a mouthful to pronounce, will now never come to haunt him of his forgetful past.

Given how updated and smart fans have started to make their presence felt substantially more in the last couple of years, Curtis Axel should get credit for his redemption.

The pop he got after his maiden Intercontinental win on Father’s Day was symbolic of his father’s legacy and a planting of trust on Axel by many in the audience to carry the legacy forward.

But it’s also hard to ignore the moment of Axel’s entry into the RAW picture.

He entered when CM Punk was out with an injury and seemed more or less like his part time replacement, or a catalyst to the feud between Punk and Heyman.

And even though Heyman utilises his promo man ability to the full for Axel, displaying complete grandeur and passion, Axel has never been able to overpower Heyman’s toweringly dramatic presence.

That is a problem because the other Paul Heyman guys, namely Lesnar and Punk, can carry themselves solo and still get an ardent reaction. But Axel has still not been given the opportunity to grow his character beyond the confines of Heyman’s actions and Mr. Perfect’s legacy.

But he is still a champion. Brock Lesnar is undoubtedly going to fade out his presence post SummerSlam. It’s going to be Heyman and Punk, and that’s when Curtis Axel should enter and this should be an opportunity for him to make some character development, though I hope he feuds another mid card wrestler or another rising star for his championship.

Because even though he is good in the ring and he’s got some sweet music for his entrance theme, he still doesn’t have that one solo feature that makes the crowd hate him or adore him, the one solo feature or characteristic that makes him stand out an array of heels, babyfaces and tweeners.

That feature is yet to come, and until that happens, Axel is just another perfect example of a wrestler vulnerable to getting lost in the shuffle. And even if Heyman sticks with him through the test of time into the abyss, it is irrelevant if that relationship is too one-sided, with only a single dominant factor.

He has got his first few steps right. He’s a conniving heel who stole victories from Triple H, Chris Jericho and the like. But right now, Curtis Axel’s growth is stagnant and his career path seems to be stuck in the middle of the Punk and Heyman feud where he has inhabited the role of Heyman’s bodyguard. Nothing more. Nothing less.

He’s got potential just like most in that locker room, but the separating factor, which marks him different, is still missing.

Take Heyman and the ‘perfect’ tag away and he’s just Michael McGillicutty. Again. And that’s not a place where he or the audience would like to venture again.