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Sean Waltman remembers his friend Curt Hennig
PWTorch.com Guest Editorial
By Sean Waltman
Good Bye My Friend
You were the last of the "Old Guard"
I just received the news that another one
of ours is gone. That kind of news hits me hard, But it
doesn't really shock me anymore. When Owen Hart died it
hit extra hard because he did everything the right way and still didn't
get the pay off in the end.
Today's loss is the first to hit me that hard since Owen. Not for the
same reasons, though. Today one of my best friends died. And today a
bridge between the past and the future of our business has been lost.
Curt Hennig is a personality that could light up even the most dismal
locker room. He was perhaps the funniest, and funniest person I
know. He and Owen had a lot in common that way. Two of the funniest
people I've ever had the pleasure of knowing. Both are no longer with
us.
I just want to try briefly to give some people an idea, who might not
realize the magnitude of Curt's contributions the careers of many of
us, of the mark he left
on Wrestling. Curt took me under his wing when I was 20 years
old and just entering the WWF. He instilled many of the values I have
in understanding the wrestling business, and that it is
our responsibility to pass down the knowledge as it was passed
to us. Or as he passed to me. But he has influenced the careers
of so many of the greats in wrestling. Guys who then in turn
did the same. Like a pyramid effect. Shawn Michaels and Scott
Hall are the two I think of first. They were with Curt in the AWA
days. I just remembered that it was Curt who actually coined the nick
name "Heart Break Kid" on an episode of Primetime Wrestling. It was
from a country singer named Chris LeDoux's song.
He always had a way of relating situations in wrestling to a country
song. He loved driving down the road with friends and singing country
tunes. I had some of my best times with Curt. He was also the kind of
guy who could "hold court" any where. He was always laughing, and I
will
tell you that Curt Hennig enjoyed LIFE! He made sure no matter
how shitty things were, he was damn sure gonna create some fun.
He was the King of All Ribbers as well. I
ended up with no eyebrows after my first road trip with
him. I actually have gone from tears to having a great big
grin on my face as I'm writing this. I don't feel like Curt was
short-changed in life. He had one hell of a life. He always told
me that a guy should have fun no matter what. He would quote older
wrestlers and I remember him talking about Lonnie Mayne. I think
it was him, if not it was someone like that who said that he always
said, "Every day is Christmas and every meal is a Banquet" or
something like that.
If anyone was shortchanged I will say it was his children and wonderful
wife Leonice. Leonice and Curt were together since high school. If ever
there was a wrestler's wife who was a saint, it was her. She hung in
there like a champ. He had four kids. Joe is the oldest, I think 22 or
23 , then Amy and Kate. Then there is Hank. He's a lot like Curt. His
name is actually Curtis Henry, just Hank for short. He is my son
Jesse's age, almost 11 years old.
I don' t know what the circumstances are surrounding this. I just know
I lost a close friend and wrestling has lost probably the last guy from
the old "guard" that wanted to still teach the new guys the right way.
A lot of people are going to use this as there reason to get back up on
their soap boxes and talk about how bad wrestling is. Well, go ahead if
it makes you feel like you are doing good. I know from living the life
that things will be always be the way they have always been. Right or
wrong. We all know and freely choose the road we travel through life
on. Curt knew better than anyone, Just like I do and so many others
that are here today or that have passed away.
I learned many valuable lessons from Curt
Hennig, and I believe he taught me one thing above all
else: It's how you live, not how you die, and you never
know when your number is up, so don't think you'll do something
tomorrow because there may not be one.
I Love you Curt, and you will be missed more than you knew. Thanks for
everything. Thanks for giving back more than you took from our sport!
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