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Old-school Sundays: the late Mr. Perfect, Curt Hennig

Sunday, September 16th, 2007

Man, oh man. These Old-School Sundays sure can be bittersweet. As much as reliving these great matches and heroes from yesteryear is exciting and nostalgic, it is equally tragic in cases such as with this week’s spotlighted performer, the late, great Curt Hennig, Mr. Perfect. Born as the son of the famous Larry “The Ax” Hennig, Curt earned his stripes in the old American Wrestling Assocation (AWA) — eventually becoming the AWA World Champion — before heading over to the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) to become the immortal Mr. Perfect, a gimmick reportedly mirror-close to Hennig’s own personna. From the swatting of his gum on the way to the ring, to that dead-perfect heel smugness, to the in-ring precision few could match, Hennig could seemingly do it all. He eventually met his demise as a victim to his own “personal demons” as the cliche goes, dying in a Florida hotel room due to cocaine intoxication at only 44-years of age — but his legacy lives on. Sadly, it is all we have left today of the great Mr. Perfect (although, of note, his son Joe is now a WWE prospect). Enjoy these Curt Hennig matches and clips,, taken from various points of his career, against some of the greatest to ever step foot in a squared circle — Japan’s Tiger Mask II (Mitsuharu Misawa); Bret “Hitman” Hart and “Nature Boy Ric Flair. Take a peek at the last video as well, a glimpse into Hennig’s snarky side in a little-remembered (but very funny) WCW angle as leader of a redneck group of cowboys feuding with Rey Mysterio’s group called the Filthy Animals.