page_title: Curtis Axel
section_title: AxelMania and The Social Outcasts (2015–2017)
hierarchical_section_title: Curtis Axel / Professional wrestling career / World Wrestling Entertainment/WWE / AxelMania and The Social Outcasts (2015–2017)
caption_attribution_description: English: Curtis Axel as Axelmania in March 2015.
context_page_description: Joseph Curtis Hennig is an American professional wrestler 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, and was a one-time FCW Florida Heavyweight Champion and four-time FCW Florida Tag Team Champion. In 2010, after 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 WWE Raw Tag Team Championship with Bo Dallas as part of The B-Team. His tenure with the company ended in April 2020.
context_section_description: At the Royal Rumble on January 25, 2015, Axel was set to enter the Royal Rumble match at number 6, but was attacked by Erick Rowan on the entrance ramp, rendering him unable to compete. As a result of not being eliminated (having never officially entered the match), Axel trended on Twitter following the event, and also received supportive tweets from former WWE wrestlers Lance Storm and Tommy Dreamer and then later from current WWE wrestlers Xavier Woods, Zack Ryder, and David Otunga, the latter offering his legal services. Axel was defeated by Rowan on the following week's episode of Main Event. Axel then began an angle where he began referring to himself as "the true winner of the Royal Rumble", claiming that he still hadn't been eliminated from the match and that he deserved a shot at WrestleMania 31 for the WWE World Heavyweight Championship as a result. This involved Axel interrupting segments involving the likes of Dean Ambrose, John Cena, and Rusev to protest his cause, and also led to Axel starting his own hashtag, #AxelMania. At WrestleMania 31, Axel participated in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, but was eliminated by multiple wrestlers.
  On the May 11 episode of Raw, Axel turned face when he shook hands with Damien Sandow (who impersonating Randy Savage as "Macho Mandow"), similar to the handshake of The Mega Powers, when they formed a tag team. After this, Axel began impersonating Hulk Hogan, while teaming with Sandow, with the two were dubbed The Meta Powers. The Meta Powers were defeated by The Ascension at Payback (Konnor and Viktor). Axel and Sandow ceased their AxelMania and Macho Mandow imitations on July 24, after WWE fired Hulk Hogan and severed all ties with him.
  On the January 4, 2016 episode of Raw, Axel turned heel, when he along with Heath Slater, Adam Rose and Bo Dallas, debuted a new stable and assisted Slater in defeating Dolph Ziggler, calling themselves "The Social Outcasts". At Royal Rumble, Axel would enter the Royal Rumble match at number 5, before being eliminated by AJ Styles. On February 21 at Fastlane, Axel defeated R-Truth, with interference from fellow The Social Outcasts members. At WrestleMania 32, Axel participated in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which was won by Baron Corbin. In May, The Social Outcasts took time out to film The Marine 5: Battleground. The Social Outcasts returned on the June 27 episode of Raw, confronting Enzo Amore and Big Cass. The following week on Raw, The Social Outcasts was defeated by Enzo and Cass.
  As part of the draft, Axel was drafted to the Raw brand as its last draft pick, earning him the nickname Mr. Irrelevant. After losing to the returning Neville, Axel then joined forces with former Social Outcasts member Bo Dallas, and they were defeated by Neville and Sami Zayn on the October 10 episode of Raw. The following week on Raw, Axel was attacked by Dallas after his match with Neville, thus turning face in the process. A week later, Axel receiving a pop from the crowd in his home state of Minnesota, before losing to Dallas. At WrestleMania 33 on April 2, 2017, Axel participated in the André the Giant Memorial Battle Royal, which was won by Mojo Rawley.
caption: After Axel didn't participate in the Royal Rumble match, he began parodying Hulk Hogan in early 2015
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