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Pro wrestler, "Mr. Perfect", found dead in Florida
Professional wrestler Curt Hennig, 44, of Champlin, who began his
career in Verne Gagne's American Wrestling
Association more than two decades ago, was found dead in his
hotel room Monday in Brandon, Fla. Hennig, also known by his
ring name of Mr. Perfect, was to wrestle Monday night at the Florida
State Fair in Tampa. The Hillsborough County Sheriff's Office said
that a housekeeper at the Homestead Suites Motel found Hennig's body at
1:30 p.m., and that paramedics pronounced him dead at the
scene. A Sheriff's Office spokeswoman said that foul play was
not suspected but that the office was investigating. Hennig's body had
been turned over to the medical examiner's office, the
Associated Press reported, but calls to the office were not returned.
Hennig, the son of former professional wrestler Larry (the Axe) Hennig,
graduated from Robbinsdale High School and a short time
later followed his father into Gagne's now-defunct wrestling
organization. "He worked out, trained hard, and he became pretty good,"
said
Gagne, who schooled Curt Hennig in pro wrestling. "He didn't have
much of an amateur background, to the best of my knowledge, but
he took to the pro style very well. "He was a good athlete, and he
picked up things quickly -- like getting thrown out of the ring at
different angles and leaping off the top [ring] rope. "With a wrestler
not as athletic as he was, that takes time." Gagne said that Hennig,
who stood about 6-foot-2, weighed 225 pounds when he started out,
but eventually jumped to 250. Gagne's son, Greg, also was a
second-generation pro wrestler who wrestled with and against Hennig.
"At first, he was
pretty meek and laid back," said Greg, who also had a hand in training
Hennig. "He was intimidated by a lot of the (more experienced)
wrestlers.
"But eventually his real personality came through: He was arrogant, a
little cocky." 'Fun guy' Both Gagnes called Hennig "a fun guy," and
Greg said, "He always knew how to make people laugh." After wrestling
in main events in the American Wrestling Association (AWA) in the late
1980s, Hennig worked in Vince McMahon's World Wrestling Entertainment.
It was McMahon, a bitter rival of Verne Gagne, who gave Hennig his
nickname of Mr. Perfect -- reportedly based on Hennig's comment that
"anything I do, I'm perfect." All told, Hennig won the AWA heavyweight
title; the intercontinental title in McMahon's organization, in 1990,
and other
titles in World Championship Wrestling, in 1997 and 1999, as reported
in today's editions of the Tampa Tribune. At the time of his death,
Hennig had joined Jimmy Hart All-Star Wrestling. "He always kept
himself
in the best condition," Hart was quoted in the Tampa newspaper. "He
always looked great, like he never aged." Greg Gagne said that he
didn't
think Hennig suffered from major health problems, but that his sisters
had heart trouble. Larry Hennig could not be reached for comment Monday
night, and details of his son's personal life were sketchy. Greg Gagne
said that Hennig was married and had four children, two boys and two
girls.
He said the older boy, about 22 or 23, had not pursued a career in
professional wrestling. Before Monday night's wrestling matches in
Tampa, the crowd of more than 2,000 stood for a 10-bell salute to honor
Curt Hennig, the Tampa Tribune reported. Said Greg Gagne: "We lost a
good competitor. He
was good for the sport of wrestling."
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