Curtis Axel was known as Michael McGillicutty before he was known as a "Paul Heyman Guy." It was a great name change for him because Axel has much more of a presence than McGillicutty and it's certainly easier to say. WWE tried to push him as an upper midcard heel, but it just didn't get that far for him in 2013. There had to have been a reason why Axel was paired with Heyman. Perhaps it was done because Heyman wanted it that way or WWE just wanted them together because they felt like Heyman could help Axel reach his potential. His skills are solid, but not spectacular. He can have pretty good matches with just about anybody yet there are few moments where somebody is going to go out of their way to watch an Axel match. That has to change. It's all about the presentation. What ECW might have done with Axel is paired him up with a diva to make him more presentable. Think about how Shane Douglas was booked with Francine and other women in ECW. When you do something like that, it makes a boring wrestler look more appealing. Sometimes it works. Sometimes it doesn't. At least with Heyman booking you know he'd try something.
John wrote at WhatCulture from December 2013 to December 2015. It was fun, but it's over for now. Follow him on Twitter @johnreport. You can also send an email to mrjohncanton@gmail.com with any questions or comments as well.
