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), the World Wrestling Federation (WWF), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). In the WWF, 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 (formerly the WWF) 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 WWF 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 the WWF 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.
Movie | Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man | 2018-05-29 | |
Movie | Diamond Dallas Page: Positively Living | Self | 2017-04-04 |
Movie | Living On A Razor's Edge: The Scott Hall Story | 2016-07-05 | |
Movie | WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness | Curt Hennig (archive footage) | 2016-04-26 |
Movie | Brock Lesnar: Eat, Sleep. Conquer. Repeat | Mr. Perfect | 2016-10-11 |
Movie | It's Good To Be The King: The Jerry Lawler Story | Himself | 2015-05-19 |
Movie | Owen: Hart of Gold | Mr. Perfect | 2015-12-08 |
Movie | WWE: 150 Best Pay-Per-View Matches, Vol 1 | Mr. Perfect | 2014-03-11 |
Movie | Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection | Mr. Perfect | 2013-03-19 |
Movie | WWE: Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden | Mr. Perfect | 2013-08-13 |
Movie | WWE SummerSlam 2012 | (archive footage) | 2012-08-19 |
Movie | The True Story of WrestleMania | 2011-03-13 | |
Movie | WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time | Curt Hennig | 2010-12-07 |
Movie | WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event | Mr. Perfect | 2009-02-10 |
Movie | WWE: Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '90s | Mr. Perfect | 2009-04-14 |
Movie | The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect | 2008-09-09 | |
Movie | WWE: The History Of The Intercontinental Championship | Mr. Perfect | 2008-11-25 |
Movie | WWE: Edge: A Decade of Decadence | Mr. Perfect | 2008-12-23 |
Movie | WWE Hall of Fame 2007 | Mr. Perfect | 2007-03-31 |
Movie | WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary | Mr. Perfect | 2007-12-26 |
Movie | Rodman Downunder | 2006-06-01 | |
Movie | WWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA | Self | 2006-01-01 |
Movie | Legends Never Die | Mr. Perfect (archive footage) | 2006-06-01 |
Movie | WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology | Mr. Perfect | 2006-10-17 |
Movie | WWE: The Best of the Intercontinental Championship | Mr. Perfect (archive footage) | 2005-01-25 |
Movie | The Lost Episodes of the XWF | 2005-07-10 | |
Movie | WWE: Bret 'Hitman' Hart - The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be | Mr. Perfect | 2005-11-14 |
Movie | Superstars of Yesteryear | 2003-07-01 | |
Movie | WWE Royal Rumble 2002 | Mr. Perfect | 2002-01-20 |
Movie | WWE Wrestlemania X8 | Mr. Perfect | 2002-03-17 |
Movie | MECW Inaugural Show | 2001-08-11 | |
Movie | AJPW Giant Baba Memorial Spectacular | 2001-01-28 | |
Movie | Ready to Rumble | Himself | 2000-04-07 |
Movie | WCW Slamboree 2000 | Curt Hennig | 2000-05-07 |
Movie | WCW Uncensored 1999 | Curt Hennig | 1999-03-14 |
Movie | WCW/nWo Superstar Series - nWo 4 Life | 1999-03-03 | |
Movie | WCW The Great American Bash 1999 | Curt Hennig | 1999-06-13 |
Movie | WCW Souled Out 1999 | Curt Hennig | 1999-01-17 |
Movie | WCW SuperBrawl IX | Curt Hennig | 1999-02-21 |
Movie | WCW Starrcade 1999 | Curt Hennig | 1999-12-19 |
Movie | WCW Bash at the Beach 1999 | Curt Hennig | 1999-07-11 |
Movie | WCW Fall Brawl 1999 | Curt Hennig | 1999-09-12 |
Movie | WCW Mayhem 1999 | Curt Hennig | 1999-11-21 |
Movie | WCW Road Wild 1999 | Curt Hennig | 1999-08-14 |
Movie | WCW The Great American Bash 1998 | Manager | 1998-06-14 |
Movie | WCW Spring Stampede 1998 | Himself | 1998-04-19 |
Movie | WCW Uncensored 1998 | Himself | 1998-03-15 |
Movie | WCW Bash at the Beach '98 | Curt Hennig | 1998-07-12 |
Movie | WCW Road Wild 1998 | Curt Hennig | 1998-08-08 |
Movie | WCW Starrcade 1998 | Curt Hennig (Appearance) | 1998-12-27 |
Movie | Hitman Hart: Wrestling With Shadows | Self (archive footage) | 1998-12-20 |
Movie | WCW Fall Brawl 1998 | Himself | 1998-09-13 |
Movie | WCW Road Wild 1997 | Curt Hennig | 1997-08-09 |
Movie | WCW Bash at The Beach 1997 | Himself | 1997-07-13 |
Movie | WCW Clash of The Champions XXXV | Himself | 1997-08-21 |
Movie | WCW Halloween Havoc 1997 | Curt Hennig | 1997-10-26 |
Movie | WCW Fall Brawl 1997 | Curt Hennig | 1997-09-14 |
Movie | WCW Starrcade 1997 | Himself | 1997-12-28 |
Movie | WCW World War 3 1997 | Himself | 1997-11-23 |
Movie | WWE King of the Ring 1996 | Mr. Perfect (Referee) | 1996-06-23 |
Movie | WWE In Your House 11: Buried Alive | Mr. Perfect (Manager) | 1996-10-20 |
Series | WCW Monday Nitro | Unknown | 1995-09-04 |
Movie | WWE WrestleMania X | Mr. Perfect (Referee) | 1994-03-20 |
Movie | WWE U.K. Rampage 1993 | Mr. Perfect | 1993-04-11 |
Movie | WWE WrestleMania IX | Mr. Perfect | 1993-04-04 |
Movie | WWE March to WrestleMania IX | Mr. Perfect | 1993-03-28 |
Movie | WWF: WrestleFest '93 | Mr. Perfect | 1993-03-20 |
Movie | WWE Royal Rumble 1993 | Mr. Perfect | 1993-01-24 |
Movie | WWE Wrestling Grudge Matches | Mr. Perfect (Manager) | 1993-03-01 |
Series | WWE Raw | Mr. Perfect | 1993-01-11 |
Movie | WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers | Mr. Perfect | 1993-06-24 |
Movie | WWE Grudges, Gripes & Grunts | Mr. Perfect | 1993-10-16 |
Movie | WWF Smack 'Em, Whack 'Em | Mr. Perfect (Manager) | 1993-04-22 |
Movie | WWE SummerSlam 1993 | Mr. Perfect | 1993-08-30 |
Movie | WWE Global Warfare | Mr. Perfect | 1993-08-11 |
Movie | WWE King of the Ring 1993 | Mr. Perfect | 1993-06-13 |
Movie | Bret "Hit Man" Hart: His Greatest Matches | Curt Hennig | 1993-07-05 |
Movie | WWE U.K. Fan Favourites | Mr. Perfect (Manager) | 1993-08-09 |
Movie | WWE WrestleMania VIII | Mr. Perfect (Executive Consultant) | 1992-04-05 |
Movie | WWE March to WrestleMania VIII | Mr. Perfect | 1992-03-29 |
Movie | 3rd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars | Mr. Perfect (Manager) | 1992-06-25 |
Movie | WWE Invasion '92 | Mr. Perfect (Manager) | 1992-03-26 |
Movie | WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1992 | Mr. Perfect (Executive Consultant) | 1992-08-23 |
Movie | WWE Wrestling's Hottest Matches | Mr. Perfect | 1992-11-05 |
Movie | WWE Survivor Series 1992 | Mr. Perfect | 1992-11-25 |
Movie | WWE SummerSlam 1992 | Mr. Perfect | 1992-08-29 |
Movie | WWE WrestleMania VII | Mr. Perfect | 1991-03-24 |
Movie | WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII | Mr. Perfect | 1991-03-17 |
Movie | WWE SuperTape vol. 3 | Mr. Perfect | 1991-01-24 |
Movie | WWE Royal Rumble 1991 | Mr. Perfect | 1991-01-19 |
Movie | WWE SuperTape vol. 4 | Mr. Perfect | 1991-05-23 |
Movie | 2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars | Mr. Perfect | 1991-06-27 |
Movie | WWE Rampage '91 | Mr. Perfect | 1991-10-24 |
Movie | WWE Survivor Series 1991 | Mr. Perfect (Executive Consultant) | 1991-11-27 |
Movie | WWE SummerSlam 1991 | Mr. Perfect | 1991-08-26 |
Movie | WWE World Tour 1991 | Mr. Perfect | 1991-08-22 |
Movie | WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit | Mr Perfect | 1990-04-13 |
Movie | WWF SuperTape vol. 2 | Mr. Perfect | 1990-07-25 |
Movie | WWF SuperTape | Mr. Perfect | 1990-03-21 |
Movie | WWE Royal Rumble 1990 | Mr. Perfect | 1990-01-21 |
Movie | WWE WrestleMania VI | Mr. Perfect | 1990-04-01 |
Movie | WWE WrestleFest '90 | Mr. Perfect | 1990-06-28 |
Movie | WWE Survivor Series 1990 | Mr. Perfect | 1990-11-22 |
Movie | WWE SummerSlam Fever | Mr. Perfect | 1990-08-19 |
Movie | WWE Survivor Series Showdown '90 | Mr. Perfect (Appearance) | 1990-11-18 |
Movie | WWE The Main Event IV | Mr. Perfect | 1990-11-23 |
Movie | WWE SummerSlam 1990 | Mr. Perfect | 1990-08-27 |
Movie | Battle of the WWE Superstars | Mr. Perfect | 1990-08-23 |
Movie | WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: May '89 | Mr. Perfect | 1989-05-08 |
Movie | WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '89 | Mr. Perfect | 1989-04-23 |
Movie | WWE Royal Rumble 1989 | Mr. Perfect | 1989-01-15 |
Movie | The Best of the WWF: volume 19 | Mr. Perfect | 1989-07-19 |
Movie | WWE WrestleMania V | Mr. Perfect | 1989-04-02 |
Movie | Fan Favorites | Mr Perfect | 1989-08-09 |
Movie | WWE Survivor Series 1989 | Mr. Perfect | 1989-11-23 |
Movie | The Best of the WWF: volume 20 | Mr. Perfect | 1989-08-09 |
Movie | WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89 | Mr. Perfect | 1989-11-12 |
Movie | WWE SummerSlam 1989 | Mr. Perfect | 1989-08-28 |
Movie | WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88 | Curt Hennig | 1988-08-13 |
Movie | WWE WrestleFest | Mr. Perfect | 1988-07-31 |
Movie | WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: September '88 | Mr. Perfect | 1988-09-11 |
Movie | WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: October '88 | Curt Hennig | 1988-10-16 |
Movie | WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88 | Mr. Perfect | 1988-09-18 |
Movie | WWE Survivor Series 1988 | Mr. Perfect | 1988-11-24 |
Movie | AWA SuperClash II | Curt Hennig | 1987-05-02 |
Movie | AWA Christmas Night 1987 | "Cool" Curt Hennig | 1987-12-25 |
Movie | AWA Christmas Show 1987 | Curt Hennig | 1987-12-25 |
Movie | Bad Guys | Wrestler | 1986-03-14 |
Movie | AWA: WrestleRock '86 | Curt Hennig | 1986-04-20 |
Movie | AWA Battle by the Bay | Curt Hennig | 1986-06-28 |
Movie | AWA The Brawl in St. Paul | Curt Hennig | 1986-12-25 |
Movie | AWA StarCage | Curt Hennig | 1985-04-21 |
Series | WWF Prime Time Wrestling | 1985-01-01 | |
Movie | PNW 60th Anniversary Wrestling Extravaganza | 1985-05-21 | |
Series | Saturday Night's Main Event | 1985-05-11 | |
Movie | AWA Super Clash | Curt Henning | 1985-09-25 |
Movie | AWA Christmas Show 1984 | Curt Hennig | 1984-12-25 |