WWE RAW: Most improved performer on August 26 – Curtis Axel

This past week’s RAW gave us many memorable instances. From the AJ Lee promo (which has been making rounds on the internet; although I thought it wasn’t really “earth shattering” or completely true) to the main event, which saw Daniel Bryan taking on The Shield in a gauntlet match, RAW provided us with many interesting moments.

The match of the night was between Christian and Randy Orton, as they put on yet another solid contest, but there was one superstar, who in my view, showcased his skills and finally broke free from his constraints.

One of the highlights from this past week was the match and the segment which followed, between CM Punk and Curtis Axel/Paul Heyman. Axel showed just why he is (or at least was) considered to be one of the best workers in the company.

The feud between Punk and Heyman has been one of the most interesting in recent memory, with Heyman providing the verbiage needed to make this an intense, personal angle while Punk’s in-ring abilities have contributed to the feud inside the squared circle.

After Punk lost to Brock Lesnar at SummerSlam, Lesnar has once again taken a sabbatical from the WWE. Axel, one of the other “Paul Heyman guys”, has been nothing more than a third wheel in the feud, but has shown that he can step up if he’s given the opportunity.

Axel’s weakness is Heyman’s strength, and thus Heyman has been the perfect foil for him. With Axel being the Intercontinental champion, the feud provides some importance to the title as well, bringing some credibility to the champion and in turn, to the championship.

This past week, Punk took on Axel in a solid TV match. Axel held his own in the battle, but came up short in the end, as Punk defeated him to get his hands on Heyman. But the plan backfired, as Heyman and Axel ganged up on Punk and assaulted him.

The best thing about this feud is how every puzzle easily falls into place; Heyman is one of the best non-wrestling characters in the history of professional wrestling, and is one of the best mic workers in the business.

Punk on the other hand, is one of the best workers in the ring, and can go toe to toe with the best of talkers in the history of professional wrestling on any given night. With Lesnar gone from the WWE for the moment, this can be the perfect opportunity for Axel to make the most of it, and cement himself as a top player in the company.

In the past, Axel had the opportunity to stand out from the rest of the pack. He was involved in the Nexus faction, but that didn’t work out for any member due to the poor booking by the management.

In the current scheme of things, Axel is the client of one of the best managers of all-time, and has all the tools to become the next breakout star in the company. Although Axel wasn’t given the right opportunities, and was booked to look weak since his second coming, he has the opportunity to make things right. And with Heyman as his mouthpiece, one has to believe that Axel can reach great heights in the WWE.

If this week’s performance is any indication of things to come, it might lead to a very interesting period in the WWE. Rumours are floating around that a new “Paul Heyman guy” will be unveiled at the Night of Champions PPV, but for the sake of Axel, let’s hope those are nothing but rumours.

Although that would lead to a possibly much more interesting story going forward, for Axel to succeed in the WWE, this feud has to be used to propel him to greater heights. If Axel doesn’t use this opportunity to raise his game in the next few weeks, that might be the end of his resurgence in the WWE.