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AEW Star Was Supposed To Be Popular Masked WWE Character
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AEW star Blake Christian has revealed that he was the original person chosen by WWE to portray the popular masked superstar, Axiom. The scrapped plans would have dramatically changed the career paths of both Christian and the man who eventually took on the role.
During a recent appearance on the Fightful Overbooked podcast, Christian, who wrestled in NXT as Trey Baxter, opened up about the character that was created for him but never came to be.
The Original WWE Plan For Axiom
Christian explained that WWE officials first approached him with the idea of a masked, superhero-like character when he signed in early 2021. While the initial plan was dropped, it was brought up again during the brand's transition to the more colorful NXT 2.0 later that year.
"When (NXT) 2.0 came around they were like, 'We're going to do it now. This is a perfect character for this show,'" Christian recalled. "I came up with a suit design and a name. It just didn't happen. Well, it did happen, but it didn't happen with me."
When asked directly if he was supposed to be Axiom, Christian confirmed it. "I was supposed to be, yes. I came up with all the stuff," he stated.
Roman and Seth celebrate in the ring during the WWE show at Zenith Arena on may 09, 2017 in Lille, France.
Roman and Seth celebrate in the ring during the WWE show at Zenith Arena on may 09, 2017 in Lille, France.
PHILIPPE HUGUEN/AFP/Getty Images
A Tale Of Two Paths
Blake Christian's run in WWE as the high-flying Trey Baxter was brief. After a handful of matches on NXT and 205 Live, he was released from his contract in November 2021 as part of a large round of budget cuts. He has since found success in promotions like GCW and AEW.
Nearly eight months after Christian's release, the Axiom character finally debuted on NXT television in July 2022. Under the mask was the Spanish technical wrestling wizard A-Kid, who had been a standout in the NXT UK brand where he was the first-ever NXT UK Heritage Cup Champion.
WWE repackaged the highly-touted prospect with the new masked gimmick upon his move to the United States.
More news: WWE News: Steve Austin Reveals Real-Life Vince McMahon Confrontation
Axiom Became a Massive Success
Christian showed no bitterness about the situation, praising the man who took on the role he helped create. "I think the person they gave it to is great and he's done a great job, maybe even better than I could have done," he said. "I'm happy to see it still alive and doing as well as it's doing."
The Axiom character has indeed been a success. He formed a popular, high-energy tag team with Nathan Frazer called "Fraxiom." The duo went on to become two-time NXT Tag Team Champions before being called up to the main roster, where they are currently a part of the SmackDown brand.
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