10 WWE Name Changes That IMMEDIATELY Backfired
5. Joe Hennig Is Michael McGillicutty
There's probs some alternate timeline somewhere in which Curtis Axel is still stuttering his way through that "genesis of (Michael) McGillicutty" promo from the 1 September 2010 episode of NXT. That sounds like punishment. Imagine being forced to watch that nonsense for the rest of eternity?! Even Matt Striker, who was fond of talking nonsense himself, looked on totally bemused.
Joe Hennig, the man behind the McGillicutty name, was saddled with one of the least-flattering and most dorky-sounding names in WWE history when they called him Michael McGillicutty. He was the son of Mr. Perfect, for crying out loud. How did it come to this? Poor Michael had no McCredibility as soon as that name was committed to tape. People were too busy giggling at him.
Then, McGillicutty cut that promo. He droned on and on and on and on and one about this being "the genesis of McGillicutty". It's "starting this moment...from now...from this moment on...this'll be the moment...starting now". Anytime you're ready, Michael. Jeez! Being put on the spot and then farting out such rubbish dialogue sure didn't do McGillicutty any favours, but he was toast with that name to start with.
A change to Curtis Axel in May 2013 helped him refocus and even earn some success, but it didn't last for too long. Sadly, he became the latest victim WWE’s name generator, then went all in on one of the worst improvised promos going. McGillicutty's speech was an argument for heavily scripted segments, if anything.
Going from the lineage of the Hennig name to McGillicutty was one hell of a downgrade.