Indubitably
There's also a lot of things you can do with an axe that require finesse too though
If you have a good axe head shape, there are ways to hook an opponents weapon should the situation present itself
Ye
Also the cool thing about center grip shields and honestly shields in general is if your opponent gets their weapon stuck, you can control their whole damn arm. (I just think it's easier to control with center grip)
If your weapon gets stuck. The first instinct would be too pull it out. That brief window can be exploited. But a good combatant would have a side arm. Like the smaller axe for Vikings or a dagger for a majority of everyone else.