by Adam
"I stand for wrestling, cause that's what I do best.
But if you want to fix it up and you want to have a
fist fight, I can run faster, I can jump higher, I can
do everything better than you! Know why? Cause I am
what I say I am: Absolutely...PERFECT."
Curt Hennig was born in Minneapolis on March 28,
1958, the son of legendary wrestler Larry "The Axe"
Hennig. Raised in the Minneapolis suburb of
Robbinsdale, Curt was friends with, and even graduated
with, future wrestlers Tom Zenk, Rick Rude, and Brady
Boone. At a young age and throughout school, Curt
showed tremendous athletic ability; he claims to have
"lettered in more sports than anyone in the state of
Minnesota". But it was a stint at Verne Gagne's
Wrestling Camp that sealed his future, and Hennig gave
up collegiate offers for football, baseball, and
wrestling after a stellar prep career.
Following in his father's footsteps, Curt started as
a jobber in the WWF. He learned quite a bit about
wrestling in this time, including one match where he
did the job to WWF Champion Bob Backlund. But things
didn't work out, and Curt headed to Don Owen's Pacific
Northwest territory for some time. In 1981, Curt
returned home to Minnesota and joined Verne Gagne's
AWA. During this time, Curt began to get a nice push
and became one of the federation's biggest stars. He
teamed up with Scott Hall to win the AWA Tag Team
belts from Jim Garvin and Steve Regal in January 1986
and held the title until May that year. Perhaps his
most shining moment came May 2, 1987, when he beat
Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World title, but this
victory came with controversy. Curt didn't officially
get the title until 9 days later, when the AWA ruled
in a vote that videotape evidence showed that Curt had
not been illegally aided by Larry Zbyszko. Curt held
this title for over a year before losing it to Jerry
Lawler in May 1988, with one exception. In late 1987,
Hennig was cleanly beaten by former tag partner Greg
Gagne for the title in a cage match, albeit with
controversy. This change was not cleared with the
bookers, though, and in a rematch, Curt beat Gagne.
Following his loss to Lawler, Curt was contacted for
a contract with the WWF. When asked by Vince McMahon
what kind of high school athlete Curt was, as an idea
for a character, Hennig replied "Perfect", and thus,
he became Mr. Perfect. Mr. Perfect made his debut in
the WWF in late 1988 and began a winning streak that
lasted until Wrestlemania 6, losing to Brutus
Beefcake. Establishing himself as a superstar
(including beating WWF Champion Hulk Hogan before WM6
by DQ in Madison Square Garden), Perfect won the
coveted Intercontinental title just 3 weeks later in a
tournament final, beating Tito Santana. He held this
title until Summerslam 90, when he lost it to Kerry
Von Erich. But Perfect would get his revenge, winning
it back 3 days before that year's Survivor Series.
Mr. Perfect would go on to hold the I-C belt for 280
days. Then Curt suffered a back injury that would
haunt him the rest of his career, but before going to
the sideline, he lost the I-C belt to Bret "The
Hitman" Hart at Summerslam 91.
Now on the sidelines, Hennig became "Executive
Consultant" to WWF newcomer Ric Flair. But once his
back healed, Hennig began a feud with Flair, including
a victory over the "Nature Boy" in a "Loser Leaves
WWF" match following the 1993 Royal Rumble. However,
before making his wrestling comeback at Survivor
Series 1992, Hennig signed a contract with Lloyd's of
London to insure his back for further injury. Perfect
began a feud with another WWF newcomer, Lex Luger,
then started a feud with WWF I-C champion Shawn
Michaels. Hennig looked to beat the champ at
Summerslam 93 but lost via countout, and during the
match he re-injured his back. With his Lloyd's of
London contract, Hennig collected millions in annual
settlements. To keep active in wrestling, Perfect
worked as a Guest Referee at Wrestlemania 10,
disqualifying Lex Luger when Luger shoved Perfect in a
World Title match against WWF Champ Yokozuna. He
didn't show up again until working occasional guest
commentary starting at Survivor Series 1995. By 1996,
Perfect was either ready to return to the ring, or
insurance was unwilling to keep paying him, so before
a scheduled comeback match, he began a feud with
Hunter Hearst-Helmsley, whose valets Perfect began
stealing. Slated to fight "Triple-H", Perfect's knee
was injured by HHH before the fight, and Perfect was
replaced by I-C champ Marc Mero, only to be set up;
Perfect had conspired with HHH so Helmsley could win
the belt.
After this match, Hennig began contract negotiations
with WCW for a full-time return to the ring. This
comeback became a reality in July 1997, when Hennig
showed up at Bash At the Beach as Diamond Dallas
Page's mystery partner. Hennig looked good in the
time afterward, after being away for nearly 4 years.
Curt, trying to establish himself as a babyface,
accepted the role of Horseman upon the retirement of
Arn Anderson of the Four Horsemen, but this, in
typical Hennig fashion, ended up as a setup at Fall
Brawl 97, when Hennig turned on the Horsemen to reveal
himself as a member of the heel New World Order
stable, and in the process, seriously injuring his old
nemisis Ric Flair. The following night, Hennig won
the WCW U.S. Title from Horseman Steve McMichael.
Hennig held this belt until Starrcade 97, when he was
beated by former partner Dallas Page. Doing his best
to work around various knee and back injuries
throughout 1998, Hennig re-emerged in 1999 to win the
WCW Tag-Team belts with Barry Windham and held the
belts for about a month. Curt worked various angles,
wrapping up with by losing a "Loser Must Retire" match
against Buff Bagwell at Mayhem 99, but turned around
to reveal he was aligned with the heel "Powers That
Be". In 2000,Hennig's contract expired, and Curt spent most of 2000
and 2001 wrestling independently.
On February 10, 2003, Curtis Michael Hennig was
found dead in his hotel room near Tampa, Florida. No
official cause of death was immediately given, though
Curt showed several telltale signs of a heart attack
in the hours prior to his passing. His body was
returned home to Minnesota, and is entombed at
Gethsemane Cemetery in New Hope, Minnesota. Curt left
behind his wife of 20 years and 4 children.
Reflecting on Curt, he spent his free time hunting,
fishing, and golfing. As for his career, he listed
Bret Hart, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair as
his best opponents; his greatest matches were both
with Bret Hart, at Summerslam 1991 and at Anchorage,
Alaska's Sullivan Arena (as his greatest match), and
his most memorable match was in the AWA when he beat
the Road Warriors by himself in a handicap match.
However you remember Curt, one thing is for sure:
there was no way you couldn't get your money's worth
out of any match, and that's what made Curt absolutely...PERFECT.
Post your thoughts,comments
"I am the greatest wrestler, the greatest athlete the
state of Minnesota has ever produced."
All Credit for this Tribute goes to Adam
It was announced by the WWF that "Mr. Perfect" would
be returning at the 2002 Royal Rumble, and Curt did
rather well, staying in until only he, Triple-H, and
Kurt Angle remained before being eliminated. Mr.
Perfect was as brash and cocky as ever and was
apparently picking up where he left off in 1996.
Then, on a trans-Atlantic flight, Curt got into a
fight with Brock Lesnar which got several other
wrestlers involved, and by the time the flight landed,
Hennig was given his pink slip. Curt went on and
wrestled for a time in the NWA-TNA, and then with
Jimmy Hart's All-Stars. He was hoping for an eventual
return to the WWE, but as fate would have it, it was
not to happen.
about Curt on Karma's Wrestling Retro message board
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