The legendary "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig is a favorite of many in the wrestling business. However, he was not the start of the Hennig wrestling family. That honor belongs to his father, Larry. Larry "The Axe" Hennig was one of the most intimidating wrestlers of his day. His neck was measured at a remarkable 22 inches and he stood an imposing 6'5 while weighing well over the 300 pound mark. Breaking in under Verne Gagne, Hennig ditched the technical style of Gagne and adopted a brawling style that brought him fame. He and Harley Race captured the AWA tag titles from the legendary team of Dick the Bruiser and The Crusher, feuding with the veterans over several years. Most famously, Larry Hennig suffered a horrific knee injury during a match in 1967. He was lifting an opponent in the air when another wrestler crashed into his knee, bending it backwards and causing severe damage to the knee. Hennig refused to go to the hospital and instead drove 500 miles home to Minneapolis. Larry's son, Curt Hennig, would find just as much success in the wrestling business as his father, if not more. Hennig held the AWA title for a year before jumping to the WWF and becoming Mr. Perfect, one of the greatest Intercontinental champions of all time. A back injury seemed to end his career but, showing the trademark Hennig toughness, he returned to the ring a few years later and would join the New World Order after moving to WCW. Joe Hennig followed in his father's footsteps and debuted on WWE's NXT brand as Michael McGillicutty, capturing the tag titles. He was then redebuted as Curtis Axel (paying tribute to his father and grandfather) and won the Intercontinental championship.
