Absolutely Perfect

[stmarks2002]

Curt Hennig was perhaps one of the most unique and extremely gifted wrestlers of all time; talent, charisma, mic skills, etc in WWf/WWE history. He was great in basically all facets but NEVER got a break; he was an upper mid carder at best WITH main event ability. For lack of better words, he was CLEARLY ahead of his time. With that in mind, I have a few questions:

1. If he wrestled in this current era of wrestling, would he be more successful than he was was in the 80s/90s?

2. If the WWE relived that gimmick, which current superstar do you think could flourish with it?

3. Do you see any Curt Hennig/Mr. Perfect like qualities/abilities in any superstar based on similar in ring ability and character believability?

4. Who would he feud with?

****please keep in mind the 1988-2000 Curt Hennig****

 

[thebrownmenace]

1. I really think Curt was good enough to be a success during any era in history. He was so confident on the mic, and his ring skills back then were better than the skills of most of the today's roster. With there being two world championships currently, it would not be hard to see him wearing one of them.

2 and 3. It has to be Dolph Ziggler. Especially after he broke away from the Australian accent that he had going. He has the physical resemblance and the kid can flat out go in the ring. His match against Daniel Bryan at Bragging Rights was absolutely brilliant. Had there been any build up for it at all, I'm sure it would have at least been nominated for match of the year. Even the way Ziggler takes bumps reminds me of Perfect. Take a look back at Henning being catapulted to the post and then look at Ziggler taking the same bump- almost identical. Is Ziggler as good as Perfect was on the mic- probably not, but who knows since the WWE rarely lets him speak. Still, I think Ziggler will eventually be given the opportunity to hold a world championship, unlike Perfect.

4. Anyone he wants to. Perfect was so good that he could transition from main eventing with Hogan to fighting over the Intercontinental title with Bret Hart seamlessly. In today's roster I could see him going move for move with Daniel Bryan one night, and then taking on Randy Orton the next.

 

[jellmoo]

My opinion:

1. Absolutely. He wrestled in an unfortunate time period where at his prime, everything was all about Hogan. In today's environment, heels aren't simply constantly being fed to 1 guy. Mr. Perfect had a timeless gimmick and incredible ability. Think of the feuds he could have with today's top guys.

2. The obvious answer is Dolph Ziggler, who has a bit of the gimmick going on right now. I'd like to offer a different take though, and go with Trent Barreta. He has a good, arrogant look, a nice move set, and doesn't have any particular gimmick attached to him at the moment.

3. In WWE? No. In TNA, absolutely. Robert Roode reminds me so much of Mr. Perfect it isn't funny.

4. In a topsy turvy world where Robert Roode is now in WWE? On RAW I'd have him feud with John Morrison. Morrison could do his spot monkey antics, while Roode did the actual wrestling. On Smackdown, Kofi Kingston or Christian. Either one would make for some spectacular matches.

 

[arkham187]

Uhmmmm Doplh Ziggler hands down. I will never understand why he wasnt the World Champion. I thought for sure he was going to come out of retirement during his Hunter Hearst Helmsley angle (where they swerved Marc Mero) and defeat Shawn Michaels but he went to WCW. As far as who he would fued with now well I agree with "thebrownmenace"

 

[stmarks2002]

Ziggler and Roode are good shoe ins for closest thing to the Mr. Perfect gimmick and ability. Who would've thought that Kerwin White's(Chavo Guerrero White Golf Guy Gimmick) and Spirit Squad guy would be this good. S/O to Kenny Dykstra on the spirit squad reference. Robert Roode is also from Minnesota and practically from the same town or nearby where Hennig is from. Roode kinda had it during the days when he was with Ms. Brooks from a me me me type standpoint. What they need now is to put on the classic Mr. Perfect like vignettes like old times with them starring in them. My favorite Mr. Perfect videos were the one where hes playing basketball, football, diving, and bowling. Pure classics!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Skairipa Matrix]

1. Curt was good enough to be a sucess in any era IMO he was 1 of the best ever plain and simple.

2. if this gimmick was to happen again id love to see Dolph Ziggler or Perfect's son Joe use it! both could do really good with it but i think ziggler would be better with it ONLY because hes been around longer then joe and joe would b limited with this gimmick because i think he would never go any further then his dad did with it (another case of this is ted jr with his fathers gimmick) but ziggler would do great with it and he could fued with Joe as well

 

[Calderownz]

1. If he wrestled in this current era of wrestling, would he be more successful than he was was in the 80s/90s?

Completely. More television time, more awareness of what makes a better wrestler (at times) and two major championships with a company worried that he could help another promotion. Sure they worried about this then, but currently, WWE worries far more about that with contracts.

He'd be a GREAT heel on Smackdown! and he would possibly even translate on Raw if even the right time and spot.

2. If the WWE relived that gimmick, which current superstar do you think could flourish with it?

Theoretically, it would make sense for Randy Orton. Before Orton tries something similar, with his pose and his cockiness, but it came off far too generic. However, now, he's matured to a point that he could bring some unique aspects to the character and actually pull it off.

However, he's set in his gimmick at this point of a cold-hearted wrestler. The only other guy that comes to mind is Dolph Ziggler. He looks about the same and has a similar style. He'd need to work on his mic skills and what have you, but it could work with the right mindset of Dolph and if WWE went full-force with it.

3. Do you see any Curt Hennig/Mr. Perfect like qualities/abilities in any superstar based on similar in ring ability and character believability?

Dolph, with his aggressive style and look. Alberto del Rio with his sense of entitlement and attitude. Evan Bourne with his ability to sell.

4. Who would he feud with?

A feud would make so much sense with John Cena. Humble vs. Cocky. Hard Working vs. Effortless. Grunting Style vs. Pure Ability.

Also, a feud with someone like CM Punk would live up to it's hype with quality matches and also the fact that CM Punk could easily reference that Perfect isn't Perfect, as he has struggled with demons. Demons that CM Punk despises.

So many feuds.

 

[FitFinlay4Life]

Curt Hennig was perhaps one of the most unique and extremely gifted wrestlers of all time; talent, charisma, mic skills, etc in WWf/WWE history. He was great in basically all facets but NEVER got a break; he was an upper mid carder at best WITH main event ability. For lack of better words, he was CLEARLY ahead of his time. With that in mind, I have a few questions:

1. If he wrestled in this current era of wrestling, would he be more successful than he was was in the 80s/90s?

Curt was a very unlucky man, he was at his physical prime in the WWF when Hulkamania ran wild and there was already a line formed ahead of him (Warrior, Savage, DiBiase, Piper, Hart etc). As reigns shortened he was hampered by injury, that pretty much ended his full time career and with it, any real chance at the big belt.

Had he stayed fit, I could actually have seen him getting HBK's push as the 'Heartbreak Kid' heel gimmick and Michaels style are, in essence, extremely close to that of 'Mr Perfect'. The only difference in the two at that stage of their careers though was that Hennig was more comfortable in the persona and more accepted. In an alternate universe, HBK wouldn't be 'The Showstopper', 'The Main Event' or 'Mr Wrestlemania' because 'Mr Perfect' would have beat him to it.

It's a very hard question to answer if he would have succeeded in any other period, being the son of the Ax would probably have gotten him through the door but for every Rock or Orton who has come along there has been several Hart Smith, Usos' or DiBiases.

Like I have alluded to, the 'Mr Perfect' and 'Heartbreak Kid' (or even 'The Excellence of Execution') gimmicks are quite similar and it could be disputed if Curt came along in, say 1998, would he have been given the gimmick that defined him? Without the gimmick, would we have had another 'Ringmaster', 'Dr Isaac Yankam' or (worst of all) 'West Texas Redneck' failure?

2. If the WWE relived that gimmick, which current superstar do you think could flourish with it?

3. Do you see any Curt Hennig/Mr. Perfect like qualities/abilities in any superstar based on similar in ring ability and character believability?

I can see why people are speaking of Dolph Ziggler and Robert Roode here but, if it was me going for a 21st Century 'Mr Perfect'... he's already here and he goes by the name of CM Punk. Think about it, he's 'better than you', is fantastic on the stick and is a brilliant storyteller in the ring. Punk is the evolution of Hennig.

4. Who would he feud with?

****please keep in mind the 1988-2000 Curt Hennig****

Hennig could feud with anybody because he's 'Mr Perfect', no one is as good as him - long term he would feud with faces due to his cockiness. But I'd love to see him in a couple face mode series against the types of Punk and Y2J to see who really is 'the best there is at what I do'.