10 Wrestlers You Won't Believe Never Had A Five Star Match

8. Mr. Perfect

Kurt Angle The Rock
WWE

Curt "Mr. Perfect" Hennig was chosen as the Most Improved talent of 1983 - but he never received a perfect five star rating for any of his excellent matches. Perfect was one of the biggest bumpers of the 1980s, who did much to advance the art form he was almost peerless at during his peak - but he was also inherently charismatic and detestable. As sublime as his career was, his crazed style was the proverbial double-edged sword. It ended him as much as it made him.

Closent Candidate: Mr. Perfect Vs. Bret Hart, WWF King Of The Ring 1993.

What makes this match more astonishing than it is in itself is that Hennig was well past his best when it occurred. His back had been mangled a couple of years earlier, and it affected him throughout his latter post-first retirement years - but you wouldn't know it on this evidence.

The opening exchanges were a near mirror image of the unbelievably fluid match they wrestled at SummerSlam 1991 - but the tone is more urgent, befitting of the single-elimination tournament stipulation, the psychology much more emotive. Perfect was a real sh*thouse of a heel, throwing Hart into the guardrail and feigning to open the ropes for him - as if he was a valet and not an opponent.

Perfect resorted to riving apart Hart’s injured fingers in the closing stretch, but fell prey to a desperation roll-up pin. Jim Ross barely called the action, he was so effusive in his praise of it - but Meltzer awarded it a mere ****1/4.

Contributor
Contributor

Michael Sidgwick is an editor, writer and podcaster for WhatCulture Wrestling. With over seven years of experience in wrestling analysis, Michael was published in the influential institution that was Power Slam magazine, and specialises in providing insights into All Elite Wrestling - so much so that he wrote a book about the subject. You can order Becoming All Elite: The Rise Of AEW on Amazon. Possessing a deep knowledge also of WWE, WCW, ECW and New Japan Pro Wrestling, Michael’s work has been publicly praised by former AEW World Champions Kenny Omega and MJF, and current Undisputed WWE Champion Cody Rhodes. When he isn’t putting your finger on why things are the way they are in the endlessly fascinating world of professional wrestling, Michael wraps his own around a hand grinder to explore the world of specialty coffee. Follow Michael on X (formerly known as Twitter) @MSidgwick for more!