Released WWE Star Backstage At SmackDown
Which former Intercontinental Champion was backstage at last week's SmackDown?
As per Mike Johnson over at PWInsider, former WWE superstar Curtis Axel was backstage at last week's SmackDown taping.
That blue brand offering emanated from Minneapolis, Minnesota's Target Center, and, with Axel being a Minneapolis native, he was visiting friends on that 30 July show.
The Axe Man was one of the WWE stars released on 30 April 2020 last year as part of one of the company's many rounds of "budget cuts" that continue on to this day - with 13 further talent released as recently as this past Friday.
Having signed with WWE in 2008 - just a year after he began his wrestling training - the real-life Joe Hennig was with the promotion for 13 years by the time he was let go. During that time, we saw Hennig become Michael McGillicuty, then Curtis Axel; winning the Intercontinental Championship and having two runs as Raw Tag Team Champion by the time all was said and done.
Since departing WWE last year, the 41-year-old Hennig has kept out of the spotlight and has made zero further wrestling-related appearances. As it stands, the last match of this hugely underrated talent's career was a February 2020 loss to Daniel Bryan on an episode of SmackDown.