Curt Hennig
| Wrestler: | Curt Hennig (aka Mr. Perfect) |
|---|---|
| Real Name: | Curtis Michael Hennig (1959-2003) |
| Birthday: | March 28, 1959 |
| Hometown: | Robbinsdale, Minnesota |
| Marital Status: | Married to Leonice Kids: Joe, Amy, Kaite & Hank |
| Height & Weight: | 6’3″ – 260 lbs |
| Trained by: | Larry Hennig (Curt’s father) WWE Hall of Famer Verne Gagne “Playboy” Buddy Rose |
| Debut: | January 30, 1980 |
| Previous Names: | Mr. Perfect (WWF) Curt Hennig (AWA,WCW,WWA,XWF) West Texas Redneck (WCW) |
| Finishing Move: | Hennig Plex aka Perfect Plex |
| Favorite Moves: | Knee Drop Knee Breaker Swinging Knee Lift Rolling Neck Snap The Snapmare Backhand Chop Standing Dropkick Spear |
| Notable Feuds: | Nick Bockwinkel Jerry Lawler Buddy Rose Doug Somers Bret “Hitman” Hart Brutus Beefcake Shawn Michaels Diamond Dallas Page Ric Flair Konnan Shawn Stasiak Ron Killings |
Curt Hennig Title History
In the world of professional wrestling, there is only ONE man who was truly, absolutely perfect! This specific phrase in its own right can only be in reference to one man, and we all know who it is. The man known as “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig, was dubbed the title of “Mr. Perfect” because of one obvious reason which could be seen whenever he stepped foot in the squared circle all over the world because he TRULY was absolutely perfect!
Curt Hennig possessed it all; The superstar look, the unmatchable talent and the unique charisma that was needed to go far in a world of professional wrestling that was rapidly evolving into a world of sports entertainment where gimmicks and characters were reigning supreme over those who actually had pure wrestling talent such as the likes of Dean Malenko, Chris Benoit and Arn Anderson. Luckily for Hennig, this was seen as a little block in the roadway to superstardom, because he was THE total package when it came to professional wrestling; the only thing that prevented him from achieving total glory backstage politics.
Cut Hennig began his career as a professional wrestling promotion in the year of 1979, the year in which professional wrestling first started its evolution process into something completely new from what had been established already by the all time greats such as the likes of Gorgeous George Wagner. Curt started in the famous AWA: American Wrestling Association and began a tag-team with the man who would later become one of the most infamous and entertaining men in the history of professional wrestling, Scott Hall, where they claimed the AWA World Tag Team Titles before Hennig went solo and went on to win the AWA World Heavyweight Championship the eventful start of his ever successful career in our fair sport.
Hennig was noticed by the growing World Wrestling Federation and quickly took up the chance to work on their roster and engaging in a few lower card feuds in the early to mid 80′s before leaving the promotion. He later returned in the year of 1988 under the name of “Mr. Perfect”, which spawned the bginning of Curt Hennig in the mainstream world of professional wrestling. Television, pay per views, microphone time, commercials; Hennig was on top of the world, achieving success in all fields of professionalism. His egotistical character was that of a man who was Perfect in everyway athletically, but the difference from other egomaniacs who had tried similar gimmicks, was that Curt Hennig could ACTUALLY back it up!
Hennig went on to align himself with such legends as Bobby “The Brain” Heenan and had a very successful run as Intercontinental champion on several occasions engaging in feuds with the likes of “Macho Man” Randy Savage, “Superfly” Jimmy Snuka, “The Blue Blazer” Owen Hart and “The Total Package” Lex Luger.
After leaving the WWF after a very successful run, he moved on to the rival World Championship Wrestling in 1997, being scouted by both the Four Horsemen and the New World Order, Hennig was considered a major addition to the WCW roster and a prime recruitment target for both factions. Hennig ultimately joined Ric Flair and The Four Horsemen for a short time as a babyface, before stabbing them in the back and joining allegiance with the New World Order, lead by the likes of Hollywood Hogan, Kevin Nash and Scott Hall.
After the now faded away, Hennig went on to form a faction of his own called The West Texas Rednecks with Barry Windham, Kendall Windham and Bobby Duncum Jr. They were a group of country loving, rap haters. They even went as far as releasing their own hit single entitled Rap Is Crap’. Despite this, the faction was short lived and Hennig disappeared from television for a while. HE later returned in the year 2000 to engage in a small feud with up-and-comer Shawn Staziak who had been using a character similar to Mr. Perfect, a character Hennig had used in the past, even using a remix of Hennig’s WWF theme. Hennig attacked and feuded with Staziak to teach him some respect.
After the WCW folded, Hennig had a short lived return to the WWF at The Royal Rumble in 2002, being in the final 4 competitors to be eliminated. His return was short lived however after a Place Trip which got dubbed “The Plane Trip From Hell” in which a drunk Scott Hall caused up trouble, as did The Undertaker, Brock Lesnar and several others caused fights and arguments. Hennig was also aboard and ended up knocking out Brock Lesnar, which resulted in him being fired.
He went on to Total Nonstop Action stating there has been speculation as to why he was fired, and he put it plain and simple. “I got fired for floorin’ Brock Frickin’ Lesnar at 45 Thousand Feet” a slogan which he used throughout his NWA:TNA tenure as a shot to the WWF, Vince McMahon and Brock Lesnar himself. Hennig had a very successful run in TNA feuding with the World Champion Jeff Jarrett and Vince Russo’s Sports Entertainment Extreme.
Hennig was scheduled to win the belt in a later feud with Jeff Jarrett and the likes of Ron The Truth Killings, but the plans were scrapped due to the death of Curt Hennig in February 2003. TNA held a 10 bell toll at the beginning of their show, with a solo chair with a blue spotlight on it in the ring covered by Curt’s boots, singlet, signature Towel and a picture of the man himself. Wildcat Chris Harris, an avid fan of Hennig’s, won his match with The Perfect Plex, Hennig’s finisher, before tearfully yet intensely pointing up to the sky signaling that this victory was for Hennig.
He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in the class of 2007, an achievement well deserved for a man of true perfection, the VERY definition of true perfection in professional wrestling.
R.I.P, Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig He would have been 50 this March.
1958 2003
In Loving Memory.
written by Wayne K. Wilkins
Posted by admin on November 16th, 2010 :: Filed under