Former WWE titleholder Curtis Axel, whose real name is Joe Hennig, has reached a plea agreement in the case stemming from his drunken driving arrest in Minnesota.
According to court records, Hennig pleaded guilty to DWI and disorderly conduct. Charges of refusing to submit to a chemical test and interfering with a peace officer were dismissed as part of the agreement, which was submitted on August 24.
Hennig received a 90-day jail sentence, with 87 days stayed and the other three credited for the time he spent in custody after his arrest. As a result, he will not have to return to jail as long as he complies with all of the conditions imposed on him.
Hennig will also serve one year of supervised probation, which could become unsupervised after five months. He must pay a $50 fine within 90 days, and he has completed a required assessment and attended a Mothers Against Drunk Driving impact panel.
The case began on May 17, when police were called to a McDonald’s in St. Francis, Minnesota, after Hennig allegedly hit another vehicle with his truck in the drive-thru.
According to the police report, officers noted that Hennig had slurred speech and bloodshot eyes, and they found an open 750-milliliter bottle of vodka in the vehicle. He was released from custody two days later.
Hennig left WWE in April 2020 after more than a decade with the company, though he returned briefly in 2022 to work as a producer. He wrestled at an independent show in Minnesota in May 2025, his first match since leaving WWE.
In WWE, Axel won the Intercontinental Championship as well as tag team titles, and he was aligned with Paul Heyman during one of the highest-profile runs of his career.