10 Wrestlers WWE Gave Up On In 2020

9. Curtis Axel

Curtis Axel
WWE.com

They took their sweet-assed time about it, but WWE finally decided that Mr. Perfect's lad was never going to become the huge breakout sensation they had once hoped he would. Curtis Axel was one of the many names released this past April, and that ended his 13-year association with the promotion.

Where did it all go wrong?

Truthfully, and without being too jagged, Axel was never as scintillating as WWE liked to pretend he was. As a midcard tag act, he was perfectly fine, but there was no upwards mobility once his brief ties to Paul Heyman faded many moons ago. Since then, he'd been a peripheral, largely unexciting figure.

WWE must've realised that Curtis had used up all his McGillicutty-ness by April. The im-perfect son, despite being a solid and reliable hand between the ropes, was burning through gimmicks without ever threatening to get over. Maybe he had to go.

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Lifelong wrestling, video game, music and sports obsessive who has been writing about his passions since childhood. Jamie started writing for WhatCulture in 2013, and has contributed thousands of articles and YouTube videos since then. He cut his teeth penning published pieces for top UK and European wrestling read Fighting Spirit Magazine (FSM), and also has extensive experience working within the wrestling biz as a manager and commentator for promotions like ICW on WWE Network and WCPW/Defiant since 2010. Further, Jamie also hosted the old Ministry Of Slam podcast, and has interviewed everyone from Steve Austin and Shawn Michaels to Bret Hart and Trish Stratus.