#87: Axl Mulligan vs. Ricardo Rodriguez, FCW (3/16/2011).
When Husky was sent to FCW for some retooling, he came up with a character known as Axl Mulligan. Wearing a mask similar in vibes to Hannibal Lecter and Leatherface from the Texas Chain Saw Massacre, it was certainly a different kind of presentation for the former Army Tank with a Ferrari Engine. There's not a lot of Axl Mulligan matches on the interwebs, so I was pleased to find this one when doing research. I think going over this period of Bray's career is important when eventually looking at the Eater of Worlds.
He's in jeans and a torn up black shirt. He's sitting in the corner like Raven. Axl was supposed to wrestle Brodus Clay, but he opts out and let's Ricardo take his place. Thank fucking God for that. If I ever have to watch Tyrus's run in the NWA, I'll probably gauge my own eyes out first.
Axl crawls out of the corner towards Ricardo. Ricardo gets grabbed by the throat by Axl and thrown into the corner. Axl tries for an attack, but Ricardo avoids it. He immediately eats a lariat by Axl.
Axl showing a lot of Bray Wyatt mannerisms here, with the way he throws his body around the Ring and the way he zeroes in on Ricardo. After talking with Brodus on the outside, Ricardo returns to the Ring and gets grabbed in the throat again.
Brodus tries to distract Axl, and Ricardo ends up knocking him off the apron instead. Axl grabs Ricardo and hits a vicious looking Stunner/Diamond Cutter variant. He makes the cover and that gets the 3 and the win.
This is pretty short, and not really much of a match. But man, I would love to see an alternate universe where Axl Mulligan is the character that Windham Rotunda is known for. Albeit brief here, there are shades of something really brilliant with this character. At times, there's an underlying brutality waiting to be fully unleashed. It definitely comes off unhinged - almost more unhinged than the craziest Bray Wyatt promos.
Axl dominated here, but he wouldn't last too long as a character in FCW. Windham was still working things out, but he'd eventually find his way to Bray Wyatt. We all agree that Bray is the best thing about Windham's career. But I can't be the only one who wonders what a fully realized Axl Mulligan run would've looked like!