"Bret, you're excellent, but you're NOT Perfect."
--Mr. Perfect at Summerslam 1991 to Bret Hart
A professional wrestler, born March 28, 1958 in Robbinsdale, Minnesota. He trained with Verne Gagne, and is a second-generation wrestler (father was Larry "The Axe" Hennig).
I watched him on TV during his stay with the WWF in the early 90's. His persona then was "Mr. Perfect."
He had long, curly blond hair, measured 6'2", and a reasonably athletic physique, not too muscle bound. But he was one of those wrestlers with long torsos and short limbs, which might make them better wrestlers, but goofier looking on TV. Much like Kurt Angle. Mr. Perfect wore neon-green tights.
He was a heel (bad guy) for the most part, but I think he may have turned babyface (good guy) at least once.
His finishing move was the Perfect-plex, a modified German suplex, finishing so that Mr. Perfect was holding on to one leg in the bridge position. If you assumed that a suplex was a "real" move, I think the Perfect-plex was a reasonable improvement, in that holding one leg would compromise the victim's ability to kick out. (I've been told the Perfect-plex is a fisherman suplex with a pinning component. I think this is correct.)
Devon Hart thinks Mr. Perfect had the sweetest drop kick ever.
Here's a list of his titles:
- 1986 AWA Tag Team Champion (w/Scott Hall)
- 1987 AWA World Champion (defeated Nick Bockwinkel)
- 1990 WWF IC Champion (won eight-man tournement)
- 1990 WWF IC Champion (defeated the Texas Tornado)
- 1997 WCW U.S. Champion (defeated Steve McMichael)
- 1999 WCW Tag Team Champion (won Tag tournement w/Barry Windam)
He was also my favorite character to play in the early 90's coin-op video game "Wrestlemania."
Data from all over the net, especially: http://members.theglobe.com/FlexyGirl/
He had a short run with the WWE in 2001, but he was fired after horsing around with Brock Lesnar on a charter flight back from the UK. Though he was fired, there were thoughts that he would eventually be back in the WWE some day.
02/11/2003 - Sadly, I have read that Curt Hennig, a.k.a. Mr. Perfect, was found dead yesterday afternoon in his hotel room. I haven't found any reports in regards to the cause of death. Though he may have been past his prime, I think he had many years of entertaining professional wrestling left in him... It's a real shame...
03/30/2003 - Sadder still, the coroner's report indicates that Curt Hennig died of a cocaine overdose. Such a stupid way to die...