Wrestling legend’s son and ex-WWE star nicked for ‘boozed-up McDonald’s drive-thru smash’
Ex-WWE star Curtis Axel, son of legend Mr Perfect, has been nicked after allegedly crashing his car at a McDonald’s drive-thru while drunk and fighting cops
Former WWE star Joe Hennig has been arrested and hit with five charges(Image: Anoka County arrest records)
Former WWE star Joe Hennig has been arrested and hit with five charges following an alleged drunken drive-thru incident. The 46-year-old, who wrestled under the names Curtis Axel and Michael McGillicutty, is wrestling royalty.
He is the son of the late WWE Hall of Famer Curt “Mr. Perfect” Hennig, and the grandson of AWA icon Larry “The Axe” Hennig. His dad died from a drug overdose in 2003 at the age of 44, when Joe was only 22.
The third-generation wrestler is now facing his own problems. According to court documents from Anoka County, Minnesota, the former Intercontinental Champion was detained on May 17.
Reports claim that a heavily intoxicated Hennig was at a McDonald’s drive-thru when he reversed his car into another vehicle.
When police arrived at the scene, Hennig allegedly got physical with officers, who subsequently discovered an open bottle of vodka inside his car.
After refusing to take any sobriety tests, Hennig was thrown in a jail cell for two days before being released on May 19.
Following the incident, he was hit with two separate drink-driving charges, specifically for driving under the influence and refusing to take a breathalyser or sobriety test.
On top of that, Hennig faces a charge of obstructing law enforcement after allegedly getting aggressive with the arresting officers.
Finally, he was charged with having an open bottle of alcohol in his vehicle, alongside an extra charge for failing to stop his car after a collision.
Hennig originally signed with Vince McMahon’s promotion back in 2007. During the early days of NXT, he was saddled with the widely mocked moniker Michael McGillicutty. Despite joining the villainous Nexus stable, his career struggled to gain momentum.
In 2013, WWE attempted to rescue his career by repackaging him as Curtis Axel in a direct tribute to his famous father and grandfather. He was immediately paired with legendary manager Paul Heyman.
While Axel managed to capture the Intercontinental Championship and two Raw Tag Team Titles during a 13-year stint, he never reached the dizzying heights of his father.
Fans and critics often noted that while he was a stellar in-ring technician, he lacked the legendary charisma and mic skills of Mr. Perfect.
Before his release in 2020, Axel was largely relegated to a lower-card comedy act. WWE briefly rehired him for a three-month stint as a backstage producer and he has only wrestled a single independent match since.
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