The following letters are in response to yesterday's Guest Editorial: Sean Waltman remembers his friend Curt Hennig.

I've never been a big fan of Sean Waltman, but I have to admit that was a wonderful tribute to "Mr. Perfect." All we seem to hear about is backstage politics and power plays, but it's nice to know that some of the guys were truly good friends and well respected. Thanks for giving us some insight, Sean. Curt will be missed.

Robert Schroeder
Houston, Tex.

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Like many, Curt Hennig has always been one of my favorite wrestlers. Oddly enough though, he is also one of my 10 year old son's favorites. Even though my son only saw him once (his last big WWE PPV appearance), he was immediately hooked. The next Monday, all he could ask about was Mr Perfect. For the next two weeks, all I heard was, "Where's Mr Perfect? When are they going to have Mr Perfect back on?" When I told him Curt was "released," he was pissed.

For months after he would make comments like "Why are they putting (fill in the crap) on and not Mr Perfect?" And all of this occurred long after Curt had had his best days in the ring. Curt Hennig's physical skill was amazing, but more so, his charisma made him a star long after his body began to break down. I hope the WWE releases a DVD so I can share my memories with my son. If this limited exposure to Mr Perfect made him a such a big fan, how will he react Hennig & Owen's classic match?

George Paul
Albuquerque, N.M.

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I, like many, are saddened by the loss of "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig. Perfect was one of the true greats in this sport. Growing up in North Carolina and Tennessee, I didn't get to see any of Hennig's AWA stuff and was introduced to him when he debuted in the WWE. Perfect's introduction in the WWE, through a series of vignettes showing how good, or "perfect," he was in other sports (golf, basketball, bowling) are still remembered by fans today. That's how well done they were and how "perfect" Hennig was in that role.

Of course Perfect's peak was his late '80s-early '90's heel run as Intercontinental Champion. A lot of people remember his classics with Bret Hart, but he also had some very good matches at the very top of the card with Hulk Hogan, in a period when Hogan was having some of his best matches(against Randy Savage and The Big Bossman also). Injuries forced Perfect into announcing and managing, but like wrestling, he excelled, especially in managing. Anybody who was a big WWE fan in the early '90s remembers the classic TV moments with Perfect, Heenan, and Ric Flair. If you want to see how great he was as a manager rent Wrestlemania 8. I think Perfect also had an underrated babyface run, including a classic loser-leaves-town match with Ric Flair on one of the very first Raw episodes.

After that he made sporadic appearances as a guest ref or announcer before his WCW run, which to me was a disappointment. His feud with Flair, the NWO vs. The Horsemen, just could have been so much better than it was. Nevertheless, Hennig stayed around, even getting over(as a face when he was supposed to be a heel) as the leader of the West Texas Rednecks. I had high hopes when Perfect made his WWE return last year, especially considering his placement in the Royal Rumble, but it kind of fizzled out before "the plane incident" and his subsequent firing.

After that it was not much of note in NWA-TNA and some independent shows before he met his untimely death. It's too bad he never got another strong run to end his career. It's too bad he was never WWE World Champion, because there was a time when he was definitely an over enough heel to do that (ditto Ted DiBiase). Nevertheless, I will always remember Mr. Perfect as one of my all time favorite wrestlers and the best bump taker I've ever seen. 

Thanks, Torch, for your excellent coverage and tributes (Sean Waltman) of one of wrestling's greats, Curt Hennig.

Josh Sisk
Murfreesboro, Tenn.

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As a lifelong professional wrestling fan, it is in great sadness that I post my remembrance of Curt Hennig. In the golden days of the WWF, watching then young unknown, Hennig, tag with another young unknown, Eddie Gilbert. Both wrestlers started at the bottom of the ladder, getting beaten by bigger and more established stars. But watching them both in action gave us a glimpse of what was to come.

Then Curt appeared in the old AWA. This was the years that the kid who was wet behind the ears blossomed. I remember the swerve on Nick Bockwinkel. It was then that the wrestling world started to pay attention to Curt. Vince McMahon paid attention as well and scooped up Curt for a successful run as Mr. Perfect. This run proved to everyone that Curt was one of the best technical wrestlers in the game. The match against Bret Hart in which Curt lost the Intercontinental strap only showed the unselfishness of this man. 

Later on, Curt became a commentator, and a damn good one. His run as personal advisor of Ric Flair was hysterical. Curt clearly had a great sense of humor. In WCW, Curt was overshadowed. When Curt came back briefly in the WWF, I was excited. The excitement became premature when he was let go from the WWF. As the NWA-TNA federation evolved, I had hopes that Curt would return to greatness as a champion. Now my hopes have turned to sadness. Perhaps, Curt and Eddie will have another run in heaven as tag-team champs. Whatever, you are doing now, Curt, may God bless you. Thank you for being a part of my wrestling history. R.I.P.

Tim Cobb
Fairhaven, Mass.

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