10 Most Unlikely WWE Intercontinental Champions Ever

8. Curtis Axel

WWE really tried with Joe Hennig, they really did. In terms of the man himself, he too has given his all, but the fact remains that he's not very over with fans - the guy has had to pretend to be Hulk Hogan in order to get somewhat of a positive reaction, which really says it all. Hennig himself isn't fully to blame however, the creative team need to take some portion of the criticism. Instead of calling the man by a name longtime fans could relate to, Hennig, WWE elected to re-dub him 'Michael McGillicutty' for the first season of the old NXT show, which is absolutely baffling. Who thought this one was getting over? In 2013, McGillicutty was no more, and Hennig was handed the gimmick of 'Curtis Axel', aligned with Paul Heyman and eventually handed the Intercontinental Title. It was a big push, but Hennig the younger isn't the most charismatic man, and being a solid worker isn't enough for a big push. Even having Heyman cut his promos for him, talking him up like he was the second coming of Jesus Christ himself, wasn't sufficient for fans.