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WWE Hall of Fame Inductee
- Class of 2007
On 5th May, 2002, Curt Hennig was released from the WWE - a move
thought to have been sparked off by a much-publicised incident on a
plane journey back from the United Kingdom. Whatever the cause,
it seemed likely that Mr. Perfect would not be seen again in the
WWE. Less than a year later, Curt Hennig was found dead in his
Brandon, Florida hotel room where he was preparing to fight Ian "The
Iron Brit" Harrison for the Jimmy Hart-promotion, World Wrestling
All-Stars. Fans across the world mourned the death of wrestling's
Mr. Perfect, destined never to see those Grade A mat mechanics again.
However, in February 2007, the WWE announced that at a pre-Wrestle
Mania 23 ceremony Curt Hennig would be inducted into its Hall of
Fame. The announcement revived memories of great encounters Curt
Hennig had against the likes of Nick Bockwinkel and Bret Hart - who
himself became a WWE Hall of Famer the previous year. It also had
fans reliving some of the most famous and favourite moments in WWE
history - the Perfect vignettes. Almost nineteen years after the
first one
aired, fans were still asking each other if they remembered Mr. Perfect
sinking a 40-foot putt, recording the perfect game in ten-pin bowling,
getting four consecutive ringers in horseshoes, hitting a basket from
half-court, sinking all nine balls
on a pool table or, many fans' favourite, in 1993 throwing the perfect
pass to himself in front of an amazed Minnesota Vikings' tight end,
Steve Jordan.
The Class of 2007 contained some distinguished names from the world of
professional wrestling. The eight inductees that year were:
- Nick Bockwinkel
- Ed Farhat - The Sheik
- Mr. Fuji
- Curt Hennig - Mr. Perfect
- Jerry "The King" Lawler
- Dusty Rhodes
- Jim Ross
- The Wild Samoans
Despite the exalted company, Curt Hennig's name amongst the list of
wrestling legends seemed to fit perfectly. On an emotional
day at
Fox Theater, Detroit, Michigan, on Saturday, 31st March, 2007, Curt
Hennig's good friend, Wade Boggs, helped induct The Perfect One.
Curt's family - his wife, Leonice, four children, Joe, Hank, Kate and
Amy, and parents, Larry "The Axe" and Irene - were present to accept
the honour on Curt's behalf.
Watch Curt Hennig's induction
into the WWE Hall of
Fame
Watch Curt Hennig's induction
video
Visit the official WWE Hall of
Fame page
George Tragos/Lou Thesz
Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Inductee - Class of 2007
Wrestling legend Larry "The Axe" Hennig was enshrined in the George
Lagos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame in the Class of
2006 and it
wasn't long until his son, Curt, was recognised as another Hennig Hall
of Famer by
the very same institution.
Curt Hennig was included in the Class of 2007, just one year after his
father took his place amongst the greats of professional
wrestling at the George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Hall of
Fame. The five inductees that year were:
- Red Bastien
- The Great Gama
- Curt Hennig - Mr. Perfect
- Dale Lewis
- Steve "Dr. Death" Williams
Ted DiBiase - known as the Million Dollar Man during a popular run that
spanned many years in the WWE - was the
recipient of the 2007 Frank Gotch Award.
Collecting the plaque that recognises Curt Hennig's induction was his
Hall of
Famer father,
Larry "The Axe", and his wife, Leonice.
A large crowd were present to watch proceedings on Saturday, 14th July,
2007 at the newly opened George Tragos/Lou Thesz Hall of Fame in
Waterloo, Iowa USA. The induction ceremony was just one of many
events which occurred over that weekend to celebrate the ninth annual
inductions. These included a Celebrity Golf Tournament the day
before at Gates Park Golf Course and a banquet held on Saturday
night. A wrestling show organised by Harley Race and WLW - which
card included Class of 2007 member Steve "Dr Death" Williams" and one
of Curt's sons, Joe Hennig - announced that proceeds from the event
would be donated to the Dan Gable International Wrestling Institute and
Museum. Many Hall of Famers and Gotch Award winners made an
appearance during the course of the successful weekend.
Visit the official George
Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Hall of Fame page
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