Larry Hennig
| Larry Hennig | |
|---|---|
| Born |
June 18, 1936 Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Spouse(s) | Irene Hennig |
| Children | 6, including Curt Hennig (1958–2003) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Larry Hennig |
| Billed height | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) |
| Billed weight | 320 lb (150 kg) |
| Billed from | Robbinsdale, Minnesota |
| Trained by | Verne Gagne |
| Debut | 1956 |
| Retired | 1985 |
Larry "The Axe" Hennig (born June 18, 1936) is an American retired professional wrestler. He is the father of the late "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig, the grandfather of Joe "Curtis Axel" Hennig, and is best known for his work in the American Wrestling Association, National Wrestling Alliance and World Wide Wrestling Federation. Hennig was also known for his muscular neck which, to this day, measures 22 inches.
Before pursuing a career in professional wrestling, Hennig became the Minnesota State High School Heavyweight Champion from Robbinsdale, Minnesota in 1954. He was awarded a scholarship from the University of Minnesota to wrestle and play football but had to quit due to the priorities of family and raising children.
In 1963, Hennig entered the AWA under the tutelage of Verne Gagne. He eventually found some main event success and shared a brief Tag Team Championship reign with Duke Hoffman. But in frequently losing to rougher, more experienced wrestlers, he began questioning the scientific style instilled into him by Gagne and looked toward a different approach (in kayfabe).
During the summer of 1963, Hennig left the AWA for a stint in the Texas territories. While touring Texas, Hennig adopted a more brutal style and won the Texas Heavyweight Title. He also crossed paths with Harley Race. The two young wrestlers struck up a friendship and following their mutual commitment in Amarillo, a new tag team broke out into the Minneapolis wrestling scene. Race and Hennig branded themselves as "Handsome" Harley Race (which was actually a moniker given to him by fans in Japan) and "Pretty Boy" Larry Hennig, a cocky villainous tag team with a penchant for breaking the rules to win matches. They quickly became top contenders, and on January 30, 1965, they defeated the legendary tandem of Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher to capture the AWA World Tag Team Championship, becoming, at the time, the youngest tag team champions ever. Race and Hennig continued to feud with the Bruiser and Crusher and other top teams for the next several years, amassing three title reigns.
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