Curtis Axel is a former WWE Superstar, who is one of the few current WWE Superstars to hold a win over Triple H.
Yes, they weren’t quite as clean as he’d like, or made him look good, but that didn’t matter.
He went on to great things, winning the WWE Intercontinental Championship and WWE Tag Team Championships in a career that failed to live up to his unlimited potential.
The third-generation superstar also had a big impact behind the scenes. He trained both The Rock and Brock Lesnar before their return to the ring in 2012, in a huge statement of trust by the WWE.
You can read more about that by click the link below, or scroll past it to learn what happened to Curtis Axel when he was released by the WWE.
What Happened To Curtis Axel?
Curtis Axel was released from the WWE in April 2020, due to budget cuts during the global pandemic.
The former WWE Intercontinental Champion has previously been a big part of the show, winning the WWE Tag Team Championships alongside his partner Bo Dallas.
The team was called The B-Team, but by April 2020 they had fizzled out, and it was no surprised Axel was being let go from the company.
What happened to Curtis Axel during the pandemic was not fair, and showed an incredible lack of thought by the WWE during one of the scariest times in modern history.
Curtis Axel retired from wrestling after being released from the WWE in 2020, aged just 40.
However, given that his father, “Mr Perfect” Curt Hennig, died at just 44, he may see it as a good time to cut his losses and get out the business when he could.
Axel had offers to keep wrestling after what happened in WWE, with former Social Outcasts teammate Heath Slater trying to recruit him for Impact Wrestling.
However, Curtis Axel rejected the offer, seeming content being retired from the ring.
“I would like to see Joe Hennig over here. Mr. Perfect’s son. I would like to see him come over to Impact. I’ve talked to him, but he is doing his thing right now and enjoying life. I don’t blame him. Do you buddy. He is one of my best friends and a hell of a worker.”
Heath Slater, speaking to TV Insider
Despite retiring in 2020, it took only two years for Curtis Axel to return to the WWE, but in a much different role than he was used to.
Return To WWE?
Former WWE Intercontinental and Tag Team Champion Curtis Axel made his return to WWE in June 2022. The former B-Team Member was released by WWE in April 2020 due to budget cuts and has not been seen on WWE TV since then.
While Curtis Axel’s return wasn’t quite what everybody would have expected, fans were happy to see him return to our TV screens. Formerly half of the ill-fated tag team Rybaxel, Curtis Axel’s return showed a new side to him – as a WWE producer
Axel (real name Joe Hennig) appeared as part of the Cody Rhodes and Seth Rollins segment on Raw.
He helped pull apart the pair as they brawled in the ring as the fans cheered on. Other former WWE stars have been seen before in this role, including Dean Malenko, Jamie Noble and Finlay.
Eagle-eyed fans on Twitter spotted Axel, whose father was the WWE Hall of Famer Mr Perfect, in the segment on Raw and were delighted to see him. Wrestlingnews.co were particularly thrilled, tweeting out that it was “good to see Curtis Axel back on Raw tonight“
Axel returned over a month ago for a try-out backstage at SmackDown, and fans were left in the dark as to whether he was successful in that role. They don’t have to worry any more though as Curtis Axel has returned to WWE full time as a producer, his appearance on Monday Night Raw would suggest.
Where Is Curtis Axel Now?
Curtis Axel was released from his role as a backstage producer in the WWE, just three months after returning to the company in June 2022.
The former Intercontinental Champion was reportedly brought in on a probationary basis, to assess his skills as a producer.
However, due to budget cuts in August 2022, Curtis Axel was let go by the WWE, alongside fellow producer Ayira Daivari.
While Daivari has continued his wrestling career, it appears that the 43 year old is content to be retired from the ring, for good this time.