Curt Hennig

Curt Hennig

Biography: Curtis Michael "Curt" Hennig was an American professional wrestler, manager and color commentator who performed under his real name for the American Wrestling Association (AWA), WWE, World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). In WWE, he found his greatest success as Mr. Perfect, a nickname introduced in his second run with the company which gradually became his official ring name. Hennig used the same ring name in his third and final run, however, his real name was widely acknowledged. He was the son of wrestler Larry "The Axe" Hennig, and father to current WWE superstar Joe "Curtis Axel" Hennig. Hennig is recognized by WWE as a one-time world champion, having held the AWA World Heavyweight Championship for 373 days (the seventh-longest reign in history). He won three additional world championships: the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship once, and the i-Generation World Heavyweight Championship twice. A two-time WWE Intercontinental Champion, Hennig has been named by WWE as one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions of all time, and was the longest-reigning champion of the 1990s. In addition to winning multiple championships in WCW during the late 1990s, he served as the enforcer of the Four Horsemen, a member of the New World Order, and leader of stable and country music group, West Texas Rednecks, who recorded the tongue-in-cheek song, "Rap is Crap", later described by WWE as a "stunningly popular and infectious earworm." Hennig returned to WWE for a brief period in 2002, being one of the last three men remaining at the Royal Rumble. He later challenged for the NWA World Heavyweight Championship in TNA, prior to his death on February 10, 2003. WCW described Hennig as "one of the best all-round competitors this business has ever produced"; WWE, in a posthumous publication, hailed him as a "flawless technician" who "brought the Intercontinental Title a new level of credibility during his two reigns and set a higher standard for technical wrestling in WWE." He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007 by former Major League Baseball third baseman, and longtime friend, Wade Boggs. A number of Hennig's peers consider him to be one of the greatest in-ring performers of all time; former on-screen rival Hulk Hogan remarked: "Everybody would check their egos at the door when they came to a building that Curt Hennig was in, because you couldn't out-work him, you couldn't outshine him and you couldn't out-perform him. He was the best of the best." On February 10, 2003, Hennig was found dead in a Florida hotel room. The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office declared acute cocaine intoxication to be the cause of his death. His father said that steroids and painkillers also contributed to his death. WWE aired a video tribute as well as words from friends and former co-workers Jerry "The King" Lawler and Jim Ross on Raw following the news of Hennig's death. TNA paid tribute to Hennig by displaying his wrestling singlet and a framed photo as he was employed by TNA at the time of his death. A tribute song about Hennig, "My Perfect Friend", was featured on the 2003 "Macho Man" Randy Savage album Be a Man. Other peers including Hulk Hogan, Ric Flair, Bret Hart, Shawn Michaels have also commended Hennig's in-ring talents.

Place of Birth: Not available

Birthday: March 28, 1958

Deathday: February 10, 2003

Popularity:

2.742

Known For

Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows
Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows

1998-12-20

WWE WrestleMania V
WWE WrestleMania V

1989-04-02

WWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA
WWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA

2006-01-01

2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars
2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars

1991-06-27

WWE Global Warfare
WWE Global Warfare

1993-08-11

Battle of the WWE Superstars
Battle of the WWE Superstars

1990-08-23

WWE Grudges, Gripes & Grunts
WWE Grudges, Gripes & Grunts

1993-10-16

3rd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars
3rd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars

1992-06-25

WWE Wrestling Grudge Matches
WWE Wrestling Grudge Matches

1993-03-01

WWE WrestleFest '90
WWE WrestleFest '90

1990-06-28

WWE U.K. Fan Favourites
WWE U.K. Fan Favourites

1993-08-09

WWE SuperTape vol. 3
WWE SuperTape vol. 3

1991-01-24

WWF Smack 'Em, Whack 'Em
WWF Smack 'Em, Whack 'Em

1993-04-22

WWE SuperTape vol. 4
WWE SuperTape vol. 4

1991-05-23

WWF SuperTape
WWF SuperTape

1990-03-21

WWF SuperTape vol. 2
WWF SuperTape vol. 2

1990-07-25

WWE Wrestling's Hottest Matches
WWE Wrestling's Hottest Matches

1992-11-05

WWE Invasion '92
WWE Invasion '92

1992-03-26

WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers
WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers

1993-06-24

WWE Rampage '91
WWE Rampage '91

1991-10-24

WWE World Tour 1991
WWE World Tour 1991

1991-08-22

WWE WrestleMania VII
WWE WrestleMania VII

1991-03-24

WCW/nWo Superstar Series - nWo 4 Life
WCW/nWo Superstar Series - nWo 4 Life

1999-03-03

WWE Royal Rumble 1991
WWE Royal Rumble 1991

1991-01-19

WWE Royal Rumble 1990
WWE Royal Rumble 1990

1990-01-21

WWE Royal Rumble 2002
WWE Royal Rumble 2002

2002-01-20

WWE SummerSlam 1989
WWE SummerSlam 1989

1989-08-28

Bret "Hit Man" Hart: His Greatest Matches
Bret "Hit Man" Hart: His Greatest Matches

1993-07-05

WWE WrestleMania VI
WWE WrestleMania VI

1990-04-01

WWE Survivor Series 1990
WWE Survivor Series 1990

1990-11-22

WWE Survivor Series 1992
WWE Survivor Series 1992

1992-11-25

WWE SummerSlam 1991
WWE SummerSlam 1991

1991-08-26

WWE Survivor Series 1988
WWE Survivor Series 1988

1988-11-24

WWE SummerSlam 1990
WWE SummerSlam 1990

1990-08-27

WCW SuperBrawl IX
WCW SuperBrawl IX

1999-02-21

WCW Souled Out 1999
WCW Souled Out 1999

1999-01-17

WCW Uncensored 1999
WCW Uncensored 1999

1999-03-14

WCW The Great American Bash 1999
WCW The Great American Bash 1999

1999-06-13

WCW Road Wild 1999
WCW Road Wild 1999

1999-08-14

WCW Bash at the Beach 1999
WCW Bash at the Beach 1999

1999-07-11

WCW Mayhem 1999
WCW Mayhem 1999

1999-11-21

WCW Fall Brawl 1999
WCW Fall Brawl 1999

1999-09-12

WCW Starrcade 1999
WCW Starrcade 1999

1999-12-19

WWE U.K. Rampage 1993
WWE U.K. Rampage 1993

1993-04-11

WCW Slamboree 2000
WCW Slamboree 2000

2000-05-07

Bad Guys
Bad Guys

1986-03-14

Living On A Razor's Edge: The Scott Hall Story
Living On A Razor's Edge: The Scott Hall Story

2016-07-05

AWA Christmas Show 1984
AWA Christmas Show 1984

1984-12-25

AWA Christmas Show 1987
AWA Christmas Show 1987

1987-12-25

WCW Bash at The Beach 1997
WCW Bash at The Beach 1997

1997-07-13

WCW Road Wild 1997
WCW Road Wild 1997

1997-08-09

WCW Fall Brawl 1997
WCW Fall Brawl 1997

1997-09-14

WCW Halloween Havoc 1997
WCW Halloween Havoc 1997

1997-10-26

WCW World War 3 1997
WCW World War 3 1997

1997-11-23

WCW Starrcade 1997
WCW Starrcade 1997

1997-12-28

WCW Spring Stampede 1998
WCW Spring Stampede 1998

1998-04-19

WCW Uncensored 1998
WCW Uncensored 1998

1998-03-15

WCW Bash at the Beach '98
WCW Bash at the Beach '98

1998-07-12

WCW Road Wild 1998
WCW Road Wild 1998

1998-08-08

WCW Fall Brawl 1998
WCW Fall Brawl 1998

1998-09-13

WWF: WrestleFest '93
WWF: WrestleFest '93

1993-03-20

AWA Super Clash
AWA Super Clash

1985-09-25

Fan Favorites
Fan Favorites

1989-08-09

PNW 60th Anniversary Wrestling Extravaganza
PNW 60th Anniversary Wrestling Extravaganza

1985-05-21

WWE: Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden
WWE: Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden

2013-08-13

WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology

2006-10-17

WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time

2010-12-07

Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection
Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection

2013-03-19

The Best of the WWF: volume 19
The Best of the WWF: volume 19

1989-07-19

The Best of the WWF: volume 20
The Best of the WWF: volume 20

1989-08-09

The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect
The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect

2008-09-09

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '89
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '89

1989-04-23

WWE Wrestlemania X8
WWE Wrestlemania X8

2002-03-17

WWE Survivor Series Showdown '90
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '90

1990-11-18

WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88

1988-08-13

WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: October '88
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: October '88

1988-10-16

WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88

1988-09-18

WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: September '88
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: September '88

1988-09-11

WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: May '89
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: May '89

1989-05-08

Brock Lesnar: Eat, Sleep. Conquer. Repeat
Brock Lesnar: Eat, Sleep. Conquer. Repeat

2016-10-11

Biography: Bret "Hitman" Hart
Biography: Bret "Hitman" Hart

2021-06-06

Ready to Rumble
Ready to Rumble

2000-04-07

Diamond Dallas Page: Positively Living
Diamond Dallas Page: Positively Living

2017-04-04

WWE: The Best of the Intercontinental Championship
WWE: The Best of the Intercontinental Championship

2005-01-25

WWE: Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '90s
WWE: Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '90s

2009-04-14

WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit
WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit

1990-04-13

Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man

2018-05-29

AWA SuperClash II
AWA SuperClash II

1987-05-02

Superstars of Yesteryear
Superstars of Yesteryear

2003-07-01

Rodman Downunder
Rodman Downunder

2006-06-01

The Lost Episodes of the XWF
The Lost Episodes of the XWF

2005-07-10

WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary

2007-12-26

WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event

2009-02-10

WWE: 150 Best Pay-Per-View Matches, Vol 1
WWE: 150 Best Pay-Per-View Matches, Vol 1

2014-03-11

WWE: Bret 'Hitman' Hart - The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be
WWE: Bret 'Hitman' Hart - The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be

2005-11-14

WWE: Edge: A Decade of Decadence
WWE: Edge: A Decade of Decadence

2008-12-23

WWE: The History Of The Intercontinental Championship
WWE: The History Of The Intercontinental Championship

2008-11-25

Owen: Hart of Gold
Owen: Hart of Gold

2015-12-08

It's Good To Be The King: The Jerry Lawler Story
It's Good To Be The King: The Jerry Lawler Story

2015-05-19

WWE Hall of Fame 2007
WWE Hall of Fame 2007

2007-03-31

AWA StarCage
AWA StarCage

1985-04-21

The True Story of WrestleMania
The True Story of WrestleMania

2011-03-13

Legends Never Die
Legends Never Die

2006-06-01

WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness
WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness

2016-04-26

AWA: WrestleRock '86
AWA: WrestleRock '86

1986-04-20

AJPW Giant Baba Memorial Spectacular
AJPW Giant Baba Memorial Spectacular

2001-01-28

WWE WrestleFest
WWE WrestleFest

1988-07-31

WWE Royal Rumble 1989
WWE Royal Rumble 1989

1989-01-15

WWE Survivor Series 1989
WWE Survivor Series 1989

1989-11-23

WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89

1989-11-12

MECW Inaugural Show
MECW Inaugural Show

2001-08-11

AWA Battle by the Bay
AWA Battle by the Bay

1986-06-28

WWE SummerSlam Fever
WWE SummerSlam Fever

1990-08-19

AWA The Brawl in St. Paul
AWA The Brawl in St. Paul

1986-12-25

WWE The Main Event IV
WWE The Main Event IV

1990-11-23

WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII

1991-03-17

WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1992
WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1992

1992-08-23

WWE SummerSlam 1992
WWE SummerSlam 1992

1992-08-29

WWE Royal Rumble 1993
WWE Royal Rumble 1993

1993-01-24

WWE King of the Ring 1996
WWE King of the Ring 1996

1996-06-23

WWE Survivor Series 1991
WWE Survivor Series 1991

1991-11-27

WWE March to WrestleMania IX
WWE March to WrestleMania IX

1993-03-28

WWE March to WrestleMania VIII
WWE March to WrestleMania VIII

1992-03-29

WWE WrestleMania VIII
WWE WrestleMania VIII

1992-04-05

WWE WrestleMania IX
WWE WrestleMania IX

1993-04-04

WCW The Great American Bash 1998
WCW The Great American Bash 1998

1998-06-14

WCW Starrcade 1998
WCW Starrcade 1998

1998-12-27

WWE King of the Ring 1993
WWE King of the Ring 1993

1993-06-13

WWE SummerSlam 1993
WWE SummerSlam 1993

1993-08-30

WWE In Your House 11: Buried Alive
WWE In Your House 11: Buried Alive

1996-10-20

WWE WrestleMania X
WWE WrestleMania X

1994-03-20

WCW Clash of The Champions XXXV
WCW Clash of The Champions XXXV

1997-08-21

AWA Christmas Night 1987
AWA Christmas Night 1987

1987-12-25

WWF Summer Flashback!
WWF Summer Flashback!

1997-07-14

The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect
The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect

2008-09-09

WCW Uncensored 2000
WCW Uncensored 2000

2000-03-19

SWS WrestleFest
SWS WrestleFest