Joseph Curtis Hennig (born October 1, 1979) is an American
professional wrestler
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring or ...
better known by the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Curtis Axel. Hennig signed with WWE in 2007 and wrestled at their
developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
(FCW) and was a
one-time FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion and
four-time FCW Florida Tag Team Champion. In 2010, after he competed on
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
under the ring name Michael McGillicutty, he debuted on WWE's main roster as part of
The Nexus. He then won the
WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
with
David Otunga
David Daniel Otunga''Lawyer ' (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Otunga is best known for his time working with WWE. He was the runner-up on the first season of ''NXT''. He is also an original member of ...
once.
In 2013, he reignited his career under the Curtis Axel ring name, paying tribute to his father
Curt Hennig
Curtis Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003) was an American professional wrestler. He performed under his real name for promotions including the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF; now WWE) ...
and his grandfather
Larry "The Axe" Hennig and won the
WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roste ...
once. He then won the WWE Raw Tag Team Championship with
Bo Dallas
Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Bo Dallas. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bla ...
as part of The B-Team. His tenure with the company ended in April 2020, but he returned in April 2022 as a producer.
Early life
Joseph Curtis Hennig was born on October 1, 1979 in
Champlin, Minnesota, the son of Leonice Hennig and professional wrestler
"Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig. He is the grandson of professional wrestler
Larry "The Axe" Hennig.
He has a younger brother named Hank, and two younger sisters named Katie and Amy, who is also a professional wrestler.
He graduated from
North Hennepin Community College
North Hennepin Community College (NHCC) is a public community college in Brooklyn Park, Minnesota. It was founded in 1966 and is a member of the Minnesota State Colleges and Universities system.
History
The college was founded in 1966 as N ...
with an Associates of Science degree in business computer systems and management.
Professional wrestling career
World League Wrestling (2007–2008)
Hennig trained under
Brad Rheingans
Brad Rheingans (born December 13, 1953) is an American former Greco-Roman wrestler and professional wrestler. He was a member of the United States' Greco-Roman wrestling teams for the 1976 and 1980 Summer Olympics, as well as winning two gold med ...
,
Harley Race, and his father "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig.
He made his
professional wrestling
Professional wrestling is a form of theater that revolves around staged wrestling matches. The mock combat is performed in a ring similar to the kind used in boxing, and the dramatic aspects of pro wrestling may be performed both in the ring o ...
debut on July 13, 2007, in
Waterloo, Iowa
Waterloo is a city in and the county seat of Black Hawk County, Iowa, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census the population was 67,314, making it the eighth-largest city in the state. The city is part of the Waterloo – Cedar Falls ...
for
World League Wrestling
Harley Race's Wrestling Academy is a professional wrestling school located in Troy, Missouri. It was established in 1999 by former NWA World Heavyweight Champion, Harley Race. Students of the school are incorporated into the professional wres ...
(WLW),
teaming with
Ted DiBiase Jr.
Theodore Marvin DiBiase Jr. (born November 8, 1982) is an American former professional wrestler, best known for his time with WWE as an original member of the stable The Legacy, and for his repackaged gimmick of "The DiBiase Posse", where he th ...
to defeat Branden Tatum and
Dinn T. Moore by
disqualification.
Hennig later went on a nine-month winning streak in WLW, before suffering his first singles loss to Wade Chism.
World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE
Developmental territories (2007–2010)
![Joe Hennig](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/08/Joe_Hennig.jpg)
On March 31, 2007, Hennig, along with his family, represented his father "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig at the
WWE Hall of Fame
The WWE Hall of Fame is a hall of fame which honors professional wrestlers and professional wrestling personalities maintained by WWE. Originally known as the "WWF Hall of Fame", it was created in 1993 when André the Giant was posthumously i ...
ceremony by accepting the award on his behalf. On the October 26, 2007 episode of ''
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
'', Hennig teamed with Steve Fender in a loss to
Jesse and Festus
Jesse and Festus, also once known as The Dalton Boys, were an United States, American professional wrestling tag team made up of Ray Gordy (Jesse) and Doc Gallows, Drew Hankinson (Festus).
History
World Wrestling Entertainment
Ohio Valley Wrest ...
.
Hennig then signed a contract with
World Wrestling Entertainment
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and va ...
(WWE) and was assigned to its
developmental territory
In sports, a farm team, farm system, feeder team, feeder club, or nursery club is generally a team or club whose role is to provide experience and training for young players, with an agreement that any successful players can move on to a higher ...
Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
(FCW). On September 11, 2008, Hennig and
Sebastian Slater defeated
Nic Nemeth and
Gavin Spears
Ronnie William Arneill (born February 19, 1981) is a Canadian professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Shawn Spears, where he is a current member of The Pinnacl ...
to win the
Florida Tag Team Championship
The FCW Florida Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling, (FCW), a former developmental territory of WWE. It was contested for in their tag team division. The c ...
. On October 30, Hennig and Slater lost the Tag Team Championship to
The New Hart Foundation (
DH Smith and
TJ Wilson
Theodore James "TJ" Wilson (born July 11, 1980) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tyson Kidd. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as a producer.
The final graduate of the Hart Dungeon, Wilson w ...
). On November 20, Hennig challenged
Sheamus O'Shaunessy for the
FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship
The FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship (professional wrestling), championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), a former Farm team, developmental territory of WWE. ...
, but the match ended in a double disqualification, and a rematch was made, but Hennig was again disqualified.
Hennig had another chance to win the title on December 11 when he participated in a
fatal four-way match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or "Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Gimmick, gimmick matches" in the Glossary of professional wrestling terms, jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. So ...
for the championship, but
Eric Escobar won the match.
On February 26, 2009, Hennig defeated Escobar to win the FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship.
On April 5, it was announced that Hennig had suffered a serious injury and therefore he had surrendered the Florida Heavyweight Championship.
Hennig returned from injury and formed a
tag team
Tag team wrestling is a type of professional wrestling in which matches are contested between teams of multiple wrestlers. Tag teams may be made up of wrestlers who normally wrestle in singles competition, but more commonly are made of establish ...
with
Brett DiBiase, known as The Fortunate Sons. On January 14, 2010, The Fortunate Sons won the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship by defeating The Dudebusters (
Caylen Croft
Kris Pavone (born May 2, 1980) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE), where he wrestled under the ring name Caylen Croft. He was one half of the DudeBusters tag team wi ...
and
Trent Barreta
Gregory "Greg" Marasciulo (born March 30, 1987), better known by the ring name Trent Beretta or Trent?, is an American professional wrestler signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is also known for his time with New Japan Pro-Wrestling and Ring ...
).
On March 13, The Fortunate Sons lost the championship to
The Uso Brothers (Jimmy and Jules). On April 8, Hennig blamed DiBiase for the loss, and the two fought in a match to a double disqualification. At an FCW event on April 29, Hennig faced DiBiase, but DiBiase suffered a knee injury during the match, ending their storyline. On July 15, now using the
ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Michael McGillicutty, teamed with
Kaval
The kaval is a chromatic end-blown flute traditionally played throughout the Balkans (in Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Southern Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Northern Greece, and elsewhere) and Anatolia (including Turkey and Armenia). The ka ...
to win the FCW Florida Tag Team Championship from Los Aviadores (
Epico and
Hunico), becoming a four-time tag team champion.
The following day, they
dropped the championships back to Los Aviadores.
McGillicutty then took part in the
second season of
NXT
NXT may refer to:
Professional wrestling
* ''WWE NXT'', a professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that began in 2010
** NXT (WWE brand), WWE's Florida-based brand and former developmental territory
* ''NXT UK'', the British spin- ...
, with
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
as his pro.
He made his ''NXT'' debut on the June 8 episode, but did not compete in a match. He made his in-ring debut on the following edition of ''NXT'', teaming with Kingston to defeat
Mark Henry
Mark Jerrold Henry (born June 12, 1971) is an American former powerlifter, Olympic weightlifter, strongman, and professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a commentator/analyst, coach, and talent scout. He is b ...
and
Lucky Cannon.
In the first
poll
Poll, polled, or polling may refer to:
Figurative head counts
* Poll, a formal election
** Election verification exit poll, a survey taken to verify election counts
** Polling, voting to make decisions or determine opinions
** Polling places o ...
on June 29, McGillicutty was ranked third, behind Kaval and
Percy Watson
Nicholas Christopher McNeil (born August 19, 1981), better known by his ring name Percy Watson, is an American professional wrestler, commentator, and former professional football player. He is best known for his time with WWE as a commentato ...
. On the July 20 episode of ''NXT'', McGillicutty earned immunity from elimination in the next poll by completing an obstacle course in the fastest time. On the following episode of ''NXT'', he moved up to first place in the second poll.
After six consecutive victories, McGillicutty suffered his first loss on the August 3 episode of ''NXT'', when he was defeated by pro
The Miz
Michael Gregory Mizanin (born October 8, 1980) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and television personality. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name The Miz.
Mizanin first gained fa ...
. On the August 9 episode of ''
Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'', the rookies appeared in a six-man tag team match, in which McGillicutty teamed with
Alex Riley
Kevin Robert Kiley Jr. (born April 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler and commentator best known for his time with WWE under the ring name Alex Riley. He was a participant in the second season of ''NXT''.
Professional wrestling ...
and
Husky Harris to defeat Kaval, Lucky Cannon, and Percy Watson. The following night on ''NXT'', his team lost a rematch, when McGillicutty was pinned by Kaval, and in the next poll later that night, McGillicutty relinquished the first place ranking back to Kaval, slipping to second place. In the season finale on August 31, McGillicutty ended the competition in second place, being beaten by Kaval, and at the end of the show, McGillicutty attacked Kaval with the other eliminated rookies, turning
heel in the process.
The Nexus (2010–2011)
![Nexus victory2-crop](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/31/Nexus_victory2-crop.jpg)
On October 3, 2010, at the
Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
pay-per-view
Pay-per-view (PPV) is a type of pay television or webcast service that enables a viewer to pay to watch individual events via private telecast.
Events can be purchased through a multichannel television platform using their electronic program guid ...
, a disguised McGillicutty and Husky Harris interfered in a match between
John Cena
John Felix Anthony Cena ( ; born April 23, 1977) is an American part-time professional wrestler, actor, and former rapper. He is currently signed to WWE. Widely regarded as one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all time, he is tied ...
and
Wade Barrett
Stuart Alexander Bennett (born 10 August 1980) is an English-American professional wrestling commentator, actor, and former professional wrestler who holds both British and American citizenship. He is currently signed to WWE, where he is a col ...
, and helped Barrett win, forcing Cena to join
The Nexus per the pre-match stipulation. On the following day's episode of ''Raw'', McGillicutty and Harris' identities were revealed, though Barrett claimed he had not asked for their help and refused to make them full-time members of The Nexus. The following week on ''Raw'', McGillicutty and Harris cost Cena a match against The Miz, prompting Barrett to give them the opportunity to win membership in The Nexus. On the October 18 episode of ''Raw'', McGillicutty and Harris failed to earn a place in The Nexus when they lost to Cena and
Randy Orton in a tag team match. On the following ''Raw'', in spite of their loss, Harris and McGillicutty were inducted into The Nexus.
![Mike McG Tag Champ](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Mike_McG_Tag_Champ.png)
In January 2011,
CM Punk took over The Nexus and had each of its members put through an initiation, and McGillicutty passed his initiation, a beatdown from the rest of the group, and was allowed to remain a member of Nexus, alongside Punk, Harris and
David Otunga
David Daniel Otunga''Lawyer ' (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Otunga is best known for his time working with WWE. He was the runner-up on the first season of ''NXT''. He is also an original member of ...
. The following month, Punk was announced as the
WrestleMania XXVII
WrestleMania XXVII (also written as WrestleMania 27) was the 27th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) event produced by World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE). It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDow ...
opponent for Randy Orton, and as a result, each member of The Nexus was scheduled to face Orton in the month prior to WrestleMania, with McGillicutty lost to Orton on the February 28 episode of ''Raw'', and after the match Orton
punted McGillicutty in the head. McGillicutty returned on the April 11 episode of ''Raw'' with the other Nexus members, preventing Orton from earning a
WWE Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown' ...
match. On the May 23 episode of ''Raw'', McGillicutty teamed with fellow Nexus member David Otunga to win the
WWE Tag Team Championship
WWE (formerly the WWF, the WWWF, and Capitol Wrestling) has maintained at least one primary tag team championship for its male performers since 1958 (except for a two year interim between 1967 and 1969). During periods of brand division, separat ...
from
Big Show and Kane
Big Show and Kane were an American tag team active in professional wrestling during 2001–2002, 2005–2006, 2011 and 2014–2016 consisted of Paul Wight (Big Show) and Glenn Jacobs (Kane). Using their gigantic statures and power to dominate ...
, with the help interference from fellow Nexus members Punk and
Mason Ryan
Barri Griffiths (born 13 January 1982) is a Welsh actor and former professional wrestler. He is best known for his time with WWE under the ring name Mason Ryan.
Griffiths studied construction management at Cardiff University, before working as ...
.
On the July 29 episode of ''
SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
'', they made their only successful title defense against
The Usos
The Usos (born August 22, 1985) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of twin brothers Joshua Samuel Fatu and Jonathan Solofa Fatu, who are known professionally by their respective ring names Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso. They ar ...
(Jey Uso and Jimmy Uso). After CM Punk left The Nexus when his WWE contract expired on July 17, McGillicutty and Otunga competed against
Santino Marella
Anthony Carelli (born March 14, 1974) is a Canadian judoka and semi-retired professional wrestler. He is known for his 11-year tenure with WWE where he wrestled under the ring name Santino Marella. He is the founder of and instructor at Battle Ar ...
and
Zack Ryder
Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryd ...
on the August 1 episode of ''Raw'' without any Nexus gear or armbands, and with all Nexus logos removed from their TitanTron, effectively signaling the end of The Nexus. On the August 22 episode of ''Raw'', McGillicutty and Otunga lost the WWE Tag Team Championship to Air Boom (
Evan Bourne
Matthew Joseph Korklan (born March 19, 1983), better known by the ring name Matt Sydal, is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW).
Prior to signing with AEW, Sydal wrestled in WWE as Evan Bourne, and was ...
and
Kofi Kingston
Kofi Nahaje Sarkodie-Mensah (born August 14, 1981) is a Ghanaian-born American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT brand under the ring name Kofi Kingston. He appeared on WWE's NXT brand as one-ha ...
), ending their reign at 91 days.
Return to NXT (2011–2013)
After his dissociation with Otunga, he would largely be confined to wrestling on ''
Superstars'' and ''NXT'' from late 2011.
On the October 20 episode of ''Superstars'', McGillicutty and
Drew McIntyre
Andrew McLean Galloway IV (born 6 June 1985) is a Scottish professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Drew McIntyre.
McIntyre is a two-time WWE Champion, one-time WWE I ...
lost a non-title match to the WWE Tag Team Champions Air Boom. In late 2011, McGillicutty and Alex Riley had a series of matches on ''Superstars'', which Riley won 2–1.
[ On the February 23, 2012 episode of ''Superstars'', McGillicutty defeated Riley, which would be his last televised win on a non-NXT show until he was repackaged as Curtis Axel in May 2013, resulting in McGillicutty losing more than twenty non-NXT matches in a row, mostly on ''Superstars'', but also on '']Main Event
In sports, a card lists the matches taking place in a title match combat-sport event. Cards include a main event match and the undercard listing the rest of the matches. The undercard may be divided into a midcard and a lower card, according to ...
and Saturday Morning Slam.[''
McGillicutty made his return to ''NXT'', appearing from January 2012 on the fifth season '']NXT Redemption
''WWE NXT'', also known as ''NXT'', is an American professional wrestling television program. It is produced by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, featuring performers from the promotion's NXT brand division. The show current ...
'', but not as a rookie. In February, McGillicutty mocked Tyson Kidd
Theodore James "TJ" Wilson (born July 11, 1980) is a Canadian retired professional wrestler better known by the ring name Tyson Kidd. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as a producer.
The final graduate of the Hart Dungeon, Wilson ...
's lack of wrestling heritage, starting a feud on ''NXT Redemption''. McGillicutty then beat Kidd on the February 29 episode of ''NXT Redemption''. McGillicutty continued to insult Kidd by claiming that Kidd would never be a true 'Hart
Hart often refers to:
* Hart (deer)
Hart may also refer to:
Organizations
* Hart Racing Engines, a former Formula One engine manufacturer
* Hart Skis, US ski manufacturer
* Hart Stores, a Canadian chain of department stores
* Hart's Reptile Wo ...
', and Kidd received a rematch on the March 21 episode of ''NXT Redemption'', where he defeated McGillicutty. McGillicutty and Kidd faced off in a third match on the April 11 episode of ''NXT'', resulting in Kidd triumphant over McGillicutty. McGillicutty then formed an occasional team with Johnny Curtis
Curtis Jonathan Hussey (born July 22, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is signed to The National Wrestling Alliance (NWA) under the ring name Dirty Dango. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring nam ...
for the rest of 2012.[ On the final episode of the fifth season of ''NXT'' on June 13, McGillicutty and Curtis lost to The Usos.
After the conclusion of ''NXT Redemption'', NXT transitioned into the renamed Florida Championship Wrestling developmental territory.] McGillicutty continued appearing on the rebooted ''NXT'', losing to Tyson Kidd on the first episode on June 20. On the August 8 episode of ''NXT'', McGillicutty was inserted into the Gold Rush Tournament to crown the first NXT Champion
The NXT Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. It is defended as the top championship of the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. I ...
, where he defeated Justin Gabriel
Phillip Paul Lloyd (born 3 March 1981) is a South African-American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, under the ring name Justin Gabriel. He is currently wrestling under the ring name P. J. Black.
A second-generation ...
in the quarter-finals. McGillicutty was eliminated in the semi-finals on August 15, when he lost to eventual tournament winner Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signing ...
. On the next episode, Tyson Kidd heaped more misery on McGillicutty as he and Justin Gabriel defeated McGillicutty and Johnny Curtis, but on the September 12 episode of ''NXT'', McGillicutty gained revenge by defeating Kidd to become the number one contender for the NXT Championship. On the October 10 episode of ''NXT'', McGillicutty failed to win the NXT Championship from Seth Rollins. On the November 28 episode of ''NXT'', Johnny Curtis cashed in his promised tag title shot from winning season four of ''NXT'', with McGillicutty as his partner against Team Hell No
Team Hell No was an American professional wrestling tag team in the WWE. They performed on the SmackDown brand consisting of Kane and Daniel Bryan. The team's name is a reference to the two wrestlers' personas: Kane is portrayed as a violent py ...
( Daniel Bryan and Kane), but Team Hell No won the match. On January 2, 2013 episode of ''NXT'', McGillicutty turned face
The face is the front of an animal's head that features the eyes, nose and mouth, and through which animals express many of their emotions. The face is crucial for human identity, and damage such as scarring or developmental deformities may aff ...
(but only within NXT) after saving Bo Dallas
Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Bo Dallas. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bla ...
from a beating at the hands of Primo and Epico
Primo and Epico Colón are a Puerto Rican professional wrestling tag team. The team, composed of real-life cousins, are former WWE Tag Team Champions, with the title won during their first run as Primo and Epico from 2011 to 2013. They also for ...
. On the next episode, Primo and Epico defeated McGillicutty and Dallas, though McGillicutty and Dallas would gain revenge when they defeated Primo and Epico in the first round of the NXT Tag Team Championship
The NXT Tag Team Championship is a men's professional wrestling tag team championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE. It is defended on the NXT brand division, the promotion's developmental territory. Introduced on January 2 ...
tournament to crown the inaugural champions on the January 30 episode of ''NXT''. On the February 6 episode of ''NXT'', McGillicutty and Dallas were eliminated in the semi-finals, when they lost to The Wyatt Family
The Wyatt Family was an American professional wrestling stable in WWE originally composed of Bray Wyatt, Erick Rowan, and Luke Harper.
The Wyatt Family debuted in WWE's then developmental branch NXT in November 2012, with Harper and Rowan g ...
(Luke Harper
Jonathan Huber (December 16, 1979 – December 26, 2020) was an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Luke Harper (later simply Harper) from 2012 to 2019, and in All E ...
and Erick Rowan
Joseph Ruud (born November 28, 1981) is an American professional wrestler performing as Erick Redbeard. Having previously wrestled in Japan, where he trained and performed for Pro Wrestling Noah, Ruud signed a contract with WWE in 2011. He was s ...
).
Intercontinental Champion (2013–2014)
On the May 20, 2013 episode of ''Raw'', he was repackaged under the ring name
A ring name is a type of stage name used by an athlete such as a professional wrestler, mixed martial artist, or boxer whose real name is considered unattractive, dull, difficult to pronounce or spell, amusing for the wrong reasons, or projecting ...
Curtis Axel (the name is a derivative of his father's first name, Curt, and his grandfather Larry
Larry is a masculine given name in English, derived from Lawrence or Laurence. It can be a shortened form of those names.
Larry may refer to the following:
People Arts and entertainment
* Larry D. Alexander, American artist/writer
*Larry Boone ...
's nickname "The Axe"), with Paul Heyman
Paul Heyman (born September 11, 1965) is an American professional wrestling manager, former promoter, photographer, and executive. He is currently signed to WWE, appearing on the SmackDown brand as manager for Undisputed WWE Universal Heavyweig ...
as his new manager, and later that night, Axel faced Triple H
Paul Michael Levesque (born July 27, 1969), better known by the ring name Triple H, is an American business executive, actor, and retired professional wrestler currently serving as the chief content officer for WWE. He is widely regarded as on ...
in his re-debut match, winning by knockout after Triple H suffered concussion-like symptoms and collapsed outside the ring. On the May 24 episode of ''SmackDown'', Axel defeated Sin Cara
In a religious context, sin is a transgression against divine law. Each culture has its own interpretation of what it means to commit a sin. While sins are generally considered actions, any thought, word, or act considered immoral, selfish, ...
. Over the next two weeks on ''Raw'', Axel scored back-to-back non-title count-out wins over WWE Champion John Cena, due to distractions and interference by Ryback
Ryback Allen Reeves (né Ryan; born November 10, 1981) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE where he performed under the ring name Ryback.
One of the eight finalists on WWE's '' Tough Enough 4'', Reeves ...
. On the June 7 episode of ''SmackDown'', Axel defeated Chris Jericho
Christopher Keith Irvine (born November 9, 1970), better known by the ring name Chris Jericho, is an American-Canadian professional wrestler and singer. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he is the leader of the Jerich ...
, after Jericho was distracted by CM Punk, who was, at the time another client of Paul Heyman's. Three days later on ''Raw'', Axel defeated Triple H twice, first by disqualification and second by forfeit. At Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
, Axel defeated Wade Barrett and The Miz in a triple threat match
Many types of wrestling matches, sometimes called "concept" or " gimmick matches" in the jargon of the business, are performed in professional wrestling. Some gimmick matches are more common than others and are often used to advance or conclude a ...
to win the Intercontinental Championship, joining his father as the only father-son pair to have won the WWE Intercontinental Championship. Axel made his first televised title defense on the following episode of ''SmackDown'', defeating Barrett in a rematch.
On the June 24 episode of ''Raw'', Axel saved CM Punk from an assault by The Prime Time Players
The Prime Time Players were an American professional wrestling tag team performing in the WWE, composed of Darren Young and Titus O'Neil. The two initially competed on ''WWE NXT'', debuting as a team in January 2012 and were later promoted to t ...
(Darren Young
Frederick Douglas Rosser III (born November 2, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW), where he is the current Strong Openweight Champion in his first reign. He is best known for his ...
and Titus O'Neil
Thaddeus Michael Bullard Sr. (born April 29, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and former arena football player. He is the Global Ambassador of WWE and also performs for the promotion as a wrestler under the ring name Titus O'Neil. D ...
), at the request of Heyman and to the dismay of Punk. This led to a tag team match the following week on ''Raw'', where Axel won the match for his team after he tagged himself in following Punk delivering the Go To Sleep on Darren Young and pinned him for the victory. Axel suffered his first loss since becoming Heyman's client on the July 8 episode of ''Raw'', when he was pinned by Chris Jericho in a non-title match. At Money in the Bank, Axel defeated The Miz to retain the Intercontinental Championship, and later that night, Heyman turned on CM Punk. Axel was set to team with Heyman in an elimination handicap match against Punk at Night of Champions
Night (also described as night time, unconventionally spelled as "nite") is the period of ambient darkness from sunset to sunrise during each 24-hour day, when the Sun is below the horizon. The exact time when night begins and ends depends o ...
, and during the pay-per-view, Heyman begged Triple H to cancel the match, but Triple H refused, not only confirming the match, but making Axel defend the Intercontinental Championship against Kofi Kingston, and Axel retained the title against Kingston. Later in the event, Axel was eliminated by Punk, but Heyman won the match after interference from Ryback. On the September 30 episode of ''Raw'', Axel was defeated by R-Truth
Ronnie Aaron Killings (born January 19, 1972) is an American professional wrestler and rapper. He is currently signed to WWE, performing on the Raw brand under the ring name R-Truth.
Killings worked for World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now ...
in a non-title match, which gave Truth a title match. At Battleground, Axel defeated R-Truth to retain the Intercontinental Championship. At Hell in a Cell
Hell in a Cell is a professional wrestling steel cage-based match which originated in 1997 in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE). It features a large cell structure, a five-sided cuboid made from open-weave steel mesh chain-link fen ...
, Axel was scheduled to defend his title against Big E Langston
Ettore Ewen (born March 1, 1986) is an American professional wrestler and former powerlifter. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Big E, but is currently inactive due to a broken neck. In ...
, however, the match was cancelled due to Axel's legitimate hip injury. On the November 15 episode of ''SmackDown'', Heyman ended his association with Axel. On the November 18 episode of ''Raw'', Axel lost the title to Langston, ending his reign at 155 days. At Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, Axel failed to regain the championship from Langston.
On the December 6 episode of ''SmackDown'', Axel and Ryback defeated WWE Tag Team Champions Cody Rhodes and Goldust
Cody and Dustin Rhodes (also known as Cody Rhodes and Goldust, The Brotherhood, The Rhodes Brothers, and Gold and Stardust) were an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Cody Rhodes and Dustin Rhodes. They are also known for th ...
in a non-title match, earning themselves a shot at the title. At TLC: Tables, Ladders and Chairs, they would compete in a fatal four-way tag team elimination match for the WWE Tag Team Championship, but they were eliminated by Cody Rhodes and Goldust. At WrestleMania XXX
WrestleMania XXX was the 30th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 6, 2014, at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans, Louisiana and was the first WWE ...
on April 6, 2014, they failed to win the WWE Tag Team Championship in a fatal four-way tag team elimination match. Axel and Ryback would continue their brief feud with Cody Rhodes and Goldust from earlier in the year at Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
which they won, before losing the rematch at Money in the Bank. Ryback then took time off for surgery and returned as a singles competitor later that year, ending the team.
AxelMania and The Social Outcasts (2015–2017)
At the Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
on January 25, 2015, Axel was set to enter the Royal Rumble match
The Royal Rumble match is a professional wrestling match based on the classic Battle Royal match in which a number of wrestlers (traditionally 30) aim at eliminating their competitors by tossing them over the top rope, with both feet touching the ...
at number 6, but was attacked by Erick Rowan on the entrance ramp, rendering him unable to compete. As a result of not being eliminated (having never officially entered the match), Axel trended on Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
following the event, and also received supportive tweets from former WWE wrestlers Lance Storm and Tommy Dreamer
Thomas James Laughlin (born February 13, 1971), is an American professional wrestler and promoter better known by the ring name Tommy Dreamer. He is signed to Impact Wrestling and is the owner and promoter of the House of Hardcore (HOH) promo ...
and then later from current WWE wrestlers Xavier Woods
Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT (WWE brand), NXT WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Xavier Woods. He app ...
, Zack Ryder
Matthew Brett Cardona (born May 14, 1985) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to Impact Wrestling and the National Wrestling Alliance (NWA). He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Zack Ryd ...
, and David Otunga, the latter offering his legal services. Axel was defeated by Rowan on the following week's episode of ''Main Event''. Axel then began an angle
In Euclidean geometry, an angle is the figure formed by two Ray (geometry), rays, called the ''Side (plane geometry), sides'' of the angle, sharing a common endpoint, called the ''vertex (geometry), vertex'' of the angle.
Angles formed by two ...
where he began referring to himself as "the true winner of the Royal Rumble", claiming that he still hadn't been eliminated from the match and that he deserved a shot at WrestleMania 31
WrestleMania 31 was the 31st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Santa Clara, California. Nine ...
for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship
The WWE Championship is a world heavyweight championship created and promoted by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE, representing the Raw brand division. It is one of two world titles on WWE's main roster, alongside SmackDown ...
as a result. This involved Axel interrupting segments involving the likes of Dean Ambrose
Jonathan David Good (born December 7, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW), where he performs under the ring name Jon Moxley. He also makes appearances for New Japan Pro-Wres ...
, John Cena, and Rusev to protest his cause, and also led to Axel starting his own hashtag, #AxelMania. At WrestleMania 31
WrestleMania 31 was the 31st annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on March 29, 2015, at Levi's Stadium in the San Francisco Bay Area town of Santa Clara, California. Nine ...
, Axel participated in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
The André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is a namesake battle royal held as part of WrestleMania Weekend by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match receives the André the Giant Memorial Trophy. The inaugura ...
, but was eliminated by multiple wrestlers.
On the May 11 episode of ''Raw'', Axel turned face when he shook hands with Damien Sandow
Aron Steven Haddad (born August 3, 1982) is an American professional wrestler best known for wrestling with WWE under the ring name Damien Sandow. He is also known for his time in Total Nonstop Action Wrestling and the independent circuit unde ...
(who impersonating Randy Savage
Randall Mario Poffo (November 15, 1952 – May 20, 2011), better known by his ring name "Macho Man" Randy Savage, was an American professional wrestler best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) and World Championship Wrestl ...
as "Macho Mandow"), similar to the handshake of The Mega Powers
The Mega Powers was a tag team in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) from 1987 to 1989, consisting of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage, and managed by Savage's wife, Miss Elizabeth. Lust and jealousy surrounding her led to the team's demise and subs ...
, when they formed a tag team. After this, Axel began impersonating Hulk Hogan
Terry Eugene Bollea (; born August 11, 1953), better known by his ring name Hulk Hogan, is an American retired professional wrestler. He is widely regarded as the most recognized wrestling star worldwide and the most popular wrestler of the 19 ...
, while teaming with Sandow, with the two were dubbed The Meta Powers. The Meta Powers were defeated by The Ascension at Payback
Payback may refer to:
* Revenge, a harmful action against a person or group in response to a grievance
Payback may also refer to:
Art, entertainment, and media Fictional entities
* Payback, a member of the fictional comics superhero team Shadow ...
( Konnor and Viktor
The name Victor or Viktor may refer to:
* Victor (name), including a list of people with the given name, mononym, or surname
Arts and entertainment
Film
* ''Victor'' (1951 film), a French drama film
* ''Victor'' (1993 film), a French shor ...
). Axel and Sandow ceased their AxelMania and Macho Mandow imitations on July 24, after WWE fired Hulk Hogan and severed all ties with him.
On the January 4, 2016 episode of ''Raw'', Axel turned heel, when he along with Heath Slater
Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he performs mononymously as Heath, and is also active on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in ...
, Adam Rose
Raymond John Leppan (born 20 July 1979) is a South African retired professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE under the ring name Adam Rose.
Making his debut on the South African independent circuit in 1995, Leppan signed with ...
and Bo Dallas, debuted a new stable and assisted Slater in defeating Dolph Ziggler
Nicholas Theodore Nemeth (born July 27, 1980) is an American professional wrestler and stand-up comedian. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Dolph Ziggler, where he performs on the Raw brand.
After a prolific career in amateur ...
, calling themselves "The Social Outcasts". At Royal Rumble
The Royal Rumble is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming List of WWE pay-per-view and WWE Network events, event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. It is named afte ...
, Axel would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 5, before being eliminated by AJ Styles
Allen Neal Jones (born June 2, 1977), better known by his ring name AJ Styles (also stylized as A.J. Styles), is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Regarded as one of the best ...
. On February 21 at Fastlane, Axel defeated R-Truth, with interference from fellow The Social Outcasts members. At WrestleMania 32
WrestleMania 32 was the 32nd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It took place on April 3, 2016, at the AT&T Stadium in the Dallas suburb of Arlington, Texas. This was the last Wre ...
, Axel participated in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which was won by Baron Corbin
Thomas Pestock (born September 13, 1984) is an American professional wrestler and former professional football player. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Baron Corbin.
Pestock is a former off ...
. In May, The Social Outcasts took time out to film '' The Marine 5: Battleground''. The Social Outcasts returned on the June 27 episode of ''Raw'', confronting Enzo Amore and Big Cass
FreeAgentZ (formerly known as Enzo and Cass) are an American professional wrestling tag team composed of nZo and CaZXL. The duo are best known for their tenure with WWE, from 2013 to 2017, under the respective ring names, Enzo Amore and Big Ca ...
. The following week on ''Raw'', The Social Outcasts was defeated by Enzo and Cass.
As part of the draft
Draft, The Draft, or Draught may refer to:
Watercraft dimensions
* Draft (hull), the distance from waterline to keel of a vessel
* Draft (sail), degree of curvature in a sail
* Air draft, distance from waterline to the highest point on a vesse ...
, Axel was drafted to the Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
brand
A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's good or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create an ...
as its last draft pick, earning him the nickname Mr. Irrelevant
Mr. Irrelevant is the nickname given to the last pick of the annual National Football League Draft. Although NFL drafts date back to 1936, the first person to be called Mr. Irrelevant was Kelvin Kirk of the 1976 NFL Draft.
History
"Mr. Irrelev ...
. After losing to the returning Neville, Axel then joined forces with former Social Outcasts member Bo Dallas, and they were defeated by Neville and Sami Zayn
Rami Sebei ( ar, رامي سبعي; born July 12, 1984) is a Canadian professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Sami Zayn, and is a member of The Bloodline.
Prior to jo ...
on the October 10 episode of ''Raw''. The following week on ''Raw'', Axel was attacked by Dallas after his match with Neville, thus turning face in the process. A week later, Axel receiving a pop from the crowd in his home state of Minnesota
Minnesota () is a state in the upper midwestern region of the United States. It is the 12th largest U.S. state in area and the 22nd most populous, with over 5.75 million residents. Minnesota is home to western prairies, now given over to ...
, before losing to Dallas. At WrestleMania 33
WrestleMania 33 was the 33rd annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 2, 201 ...
on April 2, 2017, Axel participated in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal
The André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal is a namesake battle royal held as part of WrestleMania Weekend by the American professional wrestling promotion WWE. The winner of the match receives the André the Giant Memorial Trophy. The inaugura ...
, which was won by Mojo Rawley
Dean Muhtadi ( ar, دين موهتادي; born July 17, 1986) is an American professional wrestler, actor, and former American professional football player. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Mojo Rawle ...
.
The Miztourage and The B-Team (2017–2020)
On the June 19 episode of ''Raw'', Intercontinental Champion The Miz approached Axel and Bo Dallas
Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Bo Dallas. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bla ...
, offering to make them "the stars hey
Hey or Hey! may refer to:
Music
* Hey (band), a Polish rock band
Albums
* ''Hey'' (Andreas Bourani album) or the title song (see below), 2014
* ''Hey!'' (Julio Iglesias album) or the title song, 1980
* ''Hey!'' (Jullie album) or the title s ...
deserve to be" if they become his entourage, and later that night, Axel and Dallas appeared in bear costumes during a in ring segment between Miz and his wife Maryse Maryse is a given name. Notable persons with this name include:
*Maryse Alberti, cinematographer
*Maryse Condé, author
*Maryse Dauvray, actress
*Maryse Lassonde, neuropsychologist
*Maryse Liburdi (formerly Maryse Thomas), CEO
*Maryse Marpsat, soci ...
, attacking Dean Ambrose, thus turning heel once again. Axel and Dallas, now dubbed The Miztourage, began helping Miz in his matches and occasionally teamed him with him, including winning efforts against Dean Ambrose, Heath Slater
Heath Wallace Miller (born July 15, 1983) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he performs mononymously as Heath, and is also active on the independent circuit. He is best known for his time in ...
and Rhyno
Terrance Guido Gerin (born October 7, 1975) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Rhyno or Rhino. He is currently signed to Impact Wrestling, where he is one-half of the Impact World Tag Team Champions in his secon ...
on June 26 episode of ''Raw'' and Jason Jordan
Nathan Everhart (born September 28, 1988) is an American professional wrestler better known by the ring name Jason Jordan. He is currently signed to WWE, where he works as a producer. He has not wrestled since suffering a neck injury in Janu ...
and The Hardy Boyz
The Hardys, also known as The Hardy Boyz, are an American professional wrestling tag team consisting of Shoot (professional wrestling), real-life brothers Matt Hardy, Matt and Jeff Hardy, who are currently appearing in All Elite Wrestling (AEW). ...
(Jeff Hardy
Jeffrey Nero Hardy (born August 31, 1977) is an American professional wrestler and musician. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). Hardy is widely considered one of the greatest professional wrestlers of all-time and is regarded ...
and Matt Hardy
Matthew Moore Hardy (born September 23, 1974) is an American professional wrestler currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW). He is best known for his time with WWE.
With his real life brother Jeff, Hardy gained notoriety in WWF's tag team ...
) at SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
. At No Mercy, they also helped Miz to defeat Jason Jordan to retain his title. At WrestleMania 34
WrestleMania 34 was the 34th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw and SmackDown brand divisions. The event took place on April 8, 2 ...
on April 8, 2018, Axel participated in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but was eliminated by Kane. As part of the Superstar Shake-Up, Miz was moved to the SmackDown
''WWE SmackDown'', also known as ''Friday Night SmackDown'' or simply ''SmackDown'', is an American professional wrestling television program produced by WWE that as of currently airs live every Friday at 8 p.m. ET on Fox. Fox Deportes sim ...
brand, while Axel and Dallas remained on Raw. On the April 16 episode of ''Raw'', during a tag team match, Axel and Dallas turned on Miz, ending their alliance.
On the May 14 episode of ''Raw'', the duo adopted the new team name "The B-Team" and defeated Breezango (Tyler Breeze
Matthew Clement (born January 19, 1988) is a Canadian professional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer. He is currently signed to WWE under the ring name Tyler Breeze as a trainer at the WWE Performance Center.
From 2010 to 2012, he pe ...
and Fandango
Fandango is a lively partner dance originating from Portugal and Spain, usually in triple meter, traditionally accompanied by guitars, castanets, or hand-clapping. Fandango can both be sung and danced. Sung fandango is usually bipartite: it has ...
), their first win as a team since August 2017. On the June 4 episode of ''Raw,'' The B-Team won a tag team battle royal to determine the number one contenders for the Raw Tag Team Championships. At Extreme Rules, The B-Team defeated Bray Wyatt
Windham Lawrence Rotunda (born May 23, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the SmackDown brand under the ring name Bray Wyatt.
Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler, fo ...
and Matt Hardy to win the Raw Tag Team Championship. On the July 23 episode of ''Raw'', they successfully retained their title against Wyatt and Hardy. At SummerSlam
SummerSlam is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1988 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Dubbed "The Biggest Party of the Summer", it is considered WWE's secon ...
on August 19, The B-Team successfully retained their title against The Revival (Dash Wilder
Daniel Marshall Wheeler (born May 17, 1987) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to All Elite Wrestling (AEW) under the ring name Cash Wheeler. Wheeler is also known for his time in WWE, under the ring name Dash Wilder. ...
and Scott Dawson). On the September 3 episode of ''Raw'', The B-Team lost the championships to Dolph Ziggler and Drew McIntyre, ending their reign at 50 days.
At Survivor Series
Survivor Series is a professional wrestling pay-per-view (PPV) and livestreaming event, produced annually since 1987 by WWE, the world's largest professional wrestling promotion. Held in November generally the week of Thanksgiving, it is the se ...
, The B-Team made up part of Team Raw as they took on Team SmackDown in a 10-on-10 Survivor Series tag team elimination match and Team Raw would go on to lose the match. At WrestleMania 35
WrestleMania 35 was the 35th annual WrestleMania professional wrestling pay-per-view and livestreaming event produced by WWE. It was held for wrestlers from the promotion's Raw, SmackDown, and 205 Live brand divisions. The event took place ...
on April 7, 2019, Axel competed in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but failed to win the match. As part of the Superstar Shake-up, both Axel and Dallas were moved to the SmackDown brand. On the February 28, 2020 edition of ''SmackDown,'' Axel was defeated by Daniel Bryan, in what would be his final appearance in WWE. On April 30, he was released from his WWE contract due to budget cuts stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic
The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...
, ending his 13-year tenure with the company.
Backstage work (2022)
In April 2022, Hennig was rehired by WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
as a producer. On the May 30, 2022 episode of ''Raw
Raw is an adjective usually describing:
* Raw materials, basic materials from which products are manufactured or made
* Raw food, uncooked food
Raw or RAW may also refer to:
Computing and electronics
* .RAW, a proprietary mass spectrometry dat ...
'', Hennig was seen as a security team member, breaking up the brawl between Cody Rhodes
Cody Garrett Runnels Rhodes (''né'' Runnels; born June 30, 1985) is an American professional wrestler and actor. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand. Rhodes is also known for his time in All Elite Wrestling (AE ...
and Seth Rollins
Colby Daniel Lopez (born May 28, 1986) is an American professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the Raw brand under the ring name Seth Rollins (often referred to as Seth "Freakin" Rollins).
Prior to signing ...
. Hennig was released 3 months later.
Personal life
Hennig has been married to Brooke Hennig since 2004. In a WWE Network
WWE Network is a subscription video on-demand over-the-top streaming service and digital television network owned by the American entertainment company WWE. It primarily distributes original professional wrestling events, films, television and ...
original series episode of ''Table for 3'', he stated that he has three sons. He enjoys ice fishing
Ice fishing is the practice of catching fish with lines and fish hooks or spears through an opening in the ice on a frozen body of water. Ice fishers may fish in the open or in heated enclosures, some with bunks and amenities.
Shelters
Longe ...
and fantasy football.
Other media
Hennig made his video game
Video games, also known as computer games, are electronic games that involves interaction with a user interface or input device such as a joystick, controller, keyboard, or motion sensing device to generate visual feedback. This fee ...
debut as a playable character in ''WWE '12
''WWE '12'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by THQ for PlayStation 3, Wii and Xbox 360. It was released on November 22, 2011, in North America, November 25 in Europe, and on January 26, 2012, in Japan. ...
'' and has since appeared in '' WWE 2K15'', ''WWE 2K16
''WWE 2K16'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 3, PlayStation 4, Xbox 360 and Xbox One. It is the sequel to ''WWE 2K15'', and was succeeded by ''WWE 2K17''. ...
'', ''WWE 2K17
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vari ...
'', ''WWE 2K18
''WWE 2K18'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It is the nineteenth installment in the WWE game series (fifth under the ''WWE 2K'' banner) and a follow-up to '' WWE 2K17''. It was released wor ...
'', ''WWE 2K19
''WWE 2K19'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Yuke's and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 9, 2018, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twentieth overall game in the ''WW ...
'', ''WWE 2K20
''WWE 2K20'' is a professional wrestling video game developed by Visual Concepts and published by 2K Sports. It was released worldwide on October 22, 2019, for Microsoft Windows, PlayStation 4, and Xbox One. It is the twenty-first installment o ...
'' and '' WWE 2K Battlegrounds.
He also makes regular appearances on fellow WWE wrestler Xavier Woods
Austin Watson (born September 4, 1986) is an American professional wrestling, professional wrestler. He is currently signed to WWE, where he performs on the NXT (WWE brand), NXT WWE brand extension, brand under the ring name Xavier Woods. He app ...
's YouTube
YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...
channel ''UpUpDownDown'', under the nickname "Cold Beer".
Filmography
Championships and accomplishments
* Florida Championship Wrestling
Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) was a professional wrestling promotion based on the former National Wrestling Alliance member promotion, Championship Wrestling from Florida, which operated from 1961 until 1987. From October 2007 to August ...
** FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship
The FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship was a professional wrestling heavyweight championship (professional wrestling), championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), a former Farm team, developmental territory of WWE. ...
( 1 time)
** FCW Florida Tag Team Championship
The FCW Florida Tag Team Championship was a professional wrestling tag team championship owned and promoted by Florida Championship Wrestling, (FCW), a former developmental territory of WWE. It was contested for in their tag team division. The c ...
( 4 times) – with Tyler Reks
Gabbi Alon Tuft (born November 1, 1978) is an American retired professional wrestler. Tuft is best known for her time with WWE under the ring name Tyler Reks. Tuft also competed in WWE's developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling ( ...
(1), Heath Miller
Earl Heath Miller Jr. (born October 22, 1982) is a former American football tight end who played professionally for the Pittsburgh Steelers of the National Football League (NFL) for 11 seasons from 2005 to 2015. Miller played college football fo ...
(1), Brett DiBiase (1) and Kaval
The kaval is a chromatic end-blown flute traditionally played throughout the Balkans (in Albania, Romania, Bulgaria, Southern Serbia, Kosovo, North Macedonia, Northern Greece, and elsewhere) and Anatolia (including Turkey and Armenia). The ka ...
(1)
* ''Pro Wrestling Illustrated
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publish ...
''
** Feud of the Year (2010)
** Most Hated Wrestler of the Year (2010) –
** Rookie of the Year (2008)
** Ranked No. 47 of the top 500 singles wrestlers in the ''PWI 500
''Pro Wrestling Illustrated'' (''PWI'') is an American internationally sold professional wrestling magazine that was founded in 1979 by publisher Stanley Weston. ''PWI'' is headquartered in Blue Bell, Pennsylvania, and published by Kappa Publi ...
'' in 2013
* WWE
World Wrestling Entertainment, Inc., d/b/a as WWE, is an American professional wrestling promotion. A global integrated media and entertainment company, WWE has also branched out into other fields, including film, American football, and vario ...
** WWE Intercontinental Championship
The WWE Intercontinental Championship is a professional wrestling championship created and promoted by the American promotion WWE, currently defended on the SmackDown brand division. It is one of two secondary championships for WWE's main roste ...
( 1 time)
** WWE (Raw) Tag Team Championship (2 times
"2 Times" is a song co-written and recorded by British Italian-based singer Ann Lee. It was released in 1999 as the lead single from her debut album, ''Dreams'' (1999). The single entered and peaked at number two on the UK Singles Chart. Outside ...
) – with David Otunga
David Daniel Otunga''Lawyer ' (born April 7, 1980) is an American actor and former professional wrestler. Otunga is best known for his time working with WWE. He was the runner-up on the first season of ''NXT''. He is also an original member of ...
(1) and Bo Dallas
Taylor Michael Rotunda (born May 25, 1990) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his tenure in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Bo Dallas. Rotunda is a third-generation professional wrestler; his grandfather Bla ...
(1)[During his first reign, the title was referred to as the WWE Tag Team Championship, in his second it was named the Raw Tag Team Championship.]
References
External links
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World League Wrestling profile
{{DEFAULTSORT:Axel, Curtis
1979 births
Living people
American male professional wrestlers
People from Champlin, Minnesota
Professional wrestlers from Minnesota
Sportspeople from Minnesota
WWF/WWE Intercontinental Champions
21st-century professional wrestlers
FCW Florida Heavyweight Champions
FCW Florida Tag Team Champions