Guest Y2BigJ Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Curt Hennig (Mr. Perfect) was found dead earlier today in a Tampa, FL hotel room. Hennig was in Tampa, FL to work an indy show for Jimmy Hart. No other details are currently available about this tragic story. 411 sends our best wishes to the family and friends of Curt Hennig. Credit: 1wrestling.com Fucking Sucks Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest redbaron51 Report post Posted February 10, 2003 no shit.... my condolences goes out to his family... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest nWoCHRISnWo Report post Posted February 10, 2003 That just fucking sucks. He was one of my favourite characters/wrestlers since I was little. RIP Perfect One. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest notJames Report post Posted February 10, 2003 No doubt we'll see some kind of short memorial tribute at the beginning of tonight's RAW. Wow. I guess the Minnesota Connection is back together again (Hennig/Rude). RIP, Mr. Perfect. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Zero_Cool Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Whoa..that's a shock. Man, what is it these days with wrestlers passing away? My thoughts do go out to his family, of course. Hopefully, WWE will give him a tribute tonight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ram Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Shit. This is friggin' tragic. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest TheSoleSurvivor Report post Posted February 10, 2003 HOLY SHIT. Curt freakin' Hening. This is fucking terrible. RIP Curt, I'll miss ya. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RenegadeX28 Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Condolences go out to his family. We'll miss ya Curt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Ryu Report post Posted February 10, 2003 R.I.P. Mr. Perfect Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest subliminal_animal Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Wow. That sucks. Obviously. My best wishes and condolences to his family and friends, even though though they won't get them. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest FeArHaVoC Report post Posted February 10, 2003 DAMNIT!!!!! RIP Curt There Better Damn Well be a Mention or Tribute to him tonight. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Kotzenjunge Report post Posted February 10, 2003 And I had just downloaded his match with Bret at SummerSlam '91. Damn. I think this is the first wrestler death to really really get to me. Mr. Perfect was my friggin' idol when I was little. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BobBacklundRules Report post Posted February 10, 2003 I know the Hennig family since they live around here at that news is a total shock. He was perfectly healthy, as far as I know he wasn't into any drugs and he's not very old. This is the first I've heard about him passing away. This shouldn't be true. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest SPwasmurdered Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Wow. So many are passing away . . . Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest DawnBTVS Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Anyone know how old he was? Damn this totally sucks. All I can say is hopefully he died with little to no pain. RIP Mr. Perfect *spits gum and slaps it* Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BoboBrazil Report post Posted February 10, 2003 He was just on TNA a few weeks ago. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest ArkhamGlobe Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Man, Hennig used to be one of my favourite wrestlers. Goddamn, this sucks. RIP Curt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Dames 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2003 TNA should have a tribute on Wednesday for him as well. One of the last few men who made the IC title mean anything in the last decade....wow... RIP Curt Hennig. Dames Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest HollywoodSpikeJenkins Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Its from 1Wrestling, so I don't completely believe it yet... But if its true, fucking A. Perfect 4 Life. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest JMA Report post Posted February 10, 2003 How could this happen? He wasn't into drugs or anything. All the deaths of wrestlers is really shocking. RIP Curt. You were a great wrestler and a great man. You will always be remembered. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
The Dames 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2003 1Wrestling wouldn't put up a news story about a wrestler's death unless it were true. I sincerely doubt they'd put something up that wasn't confirmed. Dames Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest BobBacklundRules Report post Posted February 10, 2003 "I stand for wrestling, cause that's what I do best. But if you want to fix it up and you want to have a fist fight, I can run faster, I can jump higher, I can do everything better than you! Know why? Cause I am what I say I am: Absolutely...PERFECT." Curt Hennig was born in Minneapolis on March 28, 1958, the son of legendary wrestler Larry "The Axe" Hennig. Raised in the Minneapolis suburb of Robbinsdale, Curt was friends with, and even graduated with, future wrestlers Tom Zenk, Rick Rude, and Brady Boone. At a young age and throughout school, Curt showed tremendous athletic ability; he claims to have "lettered in more sports than anyone in the state of Minnesota". But it was a stint at Verne Gagne's Wrestling Camp that sealed his future, and Hennig gave up collegiate offers for football, baseball, and wrestling after a stellar prep career. Following in his father's footsteps, Curt started as a jobber in the WWF. He learned quite a bit about wrestling in this time, including one match where he did the job to WWF Champion Bob Backlund. But things didn't work out, and Curt headed to Don Owen's Pacific Northwest territory for some time. In 1981, Curt returned home to Minnesota and joined Verne Gagne's AWA. During this time, Curt began to get a nice push and became one of the federation's biggest stars. He teamed up with Scott Hall to win the AWA Tag Team belts from Jim Garvin and Steve Regal in January 1986 and held the title until May that year. Perhaps his most shining moment came May 2, 1987, when he beat Nick Bockwinkel for the AWA World title, but this victory came with controversy. Curt didn't officially get the title until 9 days later, when the AWA ruled in a vote that videotape evidence showed that Curt had not been illegally aided by Larry Zbyszko. Curt held this title for over a year before losing it to Jerry Lawler in May 1988, with one exception. In late 1987, Hennig was cleanly beaten by former tag partner Greg Gagne for the title in a cage match, albeit with controversy. This change was not cleared with the bookers, though, and in a rematch, Curt beat Gagne. Following his loss to Lawler, Curt was contacted for a contract with the WWF. When asked by Vince McMahon what kind of high school athlete Curt was, as an idea for a character, Hennig replied "Perfect", and thus, he became Mr. Perfect. Mr. Perfect made his debut in the WWF in late 1988 and began a winning streak that lasted until Wrestlemania 6, losing to Brutus Beefcake. Establishing himself as a superstar (including beating WWF Champion Hulk Hogan before WM6 by DQ in Madison Square Garden), Perfect won the coveted Intercontinental title just 3 weeks later in a tournament final, beating Tito Santana. He held this title until Summerslam 90, when he lost it to Kerry Von Erich. But Perfect would get his revenge, winning it back 3 days before that year's Survivor Series. Mr. Perfect would go on to hold the I-C belt for 280 days. Then Curt suffered a back injury that would haunt him the rest of his career, but before going to the sideline, he lost the I-C belt to Bret "The Hitman" Hart at Summerslam 91. Now on the sidelines, Hennig became "Executive Consultant" to WWF newcomer Ric Flair. But once his back healed, Hennig began a feud with Flair, including a victory over the "Nature Boy" in a "Loser Leaves WWF" match following the 1993 Royal Rumble. However, before making his wrestling comeback at Survivor Series 1992, Hennig signed a contract with Lloyd's of London to insure his back for further injury. Perfect began a feud with another WWF newcomer, Lex Luger, then started a feud with WWF I-C champion Shawn Michaels. Hennig looked to beat the champ at Summerslam 93 but lost via countout, and during the match he re-injured his back. With his Lloyd's of London contract, Hennig collected millions in annual settlements. To keep active in wrestling, Perfect worked as a Guest Referee at Wrestlemania 10, disqualifying Lex Luger when Luger shoved Perfect in a World Title match against WWF Champ Yokozuna. He didn't show up again until working occasional guest commentary starting at Survivor Series 1995. By 1996, Perfect was either ready to return to the ring, or insurance was unwilling to keep paying him, so before a scheduled comeback match, he began a feud with Hunter Hearst-Helmsley, whose valets Perfect began stealing. Slated to fight "Triple-H", Perfect's knee was injured by HHH before the fight, and Perfect was replaced by I-C champ Marc Mero, only to be set up; Perfect had conspired with HHH so Helmsley could win the belt. After this match, Hennig began contract negotiations with WCW for a full-time return to the ring. This comeback became a reality in July 1997, when Hennig showed up at Bash At the Beach as Diamond Dallas Page's mystery partner. Hennig looked good in the time afterward, after being away for nearly 4 years. Curt, trying to establish himself as a babyface, accepted the role of Horseman upon the retirement of Arn Anderson of the Four Horsemen, but this, in typical Hennig fashion, ended up as a setup at Fall Brawl 97, when Hennig turned on the Horsemen to reveal himself as a member of the heel New World Order stable, and in the process, seriously injuring his old nemisis Ric Flair. The following night, Hennig won the WCW U.S. Title from Horseman Steve McMichael. Hennig held this belt until Starrcade 97, when he was beated by former partner Dallas Page. Doing his best to work around various knee and back injuries throughout 1998, Hennig re-emerged in 1999 to win the WCW Tag-Team belts with Barry Windham and held the belts for about a month. Curt worked various angles, wrapping up with by losing a "Loser Must Retire" match against Buff Bagwell at Mayhem 99, but turned around to reveal he was aligned with the heel "Powers That Be". In 2000, Hennig's contract expired and has since wrestled independently. Even today at 42, Hennig is still in great shape at 6'2, 240. His finishing move, whether you call it the "Perfect"-plex, the Fisherman's Suplex, or the Hennig-plex, is still a sight and as effective as ever. Curt spends his free time hunting, fishing, and golfing. Reflecting on his career, he lists Bret Hart, Scott Hall, Hulk Hogan, and Ric Flair as his best opponents; his greatest matches were both with Bret Hart, at Summerslam 1991 and at Anchorage, Alaska's Sullivan Arena (as his greatest match), and his most memorable match was in the AWA when he beat the Road Warriors by himself in a handicap match. Curt Hennig has been in the wrestling spotlife most of his life, and if anyone can prove themself as the "King of Comebacks", it's truly Hennig. It will be just a matter of time before we see the likes of him again. "I am the greatest wrestler, the greatest athlete the state of Minnesota has ever produced." I don't believe he's dead, this has to be a fake Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest The Amazing Rando Report post Posted February 10, 2003 today is another sad day........ RIP This has to be the most un-perfect thing ever... Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Yuna_Firerose 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Man.....that's just creepy. What could he die of? RIP Mr. Hennig Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest dreamer420 Report post Posted February 10, 2003 That is horrible. RIP Curt Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest Zack Malibu Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Dames beat me to it. TNA will no doubt have a tribute on Wed. He fought David Flair only what...3, 4 weeks ago? Mr. Perfect was the only heel (save for Roddy Piper) that I was really into as a little kid. I'll miss ya Curt. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
LaParkaYourCar 0 Report post Posted February 10, 2003 WWE.com hasn't put anything up about it. They did when Bulldog died and he didn't work for them anymore then. But if it is true........rest in peace Mr. Hennig Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest RavishingRickRudo Report post Posted February 10, 2003 I haven't read anything in any of the Tampa Bay On-Line news sites. I am waiting for confimation. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
Guest treble charged Report post Posted February 10, 2003 Meltzer's confirming it now, too. This is really sad. Share this post Link to post Share on other sites
