History Wrestling / CurtHennig

* DownerEnding: His death of a cocaine overdose at the age of 44.

You can learn more about his career at [[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Curt_Hennig The Other Wiki]].

* ContrivedCoincidence: Too many to not scratch your head about between Curt and an old childhood friend of his, Wrestling/RickRude. Both of them were physically gifted men who excelled in every sport they tried their hand in (Boxing and arm wrestling in Rude's case), both of them got their most famous gimmick in WWF, both of them suffered severe lower back injuries and both of them died by overdose.

Curt Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003) was a wrestler who debuted in the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation in 1981 after being trained by Wrestling/BradRheingans, Larry Hennig and Verne Gagne at the promotion's training camp. He'd later debut for [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} the WWF]] four months into his career and work their on and off until the early '90s, eventually developing his "Mr. Perfect" [[TheGimmick gimmick]]. He then left WWF behind, working for enterprises such as WWC, Wrestling/{{All Japan|ProWrestling}}, Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}} and eventually winding up in Wrestling/{{WCW}} but was, and still is, counted among the best technical wrestlers in [=WWE=] history. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-t.html AWA World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/ScottHall, a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/BarryWindham. Briefly competed in Wrestling/{{TNA}} when it was still a member of the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA. He passed away in 2003 from acute cocaine intoxication. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

* TheAce: A most certain RealLife case, since he proved to be if not professional grade, in great competitive shape to be drafted in bowling, golf and Grid-Iron Football.
** While a face. He's agile and quick, is able to throw around his opponents with ease and is an incredibly gifted technician. All of this shows that Mr. Perfect is more than just a name.
** Even as a heel, he usually won cleanly and both the face and heel commentators would laud Hennig for his immense technical wrestling talent.
** Hennig was able to combine his wrestling skills with his great promo skills to draw a ''lot'' of heat as the smug bastard who is not only better than you, but ''knows'' he's better and is more than happy to rub your nose in it.

** Nick Bockwinkel and Wrestling/JerryLawler in the [[Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation AWA]].
** He and Wrestling/BretHart had some classic matches that set the pace for future technical wrestlers in WWE.
** Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage and Wrestling/RicFlair in WCW.

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: In WCW, Hennig betrayed Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, Wrestling/TheFourHorsemen ''and'' the [=nWo=] Wolfpac. Likewise, in WWE, he did the same to Wrestling/RicFlair, Razor Ramon, Wrestling/LexLuger and Marc Mero.

* DarkSkinnedBlond: A "most" back in the early [[TheNineties 90's]] WWE.
* DefeatingTheUndefeatable: Went undefeated for his whole first year in WWF, to play up his "Perfect" gimmick. The streak ended rather anticlimactically with mid-carder Wrestling/BrutusBeefcake beating him at Wrestlemania VI.

** While recovering from a vicious back injury in '91 and '92, Hennig served as a commentator and as Wrestling/RicFlair's "executive consultant."

* LargeHam: Maybe not to Wrestling/HulkHogan's extent, but his promos were definitely ten pounds of cocky in a five pound bag.
* LightningBruiser: Agility? He could hit missile dropkicks and jump over opponents. Strength? Once Perfect-Plexed Wrestling/TheBigShow. Endurance? Could wrestle for long periods of time and put on great matches even with real injuries. (He wrestled through his Summerslam classic against Wrestling/BretHart with a back problem.)

** In WWF: [[Wrestling/BobbyHeenan the Heenan Family]] from 1990 to 1991.

*** The West Texas Rednecks (W/Kendall and Wrestling/BarryWindham, [[Wrestling/{{Virgil}} Curly Bill]] and Bobby Duncum Jr.)

* RedBaron: Mr. Perfect was one of the many red barons used and abandoned by Jerry Stubbs, and was briefly Curt Hennig's red baron before becoming his official ring name.

** His Perfect-Plex, naturally.
** When his opponent was sitting up in the ring, usually in a daze, Curt would run up from behind, somersault over the other guy while grabbing and yanking his head, causing a whiplash.
** A neck twist from a standing headscissors.

** (in the AWA):
*** Ax Attack, with his father, Larry "The Ax" Hennig
*** Gagne's Raiders, with Greg Gagne.
*** He was partnered with Wrestling/ScottHall at the tail end of the AWA
** The Perfect Team, with [[Wrestling/RandySavage Randy "Macho Man" Savage]], at ''Wrestling/SurvivorSeries 1992''.
** With his "executive consultant", otherwise known as "The Genius" Lanny Poffo.

* UrExample: For the technically gifted wrestlers who lacked an outlandish character but made up for it due to his skill, he along with Wrestling/BretHart were this during the wrestling boom in the 80's. In a time where most wrestling in the WWF all had to have some cartoony vibe to it, Perfect's gimmick was grounded in that he was just really good at what he did and he was able to be over with the fans due to witnessing how good he really was. Guys like Wrestling/ChrisBenoit and Wrestling/AJStyles based their wrestling gimmicks on how good they were at wrestling just like how Perfect did.

* WrestlingPsychology: Having a match against a man who has proved being good in almost any sport is quite a heavy emotional luggage to carry to the squared circle.

!!"These tropes are absolutely..... perfect."
* TheAce: While a face. He's agile and quick, is able to throw around his opponents with ease and is an incredibly gifted technician. All of this shows that Mr. Perfect is more than just a name.

* DarkSkinnedBlond

* FinishingMove: The Perfect-Plex was almost impossible to kick out of, but these days it seems more like a NameOfPower move.
** SuplexFinisher

* PowerStable: He was a member of [[Wrestling/BobbyHeenan the Heenan Family]] in WWE from 1990-1991.
** In WCW he was a member of The Four Horsemen, the Wrestling/NewWorldOrder, the West Texas Rednecks and the Powers That Be (led by Wrestling/VinceRusso.)

* SignatureMove: The PerfectPlex, naturally. Also, when his opponent was sitting up in the ring, usually in a daze, Perfect would run up from behind, somersault over the other guy while grabbing and yanking his head, causing a whiplash.

** (in the AWA): Ax Attack, with his father, Larry "The Ax" Hennig

* WrestlingPsychology

Curt Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003) was a wrestler who debuted in the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation in 1981 after being trained by Wrestling/BradRheingans, Larry Hennig and Verne Gagne at the promotion's training camp. He'd later debut for [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} The WWF]] four months into his career and work their on and off until the early '90's, eventually developing his "Mr. Perfect" [[TheGimmick gimmick]]. He then left WWF behind, working for enterprises such as WWC, Wrestling/{{All Japan|ProWrestling}}, Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}} and eventually winding up in Wrestling/{{WCW}} but was, and still is, counted among the best technical wrestlers in [=WWE=] history. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-t.html AWA World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/ScottHall, a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/BarryWindham. Briefly competed in Wrestling/{{TNA}} when it was still a member of the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA. He passed away in 2003 from acute cocaine intoxication. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

* TricksterArchetype: In RealLife, Curt loved to prank people not unlike Wrestling/OwenHart. Once he went to a party and crapped in the hosts' baby's potty and managed to convince them their kid took an adult-sized shit.

* UrExample: For the technically gifted wrestlers who lacked an outlandish character but made up for it due to his skill, he along with Wrestling/BretHart were this during the wrestling boom in the 80's. In a time where most wrestling in the WWF all had to have some cartoony vibe to it, Perfect's gimmick was grounded in that he was just really good at what he did and he was able to be over with the fans due to witnessing how good he really was. Guys like Wrestling/ChrisBenoit and Wrestling/AJStyles based their wrestling characters on how good they were at wrestling just like how Perfect did.

* RedBaron: Mr. Perfect was this briefly before becoming his official ring name.

** Another one worthy of mention is put rubber bands over a couple of tube socks and shoved them down the front of his pants. GorillaMonsoon, who was notoriously visually impaired, didn't realize it, so Curt came out and wrestled a job match, with what appeared to be a huge boner. Needless to say, Wrestling/VinceMcMahon was not happy about this and went to yell at Monsoon for allowing Curt to go out there like that. Curt promptly received a chewing out when he got backstage from an irritated Monsoon.

Curt Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003) was a wrestler who debuted in the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation in 1981 after being trained by Brad Rheingans, Larry Hennig and Verne Gagne at the promotion's training camp. He'd later debut for [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} The WWF]] four months into his career and work their on and off until the early '90's, eventually developing his "Mr. Perfect" [[TheGimmick gimmick]]. He then left WWF behind, working for enterprises such as WWC, Wrestling/{{All Japan|ProWrestling}}, Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}} and eventually winding up in Wrestling/{{WCW}} but was, and still is, counted among the best technical wrestlers in [=WWE=] history. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-t.html AWA World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/ScottHall, a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/BarryWindham. Briefly competed in Wrestling/{{TNA}} when it was still a member of the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA. He passed away in 2003 from acute cocaine intoxication. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

Curt Hennig was a wrestler who debuted in the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation in 1981 after being trained by Brad Rheingans, Larry Hennig and Verne Gagne at the promotion's training camp. He'd later debut for [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} The WWF]] four months into his career and work their on and off until the early '90's, eventually developing his "Mr. Perfect" [[TheGimmick gimmick]]. He then left WWF behind, working for enterprises such as WWC, Wrestling/{{All Japan|ProWrestling}}, Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}} and eventually winding up in Wrestling/{{WCW}} but was, and still is, counted among the best technical wrestlers in [=WWE=] history. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-t.html AWA World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/ScottHall, a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/BarryWindham. Briefly competed in Wrestling/{{TNA}} when it was still a member of the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA. He passed away in 2003 from acute cocaine intoxication. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

* HiredGuns: One of many brought into WWC by La Familia to defeat Wrestling/CarlitoColon for them and one of th temporarily successful.

* TheAce: While a face.

* RickyMorton: He served this role in the AWA, taking a beating in the ring only for ScottHall to save him at the last minute. Years later, Hall mentioned that Curt was so good at this role that fans would advise him to split from Curt as he was "holding you down".

*** He was partnered with ScottHall at the tail end of the AWA

'''Curt Hennig''' was a wrestler who debuted in the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation in 1981 after being trained by Brad Rheingans, Larry Hennig and Verne Gagne at the promotion's training camp. He'd later debut for [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} The WWF]] four months into his career and work their on and off until the early '90's, eventually developing his "Mr. Perfect" [[TheGimmick gimmick]]. He then left WWF behind, working for enterprises such as WWC, Wrestling/{{All Japan|ProWrestling}}, Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}} and eventually winding up in Wrestling/{{WCW}} but was, and still is, counted among the best technical wrestlers in [=WWE=] history. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-t.html AWA World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/ScottHall, a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/BarryWindham. Briefly competed in Wrestling/{{TNA}} when it was still a member of the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA. He passed away in 2003 from acute cocaine intoxication. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

** Another one worthy of mention is put rubber bands over a couple of tube socks and shoved them down the front of his pants. GorillaMonsoon, who was notoriously visually impaired, didn't realize it, so Curt came out and wrestled a job match, with what appeared to be a huge boner. Needless to say, VinceMcMahon was not happy about this and went to yell at Monsoon for allowing Curt to go out there like that. Curt promptly received a chewing out when he got backstage from an irritated Monsoon.

* RealLifeWritesThePlot: Hennig really was an accomplished athlete and Mr. Perfect was a caricature of his real personality.
** The skills he shows in his vignettes are all real, but Curt needed to not know the camera was running in order to pull them off.

[[quoteright:300:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Curt_Hennig_9928.jpg]]

'''Curt Hennig''' was a wrestler who debuted in the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingAssociation in 1981 after being trained by Brad Rheingans, Larry Hennig and Verne Gagne at the promotion's training camp. He'd later debut for [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} The WWF]] four months into his career and work their on and off until the early '90's, eventually developing his "Mr Perfect" [[TheGimmick gimmick]]. He then left WWF behind, working for enterprises such as WWC, Wrestling/{{All Japan|ProWrestling}}, Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}} and eventually winding up in Wrestling/{{WCW}} but was, and still is, counted among the best technical wrestlers in [=WWE=] history. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-t.html AWA World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/ScottHall, a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/BarryWindham. Briefly competed in Wrestling/{{TNA}} when it was still a member of the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA. He passed away in 2003 from acute cocaine intoxication. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

* BlondGuysAreEvil: While a heel.

'''Curt Hennig''' was a wrestler who debuted in the Wrestling/AmericanWrestlingFederation in 1981 after being trained by Brad Rheingans, Larry Hennig and Verne Gagne at the promotion's training camp. He'd later debut for [[Wrestling/{{WWE}} The WWF]] four months into his career and work their on and off until the early '90's, eventually developing his "Mr Perfect" [[TheGimmick gimmick]]. He then left WWF behind, working for enterprises such as WWC, Wrestling/{{All Japan|ProWrestling}}, Wrestling/{{New Japan|ProWrestling}} and eventually winding up in Wrestling/{{WCW}} but was, and still is, counted among the best technical wrestlers in [=WWE=] history. Among his in-ring achievements, he was a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-t.html AWA World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/ScottHall, a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/BarryWindham. Briefly competed in Wrestling/{{TNA}} when it was still a member of the Wrestling/{{N|ationalWrestlingAlliance}}WA. He passed away in 2003 from acute cocaine intoxication. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

* ChronicBackstabbingDisorder: In WCW, Hennig betrayed Wrestling/DiamondDallasPage, The Four Horsemen ''and'' the [=nWo=] Wolfpac. Likewise, in WWE, he did the same to RicFlair, Razor Ramon, LexLuger and Marc Mero.

* HiredGuns: One of many brought into WWC by La Familia to defeat Wrestling/CarlitoColon for them.

'''Curt Hennig''' was a wrestler in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in the early '90's. During this time he performed under the Mr. Perfect gimmick and was, and still is, considered to be one of the best technical wrestlers in [=WWE=] history. Among his in-ring achivements, he was a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-t.html AWA World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/ScottHall, a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/BarryWindham. Briefly competed in Wrestling/{{TNA}} when it was still a division of the NWA. He passed away in 2003 from acute cocaine intoxication. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.

* JerkJock: May have been the first notable one in professional wrestling. His success probably led to Wrestling/KurtAngle and Wrestling/JackSwagger's gimmicks.

!!!'''"These tropes are absolutely Perfect."''':

* BadassBoast: The ring name says it all.

* LightningBruiser: Agility? He could hit missile dropkicks and jump over opponents. Strength? Once Perfect-Plexed Wrestling/TheBigShow. Endurance? Could wrestle for long periods of time and put on great matches even with real injuries. (He wrestled through his Summerslam classic against Wrestling/BretHart with a back problem)

* TheNicknamer: Coined Wrestling/ShawnMichaels' famous moniker, "The Heartbreak Kid."
** Interestingly enough, he was also the first to refer to Hunter Hearst Helmsley as Wrestling/TripleH.

--> '''''You have just witnessed perfection. '''''
-->-- '''Mr. Perfect, after winning a match'''

'''Curt Hennig''' was a wrestler in Wrestling/{{WWE}} in the early '90's. During this time he performed under the Mr. Perfect gimmick and was, and still is, considered to be one of the best technical wrestlers in [=WWE=] history. Among his in-ring achivements, he was a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-h.html AWA World Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/awa/awa-t.html AWA World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/ScottHall, a 2x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wwe/ic.html WWE Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion]], a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-us-h.html WCW United States Heavyweight Champion]] and a 1x [[http://www.wrestling-titles.com/wcw/wcw-t.html WCW World Tag Team Champion]] w[=/=]Wrestling/BarryWindham. Briefly competed in Wrestling/{{TNA}} when it was still a division of the NWA. He passed away in 2003 from acute cocaine intoxication. He was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.