10 great wrestlers who have passed on and their legacies

#3 Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig

Mr. Perfect Curt Hennig

As the son of legendary performer Larry "the Ax" Hennig, Hennig found that great things were expected of him. He was able to fulfil most of those expectations during his career, competing as both a tag team and singles star.

Early on Hennig tagged with Eddie Gilbert, but it was his union with future NWO member Scott Hall which is the most memorable. Hennig played the part of the 'babyface in peril,' taking the brunt of the punishment for his team before making a hot tag to the much larger Hall.

In fact, many wrestling fans who didn't know better would criticize Hall for not dumping his 'useless' partner.

Hennig had two runs in the WWE, but the one that is most memorable took place from 1988-1996. Appearing in a series of vignettes where he would perform difficult or impossible feats with a single try, Hennig debuted as the Mr. Perfect character for the first time. It was a role which would define his career.

With a two-year undefeated streak, a reign as IC champion, and a feud with Hulk Hogan, Mr. Perfect would achieve great heights in the WWE -- though he would never hold the 'big' belt.

Eventually, Hennig made the jump to Turner's WCW, mostly because he could work fewer dates for more money and avoid battering his ageing body. After taking Arn Anderson's spot in the Horsemen, he betrayed the group and joined the NWO. Many thought Hennig's career was on the wane.

However, in 1999 Eric Bischoff hired Master P as both a booker and on-air performer. Master P wanted his own stable of rapping wrestlers, and the No Limit Soldiers were born. Just as Superman needs Lex Luger, the Soldiers needed enemies. WCW turned to veteran performer Hennig and transformed him from Mr. Perfect into a West Texas Redneck.

In a turn around that had WCW bookers wondering where they went wrong, the Rednecks became huge crowd favourites, while the ostensible heroes, the Soldiers, were booed relentlessly. The WTX Rednecks became staples of WCW's fading years.

Mr. Perfect returned to the WWE in the early 2000s, though he was fired for drunken antics on the Plane Ride from Hell. After that would be a stint in TNA. Hennig was an active wrestler until his death in 2003.

Legacy

Besides a motherlode of tremendous five-star matches, Hennig left the world a son, Joe, who wrestles under the name Curtis Axel to pay tribute to his father and grandfather. As of this writing, his son is employed by the WWE, and has enjoyed modest success with the company. Whether or not he will escape his father's shadow remains to be seen. Wrestling Fans may never see so 'perfect' a competitor again.

We remember Hennig with his classic match Vs. Bret Hart.