Joseph Curtis Hennig (born October 1, 1979) is an American professional wrestler. He is best known for his time in WWE, where he performed under the ring name Curtis Axel. Hennig signed with WWE in 2007 and wrestled at their developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling (FCW), and was a one-time FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion and four-time FCW Florida Tag Team Champion. In 2010, after he competed on NXT under the ring name Michael McGillicutty, he debuted on WWE's main roster as part of The Nexus. He then won the WWE Tag Team Championship with David Otunga once. In 2013, he reignited his career under the Curtis Axel ring name, paying tribute to his father Curt Hennig and his grandfather Larry "The Axe" Hennig and won the WWE Intercontinental Championship once. He then won the WW