UPDATE: 2023/12/23 07:30 EST BY BENJAMIN VIEIRA

“Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig was truly a generation-defining talent of his era. Throughout his career, he performed in a number of different roles and did extremely well in all of them. He is one of the greatest competitors in WWE history to never have held the WWE Championship. However, he excelled as WWE Intercontinental Champion and has helped to define the title as the workhorse title of WWE. In addition, he also competed in WCW, AWA, TNA, and more. Tragically, Hennig passed away in 2003 at age 44. Hennig has left behind a tremendous legacy in the world of professional wrestling and continues to be remembered today.

Particularly for someone that surprisingly never won the WWE Championship is widely considered among the greatest pro wrestlers of all time. Coming to his prime during the late 1980s and early 1990s, Curt Hennig is one of the best examples of pure old-school wrestling that older and even younger wrestling fans can appreciate. Because of his name value in the wrestling industry and his overwhelming accomplishments throughout his career, his unfortunate death in 2003 shocked the wrestling world as he was only 44 years old when he passed on.

Curt Hennig Delivers Incredible Character Work And Matches In WWE

"Mr. Perfect" Becomes One Of WWE's Brightest Stars

No one did it quite as perfect as Mr. Perfect himself. The son of the late Larry "The Axe" Hennig, one could tell that professional wrestling had always been in Curt Hennig's blood. It's no surprise he made it far into becoming one of the greatest professional wrestlers in history.

Before having the run of his career in WWE during the later years of the Rock 'N' Wrestling generation, Curt Hennig made his professional wrestling debut in 1980 for the American Wrestling Association, the same promotion Larry Hennig wrestled throughout his career.

Even though Curt initially had a short stint with WWE from 1981 to 1983, he returned to the company in 1988, where he made his big break as "Mr. Perfect." Upon his arrival, the "Mr. Perfect" persona turned him into a major attraction. The concept of the gimmick was that Hennig was a uniquely gifted athlete, a fact highlighted in vignettes showing off his athletic prowess in a wide range of sports. This way of featuring him resonated with fans of the day, and his career was off to the races.

From when he re-signed with WWE in 1988 to his in-ring career in the company winding down during the mid-1990s, Curt Hennig accomplished a lot in that short period of time. Becoming a two-time Intercontinental Champion and holding an undefeated streak that lasted a year and a half until WrestleMania 6, in only a few years Curt Hennig established himself as a credible superstar who could hang with the very best in the company.

Curt Hennig's Wrestling Career Winds Down Due To His Back Injury

Hennig Joins WCW & Returns To WWE

As the 1990s progressed, Curt Hennig's in-ring career became more limited due to suffering an awful back injury in June 1991. He also briefly performed on commentary shortly before leaving the company in 1996. But still, despite the adversity he suffered due to real-life injuries, Curt Hennig continued his in-ring career towards the new millennium by wrestling for WCW from 1997 to 2000. He became an integral part of the New World Order for a time, in addition to a run leading the West Texas Rednecks faction, who released a song called "Rap Is Crap" that actually got some attention on the radio in the southern United States.

Towards the end of his career, Curt Hennig returned to WWE in 2002 in an impressive showing during the Royal Rumble 2002 match. Although his run that year didn't amount to much, Curt Hennig reminded fans that he could still perform at a high level despite being much older.

"Mr. Perfect" Tragically Passes Away Due To Drug Use

Hennig Passed Away On February 10, 2003

After getting released by WWE following the infamous Plane Ride From Hell in 2002, Curt Hennig finished the rest of his wrestling career in TNA. Shortly after wrestling his final match against David Flair on January 2003, Curt Hennig was found dead by a housekeeper in a Florida hotel room on February 10, 2003, at approximately 1:30 pm. He was scheduled to wrestle at the Florida State Fair the same day he passed away.

According to the Tampa Bay Times, The Hillsborough County Medical Examiner's Office determined that Curt Hennig's death stemmed from intoxication from cocaine use. However, while cocaine addiction played a part in his passing, his father, Larry, alluded to painkillers and steroids as a factor as well. Considering that Curt dealt with serious injuries that kept him out of wrestling, like the back injury of 1991, his painkiller use may have gotten out of control.

The Family Legacy Continued With Curt Hennig's Son In WWE

Curtis Axel, Hennig's Son, Enters Into The Business

From his time as AWA Champion to the heights of the Mr. Perfect run in WWE, to a memorable tenure with WCW at the height of the Monday Night War, Curt Hennig had a distinguished career in pro wrestling. He was a more than worthy successor to his father's name after Larry had starred for the AWA which notably included winning the tag titles with Harley Race and feuding against Verne Gagne and various partners.

Curtis Axel looked to take his family's legacy in the 2010s. Despite a big push early in his WWE career, he never quite connected with fans the way his father or grandfather had. He settled into a career largely defined by putting over bigger stars and working comedy bits like his Meta Powers tag team with Damien Sandow or claiming he was never eliminated from the 2015 Royal Rumble, and thus hadn't technically lost. Despite not arriving at singles stardom, he was widely respected by his peers for his mechanical skills and earned the unconventional honor of being The Rock's primary training partner to get back into ring shape for his 2011-2012 run with WWE.

In a 2016 interview with Sports Illustrated, Curtis Axel has this to say about his father and how he has played a role in his career as a professional wrestler. “People might not know this, but I pray to him before every match. Wrestling has actually been a way for me to heal after losing my father. It still feels like I’m with him.”

The Legacy Of "Mr. Perfect" In WWE

Hennig May Be Gone, But He Is Never Forgotten

In a news story that saddened the wrestling world, Curt Hennig was 44 years old at the time of his passing, only six weeks away from his 45th birthday. Unfortunately, he was among the list of wrestlers who had their lives cut short due to substance issues. However, even two decades after his death, "Mr. Perfect's" legacy has never been forgotten. To this day, many legendary wrestlers have praised Hennig as a talented performer. And because of how great he was, Hennig was inducted into the 2007 WWE Hall of Fame.