10 Superstars Failed By The WWE System
8. Curtis Axel
Though the former Michael McGillicutty remains on the roster today, the talent and lineage he brought with him to the company in 2010 appears permanently stifled.
Saddled with the abysmal moniker as part of WWE's distaste with historic surnames, McGillicutty was a reject in every conceivable sense during his first year on the main roster, and remained ill-thought-of by audiences in the aftermath.
A runner-up in the second season of NXT, McGillicutty was rebuffed by 'Nexus' leader Wade Barrett, before forcing his way into the group at the tail-end of their dominance on Raw.
In 2011, a Randy Orton punt kick was designed to write him off television, but he returned shortly after with the stench of his failures still rife, and was left to fill his time between the company's woeful lower card and the new format of NXT.
Taking one step forward but six back, the renamed 'Curtis Axel' was paired with Paul Heyman, but fluke victories over Triple H did zero to establish him, and the die was cast when he became a clueless goon for 'The Advocate' in his feud with CM Punk. Further indifference clung to him for the subsequent three years.
Fans rarely back a loser, and WWE have never positioned Axel any other way.