Curt Hennig
Acting • Born 1958-03-28 – Died 2003-02-10
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.
Filmography
164 credits
Hitman Hart: Wrestling with Shadows
Movie • 1998
Self (archive footage)
WWE WrestleMania V
Movie • 1989
Mr. Perfect
WWE: The Spectacular Legacy of the AWA
Movie • 2006
Self
2nd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE Global Warfare
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
Battle of the WWE Superstars
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
WWE Grudges, Gripes & Grunts
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
3rd Annual Battle of the WWE Superstars
Movie • 1992
Mr. Perfect (Manager)
WWE Wrestling Grudge Matches
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect (Manager)
WWE WrestleFest '90
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect (Manager)
WWE SuperTape: Volume 3
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE Smack 'Em Whack 'Em
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect (Manager)
WWE SuperTape: Volume 4
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE SuperTape: Volume 1
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
WWE SuperTape: Volume 2
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
WWE Wrestling's Hottest Matches
Movie • 1992
Mr. Perfect
WWE Invasion '92
Movie • 1992
Mr. Perfect (Manager)
WWE Invasion of the Bodyslammers
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WWE Rampage '91
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE World Tour 1991
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE WrestleMania VII
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WCW/nWo Superstar Series - nWo 4 Life
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WWE Royal Rumble 1991
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE Royal Rumble 1990
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
WWE Royal Rumble 2002
Movie • 2002
Mr. Perfect
WWE SummerSlam 1989
Movie • 1989
Mr. Perfect
WWE WrestleMania VI
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
WWE Survivor Series 1990
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
WWE Survivor Series 1992
Movie • 1992
Mr. Perfect
WWE SummerSlam 1991
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE Survivor Series 1988
Movie • 1988
Mr. Perfect
WWE SummerSlam 1990
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
WCW SuperBrawl IX
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WCW Souled Out 1999
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WCW Uncensored 1999
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WCW The Great American Bash 1999
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WCW Road Wild 1999
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WCW Bash at the Beach 1999
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WCW Mayhem 1999
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WCW Fall Brawl 1999
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WCW Starrcade 1999
Movie • 1999
Curt Hennig
WWE U.K. Rampage 1993
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WCW Slamboree 2000
Movie • 2000
Curt Hennig
Bad Guys
Movie • 1986
Wrestler
Living On A Razor's Edge: The Scott Hall Story
Movie • 2016
AWA Christmas Show 1984
Movie • 1984
Curt Hennig
AWA Christmas Show 1987
Movie • 1987
Curt Hennig
WCW Bash at The Beach 1997
Movie • 1997
Himself
WCW Road Wild 1997
Movie • 1997
Curt Hennig
WCW Fall Brawl 1997
Movie • 1997
Curt Hennig
WCW Halloween Havoc 1997
Movie • 1997
Curt Hennig
WCW World War 3 1997
Movie • 1997
Himself
WCW Starrcade 1997
Movie • 1997
Himself
WCW Spring Stampede 1998
Movie • 1998
Himself
WCW Uncensored 1998
Movie • 1998
Himself
WCW Bash at the Beach 1998
Movie • 1998
Curt Hennig
WCW Road Wild 1998
Movie • 1998
Curt Hennig
WCW Fall Brawl 1998
Movie • 1998
Himself
WWE WrestleFest '93
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
AWA Super Clash
Movie • 1985
Curt Henning
Fan Favorites
Movie • 1989
Mr Perfect
PNW 60th Anniversary Wrestling Extravaganza
Movie • 1985
WWE: Best of WWE at Madison Square Garden
Movie • 2013
Mr. Perfect
WWE: Hulk Hogan: The Ultimate Anthology
Movie • 2006
Mr. Perfect
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
Movie • 2010
Curt Hennig
Bret Hart: The Dungeon Collection
Movie • 2013
Mr. Perfect
The Best of the WWF: volume 19
Movie • 1989
Mr. Perfect
The Best of the WWF: volume 20
Movie • 1989
Mr. Perfect
The Life and Times of Mr. Perfect
Movie • 2008
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: April '89
Movie • 1989
Mr. Perfect
WWE Wrestlemania X8
Movie • 2002
Mr. Perfect
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '90
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect (Appearance)
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: August '88
Movie • 1988
Curt Hennig
WWE Los Angeles Wrestling: October '88
Movie • 1988
Curt Hennig
WWE Maple Leaf Wrestling: September '88
Movie • 1988
Mr. Perfect
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: September '88
Movie • 1988
Mr. Perfect
WWE Wrestling at The Meadowlands: May '89
Movie • 1989
Mr. Perfect
Brock Lesnar: Eat, Sleep. Conquer. Repeat
Movie • 2016
Mr. Perfect
Ready to Rumble
Movie • 2000
Curt Hennig
Diamond Dallas Page: Positively Living
Movie • 2017
Self
WWE: The Best of the Intercontinental Championship
Movie • 2005
Mr. Perfect (archive footage)
WWE: Greatest Wrestling Stars of the '90s
Movie • 2009
Mr. Perfect
WWF/AJPW/NJPW Wrestling Summit
Movie • 1990
Mr Perfect
Randy Savage Unreleased: The Unseen Matches of The Macho Man
Movie • 2018
AWA SuperClash II
Movie • 1987
Curt Hennig
Superstars of Yesteryear
Movie • 2003
Rodman Downunder
Movie • 2006
The Lost Episodes of the XWF
Movie • 2005
WWE: The Best of Raw 15th Anniversary
Movie • 2007
Mr. Perfect
WWE: The Best of Saturday Night's Main Event
Movie • 2009
Mr. Perfect
WWE: 150 Best Pay-Per-View Matches, Vol 1
Movie • 2014
Mr. Perfect
WWE: Bret 'Hitman' Hart - The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be
Movie • 2005
Mr. Perfect
WWE: Edge: A Decade of Decadence
Movie • 2008
Mr. Perfect
WWE: The History Of The Intercontinental Championship
Movie • 2008
Mr. Perfect
Owen: Hart of Gold
Movie • 2015
Mr. Perfect
It's Good To Be The King: The Jerry Lawler Story
Movie • 2015
Himself
WWE Hall of Fame 2007
Movie • 2007
Mr. Perfect
AWA StarCage
Movie • 1985
Curt Hennig
The True Story of WrestleMania
Movie • 2011
Legends Never Die
Movie • 2006
Mr. Perfect (archive footage)
WWE: The U.S. Championship: A Legacy of Greatness
Movie • 2016
Curt Hennig (archive footage)
AWA WrestleRock 1986
Movie • 1986
Curt Hennig
AJPW Giant Baba Memorial Spectacular
Movie • 2001
WWE WrestleFest
Movie • 1988
Mr. Perfect
WWE Royal Rumble 1989
Movie • 1989
Mr. Perfect
WWE Survivor Series 1989
Movie • 1989
Mr. Perfect
WWE Survivor Series Showdown '89
Movie • 1989
Mr. Perfect
MECW Inaugural Show
Movie • 2001
AWA Battle by the Bay
Movie • 1986
Curt Hennig
WWE SummerSlam Fever
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
AWA The Brawl in St. Paul
Movie • 1986
Curt Hennig
WWE The Main Event IV
Movie • 1990
Mr. Perfect
WWE Superstars & Stripes Forever: The March to WrestleMania VII
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE SummerSlam Spectacular 1992
Movie • 1992
Mr. Perfect (Executive Consultant)
WWE SummerSlam 1992
Movie • 1992
Mr. Perfect (Ringside)
WWE Royal Rumble 1993
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WWE King of the Ring 1996
Movie • 1996
Mr. Perfect (Referee)
WWE Survivor Series 1991
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect (Executive Consultant)
WWE March to WrestleMania IX
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WWE March to WrestleMania VIII
Movie • 1992
Mr. Perfect
WWE WrestleMania VIII
Movie • 1992
Mr. Perfect (Executive Consultant)
WWE WrestleMania IX
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WCW The Great American Bash 1998
Movie • 1998
Manager
WCW Starrcade 1998
Movie • 1998
Curt Hennig (Appearance)
WWE King of the Ring 1993
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WWE SummerSlam 1993
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WWE In Your House 11: Buried Alive
Movie • 1996
Mr. Perfect (Manager)
WWE WrestleMania X
Movie • 1994
Mr. Perfect (Referee)
WCW Clash of The Champions XXXV
Movie • 1997
Himself
AWA Christmas Night 1987
Movie • 1987
"Cool" Curt Hennig
WWF Summer Flashback!
Movie • 1997
Mr. Perfect
WCW Uncensored 2000
Movie • 2000
Curt Hennig (Lumberjack)
SWS WrestleFest
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE Bashed in the USA
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect (Host)
Survival Of The Hitman
Movie • 2010
Mr. Perfect (archive footage)
The Ultimate Warrior
Movie • 1992
Mr. Perfect
Shawn Michaels: Hits from the Heartbreak Kid
Movie • 1995
Mr. Perfect
Bret "Hit Man" Hart
Movie • 1994
Mr. Perfect
Wrestling's Greatest Champions
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE UK Rampage '93
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WWE UK Fan Favorites 1993
Movie • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WWE Funniest Moments
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE Greatest Hits
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WWE Sunny
Movie • 1997
Mr. Perfect
WWE Survivor Series Showdown 1991
Movie • 1991
Mr. Perfect
WCW Monday Nitro
TV • 1995
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
TV • 1985
Biography: WWE Legends
TV • 2021
Curt Hennig (archive footage)
Dark Side of the Ring
TV • 2019
Self (archive footage) (uncredited)
WCW Thunder
TV • 1998
Curt Hennig
Raw
TV • 1993
Mr. Perfect
WWF Wrestling Challenge
TV • 1986
Mr. Perfect
Saturday Night's Main Event
TV • 1985
Mr. Perfect
Saturday Night's Main Event
TV • 1985
WWF All-Star Wrestling
TV • 1975
Curt Hennig
WWE Old School
TV • 1973
Curt Hennig
WWE Old School
TV • 1973
Mr. Perfect
WWF Superstars
TV • 1986
Mr. Perfect
AWA All-Star Wrestling
TV • 1987
Curt Hennig
AWA Arena Shows
TV • 1981
Curt Hennig
AWA Championship Wrestling
TV • 1986
Curt Hennig
AWA Superstars
TV • 1988
Curt Hennig
Clash of the Champions
TV • 1988
Curt Hennig