On Thursday afternoon reports began surfacing of World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) coming to terms on their release of Curtis Axel (AKA Michael McGillicutty), who is the son of Curt Henning (AKA Mr. Perfect) and the grandson of Larry “The Axe” Henning. His previous ring name Curtis Axel was to honor his father and grandfather.
During his time with the WWE and their at the time developmental territory, Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW) Joe Henning was able to become a 4x FCW Florida Tag Team Champion, FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion, 2x RAW Tag Team Champion, and WWE Intercontinental Champion. He and his father became the first father and son duo to both hold the WWE Intercontinental Championship when Joe won the title in 2013 under his Curtis Axel moniker.
However, for most of his time in WWE, Joe was often an afterthought in the minds of Vince McMahon and the various members of the creative team. While not having the same mic skills, show skills, or charisma as his father, Joe remains a solid in-ring presence who could have done more during his time with the company given the opportunity.
With the recent release of his former tag team partner Heath Slater, the two could reunite as a unit fueled by their creativity. Yet, it’s unknown if the two are on good terms or what Henning’s plans are after his time in WWE.
If he chooses, Henning could land in New Japan Pro Wrestling (NJPW) as his ‘wrestle first’ approach would fit perfectly in NJPW’s rebuilding tag team division. He and Slater as a tag team in the promotion could provide a lift to both of their careers while allowing them to show their true in-ring ability.
IMPACT Wrestling and Ring of Honor (ROH) may also have an interest in Henning. He doesn’t quite have the personality as those All Elite Wrestling (AEW) target, but Jim Ross serves as an advisor and may have taken a liking to Joe over the years.
