Remembering - Curt Hennig - Mr. Perfect

[TheHitMark-SirJoseOle]

"I'm so very honored to be here tonight, to introduce the next WWE Hall Of Fame inductee, as a second generation wrestler, he had some pretty big shoes to fill, and fill them he did. He had style, charisma, showmanship, the looks, and who could ever forget that infectious laugh. I guess that's why you could call him perfect." - Wade Boggs - WWE Hall Of Fame 2007 Ceremony - March 31, 2007

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Over a decade ago, 11 years to be exact, the world of professional wrestling lost one of its greatest assets and talents, "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig. To say it was a sad day for the artform is a pure understatement. However, the important thing is the memories that a talent the caliber of Curt Hennig left behind. For me I remember loving to hate this guy as a kid, the fact he got me to feel that way as a young boy in the 1980s, well that was just a testament to how much of a natural he was in the world of wrestling. Coming from a wrestling lineage through his father Larry "The Axe" Hennig. Mr. Perfect had the "perfect" balance (if you'll pardon the pun) of talent, charisma, and versatility in the ring. Classic battles against Ric Flair, Jerry Lawler, Nick Bockwinkel, Bret Hart, and Hulk Hogan are etched into my mind to this very day.

What I loved about Curt Hennig's style was just his ability to perform in the ring, that running snap mare, that kneelift he would just bring out of nowhere onto his opponent and of course the Perfect Plex were just awesome elements of his in ring arsenal. His vignettes for his WWF return (for fans older than me, I'm sure some will remember his then-unacknowledged babyface stint in the earlier part of the decade) in 1988 were entertaining and a product of their time but man those were what made me the fan I am today.

Before I pass this thread onto you folks, I am going to name a few of my favorite moments here from "The Perfect One" and then I'll look forward to what will hopefully be some responses that will lead to an engaging discussion on a great in the business.

My Favorite Mr. Perfect Moments:​

1) Winning his first WWF Intercontinental Championship, fresh off the WrestleMania VI main event that left the title vacant. Perfect took out perpetual babyface and former IC Champ Tito Santana to claim his first taste of WWF gold.

2) His clinic with Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1991, Perfect was feeling the rigors of a back injury but showed up just the same and helped legitimize Bret's singles career.

3) His brief feud with Hulk Hogan, I wish it could have gone longer, but the fact that he knew how to make Hogan sell better than I think Hogan had in years before. Hogan showed the acknowledgment that his typical push and shove brute bravado wouldn't immediately undo a crafty in ring great like Perfect, and it showed.

4) His betrayal of Ric Flair in WCW, and his subsequent defection to the nWo after accepting a spot with the Horsemen. A classic heel move.

5) His WWF return in 2002. While it was short lived, it was amazing just the same. Perfect just didn't return for a brief moment of glory, he held his own in the event. Loved it.

6) His WWE Hall Of Fame 2007 induction. Despite it being an posthumous honor, it was a great moment to celebrate Hennig. You could tell Wade Boggs was sincere in his speech and that made me appreciate his induction even more.

Now I'd love to get more people's insight on Mr. Perfect. There was so much more to his career we know, the AWA stint and his time as World Champion there, which I think had built the foundation for his Mr. Perfect character. Then of course, his time as Ric Flair's right hand man during his sabbatical. from in ring competition, The West Texas Rednecks (for as bad as WCW was getting, that was amusing). Again I could go on all day, but I'm passing this on to you guys and gals here on the forum, let's hear your thoughts on The Perfect One.

 

[LODemolition]

RIP Curt. Easily the best wrestler in WWE history to never hold the championship. One of my top 5 favorites of all-time. He had the look, the gimmick, the mic skills, and above all else, the God-given wrestling ability. They don't get much better than Curt Hennig.

 

[AhSpicyDrop]

True Legend of the sport, and one of the best technicians and sellers the sport has produced. It's sad that he's no longer with us, but he lived his life on his terms and I'm sure he squeezed the life out of everyday he had.

Some of my favorite Hennig moments/memories mirror yours, OP, so I'll touch on ones that do not.

1) Hennig's fluidity in the ring when performing his trademark leapfrog into running dropkick. I've probably seen him do it a thousand times and it never gets old. He never misses a beat, and his dropkick is hands down one of the top 5 in the history of the sport. You can see shades of his influences on that move with many talents still today.

2) His commentary was very underrated, I enjoyed him when he did color almost as much as I did Heenan and Ventura. I think that's what he would be doing today were he still alive.

3) His entire series of matches with Bret Hart, not just the '91 SS match. Their rivalry was stepped up a notch every time they wrestled. I had the privilege of watching some of their non-televised arena matches and I can honestly say some of those matches bested 91 Summerslam and their King of the Ring match. They still had it in WCW when they wrestled there as well, what a great pairing they were.

4) His return at the 2002 Royal Rumble and making the Final Four, brought me back to 1990 Royal Rumble which was a nice nostalgia trip. Also the match he had with Rob Van Dam, though short, was really enjoyable. I wish he hadn't had been so vital in the Plane Ride from Hell, and he'd have gotten to stick around for a while.

But the main thing I enjoyed about Hennig is regardless of what he was doing it was almost guaranteed to be entertaining. He was a tornado of emotions in the fact that he could make you laugh one second, boo the next, and maybe even cheer by the end of the segment. He could polish turds when handed them(see: West Texas Rednecks, feud with 'Narcissist' Lex Luger)

 

[justtxyank]

I loved Hennig. Loved him as Mr. Perfect and loved him in WCW under his real name.

If you go back and watch his AWA work that stuff is awesome as well. So fluid in the ring and bumped like a pro. I'm not totally convinced that he really was top tier main event level like everyone says now, but nevertheless I enjoyed watching him perform thoroughly.

 

[King502]

I am what I say I am and that is absolutely perfect
I loved his matches against Bret and I think that royal rumble where he was last in there with hogan (1990 or 1991 ) he should of won that and got a solid push and possibly even win the title

 

[salopstick]

I loved it when he was flair's exec assistant due to back injury

We are not the type to say we told you so

But

We told you so

 

[THTRobtaylor]

There are good and bad things about Curt Hennig as with anyone. In his case the positives far outweigh the negatives but it's remiss not to touch on them lest this all be one long puff piece.

While he was known for being a hilarious ribber, many guys have now told the tale of him being a little mean spirited with them sometimes, denying knowledge of a rib he'd pulled and getting others blame and heat for them. According to both guys involved the famed Jacques/Dynamite situation came from a rib Curt pulled. I am sure he didn't mean for what went down to... but he should have known with Dynamite it could have gotten ugly and fessed up to Tom and Jacques to take the heat out of it. I am sure Billington would have been mad at him but he'd have just got him back harder... but it went that nastier route and while I can't blame Jacques for what he did I don't think it's an exaggeration to say it could have saved Kid's "life" in many ways if Curt had put his hand up to that rib as Kid's downward spiral started with the fallout of that prank and his and Jacques reaction to it.

He was also one of the guys who sat out far longer "retired" than they needed to be cos they were claiming Lloyds of London retirement policies while getting paid by Vince and doing everything bar getting in the ring between the bells. In the end he couldn't get away with the "retirement" in the insurers eyes as it was clear he could go from his role with Flair and he returned, his back was bad - but he probably didn't need to miss quite as much time as he did. He wasn't the only one... but he did make the most of that policy. Is it a negative? It clearly took care of his family. But in the same way Shawn could have gone for most of those 4 years or Animal probably could have returned sooner it robbed Curt of a lot of his momentum and more than anything is why he never got that World title.

But the good things as I say far outweigh the bad. While he could have handled the Rouegeau thing better he couldn't have been classier when it came to Marty and Shawn., perhaps he learned or it was because of the AWA connection.

For those who don't know, Vince was fuming after their Rumble 93 didn't work as it had on the road (he had added Sherri that day), Shawn blamed Marty saying he had been partying all night and was basically still drunk during the match. Marty was fired (unusually in the WWF at that time) and begun his downward spiral. A few months on and Shawn let slip to Hennig that this was not true and he'd basically buried Marty to not job the belt to him.

Hennig went straight to Vince and insisted Marty be rehired...and he was with a complete "Billy Martin", he was brought back to where he was in the company as if nothing had happened (except of course in story which he was given that great return) and won the IC title. How many times has Vince ever done that?

Not many! but he did it in this case because of Curt Hennig...sadly for Marty 3 months of taking the injustice out on himself had set the tone...he'd always been a partier, but not a depressive one sadly. In a cutthroat business it was a very noble thing to do for someone already out of the company and says a lot about Hennig at that time as he was basically sticking up for a guy who could be taking "his spot".

His return in 02 was simply amazing and I am proud I had the honor to see him live on the "plane ride from hell" tour. As someone said he wasn't there for a Batista/Brock role. He was in the trenches and perhaps better than ever, indeed it was akin to Goldust in the last year. Sadly I think him being let go did to him the same thing it did to Jannetty, triggered a destructive cycle that pushed him over the edge health wise. He might still have died, but I think had he been with the E longer, he wouldn't have gone when he did.

His entrance is still among my top 5... everything fit, perfectly... from the music to the towel to the gum slap that he never missed. You always got the sense that he loved what he did when he walked to the ring, same with Rude, Savage and today guys like Bryan and Cena.

His matches were among the better ones WWE put out in that late 80's early 90's period. While fate perhaps affected his booking and plans (Brutus getting hurt, replacement Davey getting hurt and them hiring Kerry as 3rd choice) to the level where his career could have led higher up the card. The back injury was legit and he was a hero for going through what he did with Bret in that match but had it been as originally planned he'd have best Beefcake and been facing Davey at WM7, leading to Bret coming into the picture too. How good would that 3 way feud have been?

Curt Hennig wasn't perfect.. he was by all accounts well loved and a good man with a few flaws, but who doesn't have them? He is missed for sure in the business and while I don't think he should have been a World Champ over Rude, Davey or Piper, that he's close enough to that group says volumes.

 

[Wrestlingaholic]

Curt Hennig is one of the best sellers in wrestling history, and I feel it is his ability to put over his opponents through selling as well as his general in-ring abilities that allow us to remember him so fondly.

Indeed, some of my best Hennig memories are the way he took certain moves: there are very few, for example, that would allow someone (in this case Davey Boy) to drop kick them off the top rope to the floor in the early 90s era; that is exactly how Perfect got eliminated from the 1991 Royal Rumble. And has there EVER been a more brutal looking Sharpshooter than the one Bret Hart used to submit Perfect at their Summerslam '91 classic? That genuinely looked like it hurt, especially when it became clear after the event that Hennig had slipped a disc.

Once 'retired', Hennig still sold. As good a talker Ric Flair was (arguably one of the all time greats), his 'real Worlds champion' gimmick was helped exponentially by Hennig and Bobby Heenan, they worked their asses off to get Flair over. As a previous poster noted, the post-match interview after Flair won the 1992 Royal Rumble is one of my top 3 promos of all time, and Heenan and Hennig contributed to that.

RIP Curt Hennig

 

[The Eighties]

Mr. Perfect was the first heel that I found myself liking, not in the way heels are liked today, but simply because I found him so entertaining in the ring and loved his promos with Bobby Heenan, someone else who always entertained me even as a kid.

He was given a name in WWE that was very apt, everything he did in the ring looked great and his influence can still be seen today and could be seen on a legend like Shawn Michaels. His match with Bret at Summerslam 91 in MSG is a classic and for a long time was my favourite match, their only other PPV outing was at KOTR 93 and sentimentality aside might be an even better match, although I preferred the Summerslam finish.

I loved his partnership with Flair, the Executive Assistant role was a lot of fun and they played off each other really well, then Perfect made the surprise turn and became Randy Savage's partner at Survivor Series and I loved how that played out with him having second thoughts during the match. I just wish the big blow-off between him and Flair in a "Loser leaves Town" match could have been at Mania IX.

The only disappointment in that run for me was that his match with HBK at Summerslam 93 didn't quite live up to the potential, as Shawn said in his book it just didn't click as well as they had expected. I also wish in that time he'd had a match with Yokozuna.

I remember in 95 and 96 I thought comebacks to face HBK and later Triple H might have been on the horizon but nothing materialized. His WCW run had it's moments like his matches with Benoit, the resuming of his feud with Flair, his US title match with DDP at Starrcade 97 and most impressively, his Perfect Plex on The Giant!

I personally found the West Texas Rednecks gimmick a lot of fun, sure it didn't utilize Hennig's in ring talents a lot but that song was damn catchy.

I'm glad Curt had one last run in WWE, it didn't really have a stand out singles match but when he entered the Rumble on his return me and my friend marked out and when he got to the final 4 we were pulling for him to win!

A true legend of the business who made it in a time when titles weren't handed out as props to try and get a guy over. He was never a World Champion in either of the big two promotions but he is none the less one of the all time greats.