Mr. Perfect 1994

[The Brain]

Most old schoolers on this forum have a lot of respect for Mr. Perfect. His name is always one of the first that comes up when discussing wrestlers that should have been WWF champion. After two good IC title reigns in 1990 and 1991 it looked like Perfect may have been ready to take the next step up the ladder. Unfortunately he was having back problems and his match in which he lost the IC title to Bret Hart at SummerSlam 91 would be his last for over a year.

Perfect remained relevant while injured as a manager for new WWF acquisition Ric Flair. After helping Flair win two world titles Perfect made his return to the ring at Survivor Series 92 as a face when he teamed with Randy Savage against Flair and Razor Ramon. Perfect spent the next year as a mid card face working mostly with Lex Luger and Shawn Michaels. The world title seemed out of reach and by Survivor Series 93 injuries resurfaced and Perfect was gone again. This time he was off tv all together and would not be seen again until WrestleMania X.

Perfect returned as a surprise guest referee for the Yokozuna vs. Lex Luger world title match. He was still a favorite among the fans but that changed when Perfect disqualified Luger in a very controversial decision. It was obvious Perfect still held a grudge against Luger from their feud a year earlier and with Luger now a big fan favorite Perfect found himself in his familiar heel position. It looked like Perfect was ready to return to the ring and he was announced as an opponent for Luger during the WrestleMania Revenge house show tour. Perfect just couldn't shake the injuries and once again his back injury kept him out of the ring. Perfect was replaced by Crush on the tour and he wouldn't be seen again for a year and a half until he returned as an announcer at Survivor Series 95.

I've always wondered how Perfect would have fared had he been able to return to wrestling in 1994. Some people think Perfect should have been champion during his first run before the injuries but realistically he wasn't getting that title during the Hulkamania era. If Perfect ever had a shot at being champion it was probably in 1994/1995. The WWF was giving more attention to the scientific wrestlers around that time and they were short on main event heels. Guys that could barely get on tv in 1993 were suddenly main eventing in 1994. A renewal of the rivalry with Hart, this time for the world title, could have been great. I'm happy with what did happen in 1994. Hart's feuds with Owen, Diesel, and Backlund were all fun and produced some good matches. I just wonder how Perfect would have fit in at that time. How do you think Mr. Perfect would have done if he was able to make his planned comeback in 1994?

 

[Slash-LN]

I think he would have done really well. As long as he could execute with the same skill. And he was obviously charismatic and a good talker.

That Survivor Series in 95 had a really awkward moment. I don't remember the exact exchange between him and Vince but something was said about the world title and Perfect commented that the guy who should be world champ was sitting right here. Talking about himself and then there's a bit of silence and then Vince quickly changes the subject.

I don't know how I would feel if the Bret/Owen rivalry hadn't happened. That was one of my favorite rivalries.

Perfect probably could have been a better champ than Diesel.

 

[Soulblazed]

I was always pissed off that Perfect and Piper didn't wrestle at Wrestlemania 10(though Piper's obviously a topic for a whole nother "what if" thread).

Far as Mr.Perfect goes-In 1994, Perfect vs Luger should've happened at Wrestlemania 10 with Perfect winning..I think that Perfect could've been WWF champ in either 1994 or 1995..

Speaking of 1995, Bret vs Perfect or better yet, Diesel vs Shawn vs Perfect in a Triple Threat Elimination Match for the WWF Title with Perfect winning after Perfectplexing Shawn Michaels would've been worlds better than the Shawn/Diesel match we got as Wrestlemania 11's main event. Mr. Perfect could've then cut a promo after he won the WWF Title basically saying "Finally true perfection has triumphed over an arrogant kid with a flashy kick(HBK) and a giant I've wrestled countless circles around, perfectly of course" would be the gist of what his promo should've been..

 

[wrestler36]

As much as I love Mr. Perfect, it seems that if he would have been a champion, it would be more of a transitional champion, rather than being "The Guy." Kind of like how Bret won the belt on a non televised VHS taping and then lost it to Yoko, who lost it to Hogan the same day. Same thing happened with Bret to Backlund to Diesel. Perfect was a wrestler's wrestler but not somebody who WWE believed would have mainstream appeal.

With that being said, and with him being healthy, I would have loved to see Bret/Perfect rekindle their early 90s feud. It probably could have happened after Bret/Owen and Luger/Perfect feuds were done. Come to think of it, I would have loved to see a switcheroo, since Perfect's face run only lasted maybe 9 months before he was injured again. It would have been a perfect (no pun intended) time to have Luger turn heel again and fight Perfect, instead of Perfect turning heel

 

[Pedigree1]

At the very least Mr Perfect who I hold in Super High regard,should have been champion at some point.. Hell he was AWA champion,holding the title for 373 days beating Nick Bockwinkel!

The WWE IMO,does almost everything right.. But they seriously missed the boat on Mr Perfect... He was a great talker on the Mic,superb in the ring,hell he was second to none.. Yes he was not getting the Title in the Hogan Era,no way..

But 1994-1995 they easily could have revisited the Hart Vs Perfect feud.. I think Perfect would have been a fine champion,certainly better than Diesel,and KOTR that should have been his in 1995. King Mr Perfect!!!

 

[JoeyJoeJoe]

I think Perfect as champion could've worked for a short spell, but ultimately the WWF had transitioned into Diesel, Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels by that point. Still, I think he would've been a better choice to hold the title than Backlund, and would've at least been a good opponent for all 3 title holders during that point. It's tough to say how a guy's career would've changed had he not had certain injuries. In Hennig's case, the back injuries derailed his entire career, and he never recovered. By 1994, Hennig was 36 years old -- it was a tipping point for him to either become an "elder statesman" in the ring, or a guy hanging around past his due date. I'm sure others will point out that Hennig would likely have been derailed by Michaels as well, who was not into sharing his ball with anyone.

I still would've have loved to see a WWF that had Rude, Hennig, Hart, and Michaels as its core title holders in the post Hogan period.

 

[CrucifiedRaven]

As much as I love Mr. Perfect, it seems that if he would have been a champion, it would be more of a transitional champion, rather than being "The Guy." Kind of like how Bret won the belt on a non televised VHS taping and then lost it to Yoko, who lost it to Hogan the same day. Same thing happened with Bret to Backlund to Diesel. Perfect was a wrestler's wrestler but not somebody who WWE believed would have mainstream appeal.

With that being said, and with him being healthy, I would have loved to see Bret/Perfect rekindle their early 90s feud. It probably could have happened after Bret/Owen and Luger/Perfect feuds were done. Come to think of it, I would have loved to see a switcheroo, since Perfect's face run only lasted maybe 9 months before he was injured again. It would have been a perfect (no pun intended) time to have Luger turn heel again and fight Perfect, instead of Perfect turning heel

I agree with you, I think that if Mr Perfect was ever going to be WWF Champion, he would have had Bret's run in 1992 to WMIX. Certainly Perfect turning face on Flair and taking the title from him could have been a big angle in late 1992... and probably should have been since Flair was leaving. As for 1994, that was really Bret's year. That was his time as the guy and I don't think Mr Perfect would have fit into the championship picture, other than maybe taking Backlund's spot in the Owen/Bret feud. Actually, maybe Mr Perfect could have been a 2x WWF Champion.

 

[aholeisahole]

Mr. Perfect would've been a great transitional champion at any point in his WWF career. Unfortunately, he never seemed to be at that level, even during his early feud with Hogan.

Would've loved to have seen Luger vs. Perfect in 1994. Too bad nothing came of it.

 

[THTRobtaylor]

2 things did for Curt Hennig in terms of in-ring career and being the WWF champion... his back injury and not being a Hart.

Curt was never afforded the same "stroke" as any of the Hart clan were... Larry had never really been known as a WWF guy, he was always AWA. So he didn't have the "respect levels" that Bret, Davey, Owen etc had through the Stampede connection. Curt had been champion in the AWA but so had Rick Martel... it was bush league in Vince's eyes and with the exception of Hogan and Slaughter and eventually through work Razor Ramon, pretty much anyone who ever did anything there was started from the bottom and kept there... Diamond and Tanaka, Enos and Bloom, Steve Keirn, Nailz...

The injury however was the crucial thing and Curt's reaction to it... Let's get it out there, there is some doubt as to the severity of the injury for much of 92 onwards... Curt was claiming a very large Lloyds of London policy on being "retired" that basically paid his contract, plus an extra retainer from the WWF to be Flair's "executive consultant" and a commentator. Curt was doing well but then he came back... and he quickly realised he didn't quite have the momentum he once had... Work wise he was fine, but he was still claiming and Lloyds didn't want to pay out any more... so at Suvivor Series he bailed and didn't work again till the policy expired and ATM Eric gave him more money than that deal...

It is VERY sad, but the reality is Curt Hennig, like Animal and Shawn Michaels did sat out several years they didn't necessarily need to on a fat insurance deal.

1994 was a tough year all round for the biz... Rick Rude, Ted DiBiase, Rick Steamboat, Curt all disappeared from the business in short succession due to career ending injuries...

In 94 had Hennig NOT done has he did, I don't think he'd have got the title... the first point I made would be there, Bret would be in Vince's ear, as would Shawn by that time. But also had someone like Rude not been injured, HE would have come back the moment Hogan signed and HE would have probably got the not ahead of Curt based on his WCW work... Rude vs Bret or teaming with Shawn for example would have been money... Perfect v Bret for the title... good as it was Curt wasn't in the shape to make the rubber match epic enough to headline one of only 5 PPV's a year.

It's a real shame... cos by 2002 when he returned and I had the pleasure of seeing him live just before his firing and death, he was immense... THEN he could have easily gone to Mania after winning that Rumble, like Goldust he seemed to "find it" too late to live up to the potential... but it wasn't "tragically" cut short in the way it was for Rude or DiBiase...Curt got hurt and took full advantage of it to build a good life for his family... so it's hard to damn him... but it cost him greatness.