Curt Hennig
Acting
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.
Known For
A regularly scheduled, live, year-round program featuring some of the biggest WWE Superstars.
Raw
A professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation banner on NBC airing in place of Saturday Night Live. The series was made up entirely of star vs. star bouts in a time when weekly programming consisted primarily of established stars dominating enhancement talent.
WWE Saturday Night's Main Event
The biggest WWE Superstars of the late 1980s and early '90s settle their differences in the ring on "Wrestling Challenge"; featuring exciting matches and memorable interviews, this weekly television series captures an important era of WWE history.
WWF Wrestling Challenge
The American professional wrestling promotion WWE has been broadcasting PPV events since the 1980s, when its classic "Big Four" events (Royal Rumble, WrestleMania, SummerSlam, and Survivor Series) were first established with the company's very first PPV being WrestleMania in 1985. The company's PPV lineup expanded to a monthly basis in the mid-1990s following the introduction of the In Your House series of pay-per views before expanding even further in the mid-2000s during the first WWE brand extension. Following WWE's original brand extension in 2002, the company promoted two touring rosters, Raw and SmackDown, representing its television programs, Raw and SmackDown. The traditional "Big Four" continued to showcase the entire roster, while the remaining PPV events alternated between Raw and SmackDown cards. In March 2007, WWE announced that all subsequent PPV events would feature performers from all brands. In 2008, all WWE PPV events began broadcasting in high-definition.
WWE Pay Per View
WWE's flagship show of the early-90s featuring great in-ring action, news from the world of sports-entertainment, and more.
WWF Superstars
Finding truth at the intersection of fantasy and reality in the veiled world of professional wrestling.
Dark Side of the Ring
The greatest WWE Superstars of the 1975s & 1982s, including Andre the Giant, Bob Backlund, and Bruno Sammartino compete in exciting matches.
WWF All-Star Wrestling
Discover rarely-seen matches from the 1970s, '80s, and '90s featuring countless WWE Hall of Famers such as Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair.
WWE Old School
The stories behind some of the most memorable WWE Superstars of all time.
Biography: WWE Legends
At a time when matches between big-name Superstars are usually only seen on pay-per-view, WCW presents Clash of the Champions on free TV.
Clash of the Champions
Two slacker wrestling fans are devastated by the ousting of their favorite character by an unscrupulous promoter.
Ready to Rumble
WCW's flagship show led to the famous Monday Night War. Featuring the nWo, Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Sting, and the Cruiserweights.
WCW Monday Nitro
WWF Prime Time Wrestling was a professional wrestling television program produced by the World Wrestling Federation. It aired on the USA Network from 1985–1993. A precursor to Monday Night Raw, Prime Time Wrestling was a two-hour long, weekly program that featured stars of the World Wrestling Federation. The program featured wrestling matches, interviews, promos featuring WWF wrestlers, updates of current feuds and announcements of upcoming local and pay-per-view events. WWE Hall of Famers Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan highlight the best of early-1985s WWE in Prime Time Wrestling.
WWF Prime Time Wrestling
The American Wrestling Association takes its unique brand of sports-entertainment to locations around the world; these classic AWA events feature the top competitors in the Minnesota-based territory, and many were never broadcast on television.
AWA Arena Shows
Broadcast nationally from the Showboat Hotel in Las Vegas, ESPN Championship Wrestling highlights the very best action found in the AWA. AWA Superstars such as Shawn Michaels, Scott Hall, Nick Bockwinkel and more compete in the ring.
AWA Championship Wrestling
WCW Thunder was a professional wrestling show produced by World Championship Wrestling.
WCW Thunder
SummerSlam (1992) was the fifth annual SummerSlam. It took place on August 29, 1992 at Wembley Stadium, London, England but was aired in the United States on August 31. The pay-per-view featured two main event matches. In the first, The Ultimate Warrior challenged Randy Savage for the WWF Championship. The Warrior won the match by count-out but did not win the title. In the other main event, The "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith pinned Bret Hart to win the WWF Intercontinental Championship. The WWF Tag Team Championship was also defended, as The Natural Disasters retained the championship belts in their match against the Beverly Brothers. One of the heavily promoted matches on the undercard was between Shawn Michaels and Rick Martel. The match, which had a special stipulation that the wrestlers could not hit each other in the face, ended in a double count-out. The WWF considers the crowd to be the third largest live audience ever to attend a WWF/E event, with 80,355 in attendance.
WWE SummerSlam 1992
WrestleMania X8 was the eighteenth annual WrestleMania PPV and was presented by Sour Skittles. It took place on March 17, 2002 at the SkyDome in Toronto, Ontario. As the nWo continues their crusade against the WWF, wrestling's past meets wrestling's future when the People's Champion, the Rock, meets Hollywood Hulk Hogan. Meanwhile, Tripe H faces the greatest challenge of his career when he challenges Chris Jericho for the Undisputed Championship, with his vengeful ex-wife Stephanie McMahon in Jericho's corner.
WWE Wrestlemania X8
A countdown of the greatest superstars in WWE History. From Hulk Hogan to Randy Savage to The Rock to John Cena enjoy an experience down memory lane for long-time fans, and a new experience for new fans of WWE.
WWE: Top 50 Superstars of All Time
See countless WWE Hall of Famers compete in the American Wrestling Association's flagship show, AWA All Star Wrestling.