Hennig guest refereeing at WrestleMania X in 1994
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Birth name | Curtis Michael Hennig |
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Born |
Robbinsdale, Minnesota, United States |
March 28, 1958
Died | February 10, 2003 Tampa, Florida, United States |
(aged 44)
Cause of death | Acute drug intoxication |
Spouse(s) | Leonice Leonard (m. 1979; his death 2003) |
Children | 4, including Curtis Axel and Amy Hennig |
Family | Larry Hennig (father) |
Professional wrestling career | |
Ring name(s) | Curt Hennig Mr. Perfect |
Billed height | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) |
Billed weight | 257 lb (117 kg) |
Billed from | Robbinsdale, Minnesota |
Trained by |
Verne Gagne Larry Hennig |
Debut | 1980 |
Curtis Michael Hennig (March 28, 1958 – February 10, 2003) was an American professional wrestler, manager, and color commentator who performed under his real name for the American Wrestling Association (AWA), the World Wrestling Federation (now WWE), World Championship Wrestling (WCW), and Total Nonstop Action Wrestling (TNA). In the WWF, 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 is the son of wrestler Larry "The Axe" Hennig, and father of current WWE wrestler Curtis Axel.
Hennig was a four-time world champion, having held the AWA World Heavyweight Championship once for 373 days (the seventh-longest reign in history), the WWC Universal Heavyweight Championship once, and the i-Generation World Heavyweight Championship twice (with the i-Generation title being contested only in Australia). A two-time WWF Intercontinental Heavyweight Champion, Hennig has been named by WWE as one of the top five Intercontinental Champions of all time and a man who brought a new level of credibility to the title; he was the longest-reigning champion of the 1990s. In addition to winning multiple championships in WCW during the late 1990s, he was a member of the New World Order and leader of stable and country music group, The West Texas Rednecks, who recorded the popular tongue-in-cheek song, "Rap is Crap". Hennig returned to the WWF 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.