Pro wrestler Curt Hennig of Champlin, Minn., found dead in Florida hotel

Minneapolis Red Star ^ | February 11, 2003 | Associated Press

[GreatOne]

BRANDON, Fla. -- Professional wrestler Curt ``Mr. Perfect'' Hennig was found dead in a hotel room Monday. Officials said foul play wasn't suspected.

Hennig, 44, of Champlin, Minn., was scheduled to appear Monday night at the Florida State Fair in Tampa.

[Benrand]

Another one who died recently was Gentleman Chris Adams. I used to watch him on the UHF channels, some lousy promotion, but he was a classic heel.

[Benrand]

The Mulkey's. I loved it when Beatiful Bobby would take a Mulkey to the announcer's podium and beat him up a bit over there, it was always hilarious.

I remember Big Van Vader and Sid Vicious were a tag team and they once had to ham and eggers beat so damn badly, they got them on stretchers and Vader and Vicious came over and powerbombed them on the damn stretchers. Damn, that was ridculous.

[Benrand]

HHH looks cro-magnon.

[t4texas]

The story of the Von Erich family has to be the most tragic in all professional wrestling (not to mention bizarre)

[Unwavering Conservative]

Ultimo Dragon has phenomenal mat wrestling skills. So does Perry Saturn. Perry Saturn is one of the best all-around wrestlers.

[Sicvee]

I have followed thousands of threads on FR, but this one is the most unbelievable in terms of the subject and the depth of knowledge demonstrated by the posters. If there is such a thing as mainstream culture, this has to be one of the most obscure backwaters. I have read the sports pages for 40 years and only recognize about 10 percent of the names.

[Dr.Deth]

Remember when they brought in "The Gladiators", a Road Warriors knock-off, and the Mulkeys kept beating them through flukes and luck? Then those albinos Cletuses would get their post-match beatdown anyway? Hard laughs.

What made the Road Warriors great was never their wrestling - it sucked (Hawk was ok). It was hearing "Iron Man", watching a 40-second squash, and then enjoying a hilarious 5 minute interview with Tony Skee-a-vone. I think Ellering must have been writing their material, it seems like the Warriors lost their edge after separating. Still, you knew you were in for a treat when Hawk would step up and say, "Tony Schiavone, ya know what we hate besides everything?"

"The Four Horsemen say they are the cream of the crop. Well, maybe... but even on top of that cream, there's a thin film of scum... and that's us - The Legion Of Doom!"

"There's two kinds of people in the world: weasels, and weasel-slappers."

Every now and then it looked like Hawk was just gonna bust out laughing while reading this stuff, and I'd wonder how many takes it took to get this far... damn I'd love to get a tape of just those NWA interviews. Damn.

[PBRSTREETGANG]

No, his father, Larry "The Axe" Henning, was the one wrestling for 30+ years.

Not the way it's written in the article, at least.

[Broker]

In the Spring of 1965, our family passed HAYSTACK Calhoun while he was driving his International wagon on a highway in South Carolina. It was a leaning to the drivers side. We would watch him every Friday night on WOR Chan. 9 out of NYC. Haystack and Killer were the best ! Black and white TV. Those were the days.

[sushiman]

Yea , those were the days ...In 1965 I was 12 and lived in Willimantic , CT . Can't remember which channel carried wrestling , but I figure it must have been one out of Boston . Great fun ...

[Benrand]

Hell, I bet you'd find what you're looking for on the net, I found some choice vintage Flair and Horsemen stuff.

I might have to look for some of the old Road Warrior footage. I think that there are replays on turner South.

[wasp69]

Then those albinos Cletuses would get their post-match beatdown anyway? Hard laughs.

The Mulkey brothers! Haven't thought of them in ages. I remember one of them wrasslin' Ronnie Garvin and Jumping over him. Whereupon he looked into the camera/crowd, pointed his left index finger to his head as if to say "smart, huh?" and laughed. When he turned around, Garvin nailed him with one of his "hands of stone". Hillarious! I used to feel really sorry for those guys and the beatings they used to take.

[stuck_in_new_orleans]

Curt went less than ten years since his running buddy Rick Rude checked out under still-cloudy circumstances Rick Rude died of testicle cancer

[CounterCounterCulture]

*** Curt Hennig's Cause Of Death Revealed ***

According to the Tampa Coroner's office and the Tampa Medical Examiner's office, Curt Hennig died due to "acute cocaine intoxication."

Credit: 1wrestling.com (via 411mania.com)

[CounterCounterCulture]

FYI to those who responded on the Hennig threads, see #114 for cause of death.

[ArneFufkin]

What a selfish waste, leaving a wife and four (?) kids.

[sonofatpatcher2]

"He's dead, Jim."

[AppyPappy]

Nonsense. Cocaine is a safe a mother's milk. The Libertarians have told us so.

[CounterCounterCulture]

BTW, in othe wrestling news of note not related to the Hennig tragedy...

Former WWE Star Elected To Finland Parliament

Former WWE star Tony Halme (Ludvig Borga) has been elected to the Finland Parliament. Halme is a member of the True Finns party.

Halme had his WWE success in 1993 and also worked in New Japan Pro-Wrestling. He also spent time as a pro-boxer.

Source: 411mania.com (3/17/03)

Also see Ludvig Borga - evil Finnish environmentalist on Wrestlecrap while the link still works.

[Commander8]

It's really amazing how, people I looked up to as a child and thought were larger than life are so flawed.