Who?: Curt Hennig
Promotions: WWF, WCW, AWA, TNA
Nicknames: Mr. Perfect
Classic Affiliations: His classic manager was Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, who was with him mostly in his WWF. He was a member of Team Flair in the beginning of Flair's WWF tenure. Previously in the AWA, he teamed with Scott Hall and won the AWA Tag Team Championships with him. Later, he was managed by Diamond Dallas Page and Medusa. He joined the nWo in WCW, later branching off with the Wolfpac after the split. Later on, he left the nWo and formed the West Texas Rednecks with Barry and Kendall Windham and Bobby Duncum, Jr.
Height: 6'3"
Weight: 260 lbs.
From: Robbinsdale, MN
After the jump...Signature Maneuvers
PerfectPlex
Rolling Neck Snap
Top Ten Moves of Curt Hennig
Classic Feuds:
- In his second stint in the AWA, Hennig engaged in a long feud against the Gagne Family after beating Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World Heavyweight Championship. It was a regular father-son team feud, as Hennig had his legendary father, Larry "The Axe" Hennig by his side.
- He was a hot property in the WWF upon arriving as Mr. Perfect, so much so that after about a year, he was given a house show run against Hulk Hogan as a test to his main event viability. Even though he and Lanny "The Genius" Poffo destroyed Hogan's title belt, the run bombed and Hennig/Hogan never made it to mainstream TV or to a PPV blowoff. This could very well have been the reason why Hennig never made it to World Championship level in either the WWF or WCW.
- His biggest WWF feud was probably against Kerry Von Erich. Billed as the "Texas Tornado", Von Erich upset Hennig for the Intercontinental Championship at SummerSlam in 1990. Hennig would win the title back later that year.
- In his short babyface run as Mr. Perfect, Hennig would end up feuding with and helping legitimize Shawn Michaels as Intercontinental Champion in 1993. Hennig cost Michaels the IC Championship against Marty Janetty on RAW. After gaining the title back, Michaels challenged Perfect to a match at SummerSlam to prove he was the best IC Champ of all-time. Michaels won the match, but during the feud, Hennig gave Michaels the nickname "The Heartbreak Kid", which sticks with him to this day, even in retirement.
- Upon entering WCW, Hennig teamed with his old AWA ally Diamond Dallas Page, only to turn on him during the match. They feuded off and on, with Page eventually defeating Hennig for the WCW US Championship.
- As a member of the West Texas Rednecks, he feuded with Master P and the No Limit Sol... nevermind. This is for classic feuds, not craptastic feuds.
Titles Held:
AWA World Heavyweight Championship
AWA Tag Team Championships (with Scott Hall)
WWF Intercontinental Championship (2x)
WCW United States Championship
WCW World Tag Team Championship (with Barry Windham)
Hennig was posthumously inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
Promos:
Perfect at Basketball
The Perfect Champion
Promo on Savage with Flair
Hennig's Legacy: Curt Hennig may end up as the quintessential midcard wrestler ever. That's not a bad thing by any stretch of the imagination, since a healthy midcard is essential for any good fed. If you needed someone to hold your secondary Championship with aplomb and heat, it was Hennig. If you wanted a guy to look good on his way to the top, you put him in the ring with Hennig. Sure, he may have been the patron saint of guys who never got their due, but at the same time, he was just fine never breaking through the glass ceiling, and still remembered just as fondly as if he would have won more than just the AWA World Championship.
This is no more strongly embodied than in his feud with Shawn Michaels. It could be argued that Michaels would have gotten over anyway with his natural in-ring talent and asshole charisma, but it was Mr. Perfect that helped acclimatize him to singles competition and how to have a big-stage match. Would Michaels have been able to grow facing off against, say, Dino Bravo for instance? Probably not.
Ultimately though, Hennig's legacy will live on through his son, Joe, or as we know him on NXT, Michael McGillicutty. As the WWE loves to honor the heritage of those who came before the current generation, it's the second and third generation stars that get the most nostalgic treatment. Yeah, it would have been nice if Hennig was there to help his son along just as Dusty Rhodes, Ted DiBiase, Bob Orton and potentially Mike Rotundo were there to help their offspring, but every match that McGillicutty wrestles is a tribute to his father and the things he imparted on his son before his death. (Just goes to show you, by the way, don't do drugs, mmkay?)
Photo Credit: WWE.com
Remember you can contact TH and ask him questions about wrestling, life or anything else. Please refer to this post for contact information. He always takes questions!
