There is a segment of wrestling fans that consider themselves "wrestling purists." This group believes that the in-ring aspect is the most important component of the pro wrestling formula. They admire the likes of Bret "The Hitman" Hart, Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat, and a few other highly regarded scientific wrestlers. High on that list of technical masters is "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig.

RELATED: The 10 Greatest Technical Wrestlers In WWE History 

From his upbringing as the son of the legendary Larry "The Axe" Hennig to his career-defining portrayal of Mr. Perfect, Curt Hennig did just about everything there is to do in the wrestling industry. The secret to Hennig's success was undoubtedly his ability to adapt regardless of what role he stepped into. Hennig's versatility helped make him the perfect performer.

9 Mr. Perfect: 2002 WWE Run

When WWE originally purchased WCW in 2001, many of WCW's stalwarts weren't included in the deal. This led to many recognizable WCW performers slowly trickling into WWE. At Royal Rumble 2002, Curt Hennig would step back into his most memorable role, when Mr. Perfect made his surprise return to WWE. Hennig's appearance was originally supposed to be a one-off outing but things went so well that night that Hennig was asked to return the following night.

Hennig would go on to have a small run with WWE in 2002. During the time, Hennig got to work with a new batch of opponents including Kane, Rob Van Dam, and a young Brock Lesnar. Unfortunately, Hennig's second run in WWE would end prematurely after the events of the infamous "Plane Ride From Hell." Hennig and Brock Lesnar engaged in a shoot grappling match on the plane, almost causing the emergency door to open mid-flight. Hennig would be released as a result.

8 Mr. Perfect: Color Commentator

In 1991, Curt Hennig seriously injured his back while performing. At the time, he was the reigning WWE Intercontinental Champion. Hennig would soldier on injured to properly drop the prestigious championship to Bret Hart at SummerSlam 1991. Hennig and Hart would go on to have a match that many fans still consider to be the greatest ever. It was a clinic on technical wrestling. After the match, however, Hennig would temporarily retire from in-ring competition due to his back injury.

Mr. Perfect would soon re-emerge and serve as Executive Consultant for Ric Flair. Henning would also land a job behind the announce desk next to Vince Mcmahon, mainly serving as the color commentator for WWE Superstars. During his time as an announcer, Hennig's one of a kind personality was on full display. Hennig proved to be a natural antagonist on commentary. In late 1992, Hennig would come out of retirement and resume his in-ring career. He would never pursue announcing again.

7 Curt Hennig: nWo Member

Curt Hennig

At its peak, The nWo was undoubtedly the hottest and coolest entity in all of professional wrestling. With that in mind, it would make sense for any performer to want to be associated with the faction. The problem was, after a while, WCW started letting just about anyone be a member of The nWo. In 1997, the group would receive a seemingly perfect addition in the form of Curt Hennig.

RELATED: 10 Best nWo Members, Ranked

After originally being aligned with Ric Flair and The Four Horsemen, Hennig turned his back on the faction at Fall Brawl 1997. In a match that pitted The Four Horsemen against The nWo, Hennig slammed the steel cage door on Flair's head and helped the nWo get the win. Hennig joining the nWo made total sense from a kayfabe standpoint but in reality, it would prove to be a bad decision by WCW. Hennig would eventually get lost in the nWo shuffle.

6 Curt Hennig: AWA Run

Every legendary performer has an origin story. In 1980, Curt Hennig's pro wrestling journey began in the AWA alongside his father Larry "The Axe" Hennig. The Minnesota-based promotion is where "Cool" Curt Hennig paid his dues and honed his craft. Hennig would steadily climb the ranks in the AWA. He graduated from tag team matches alongside his father to eventually winning the AWA World Tag Team Championships with an up-and-coming Scott Hall.

RELATED: 10 Best AWA Stars Who Made It Big In WWE, Ranked

Hennig's crowning moment in the AWA came in 1987 when he defeated perennial AWA World Heavyweight Champion, Nick Bockwinkle, to claim the title. Despite rising to the top of the promotion, Hennig would leave the AWA for the greener pastures of WWE in 1988.

5 Curt Hennig: West Texas Rednecks

Curt Hennig on stage with the rest of The West Texas Rednecks.

In 1999, after his nWo run inevitably fizzled out, Hennig found himself in search of a new storyline. When WCW brought in Master P and his No Limit Soldiers, a heel faction was needed to oppose them. That faction came in the form of The West Texas Rednecks. The group was supposed to be country music enthusiasts and was made up of Minnesota-native Curt Hennig, Barry Windham, Kendall Windham, and Boby Duncam Jr. Despite the faction being presented as heels, the WCW audience accepted them over the No Limit Soldiers.

The West Texas Rednecks wouldn't last past 1999, but in their brief time, they recorded a song that would become infamous in wrestling history. The faction released a song called "Rap Is Crap" which surprisingly caught on. The song would receive some radio airplay in the south. It was a bit of a silly gimmick but Hennig's time in The West Texas Rednecks is remembered very fondly by fans.

4 Mr. Perfect: Executive Consultant

For many performers, being forced out of in-ring competition due to injury would be a career death sentence. For Curt Hennig, stepping away from the ring only served to make him a more well-rounded performer. After SummerSlam 1991, the former WWE Intercontinental Champion found himself serving as the Executive Consultant for the villainous "Nature Boy" Ric Flair. Hennig would also do some color commentary work during this time but his main role was as Flair's consultant and cornerman.

The duo thrived, leading Flair to the WWE Championship on two separate occasions. In an odd turn of events, Hennig would be "Macho Man" Randy Savage's replacement partner against Ric Flair and Razor Ramon at Survivor Series 1992. The return and face turn would mark the start of a new chapter in Hennig's career.

3 Curt Hennig: Early Babyface WCW Run

Curt Hennig WCW Nitro

In 1997, in a move that was becoming more and more common at the time, Curt Hennig left the company that made him a star for WCW. Hennig would arrive in WCW with a bang, debuting as Diamond Dallas Page's mystery partner at Bash At The Beach 1997. Hennig's defection to WCW yielded some great early returns for the company. Initially, Hennig aligned himself with his former ally turned enemy, Ric Flair. Henning joined Flair's Four Horsemen stable and it finally seemed like WCW would have the firepower to combat the nWo.

Sadly, in a swerve that was way too predictable, Hennig turned his back on Flair and the Horsemen. Hennig would align with the nWo and enter a feud opposite Ric Flair. Hennig turning on Flair made sense from a kayfabe standpoint. After all, the last time they were in a storyline together, Flair was forced out of WWE by Hennig. As logical as it was for Flair and Hennig to be on opposing sides, having them stay united against the nWo might've been a better idea.

2 Mr. Perfect: Babyface

After The Ultimate Warrior abruptly walked on Vince McMahon and WWE before Survivor Series 1992, it left "Macho Man" Randy Savage without a tag team partner for a huge match against "Nature Boy" Ric Flair and newcomer, Razor Ramon. Speculation ran rampant as to who would be Savage's partner. In a move that nobody saw coming, it would be Flair's own Executive Consultant, Mr. Perfect, who would stand side by side with Savage. After Survivor Series 1992, Hennig would carry on as a babyface. He would continue his rivalry with Ric Flair.

Hennig and Flair settled their conflict once and for all in a "Loser Leaves Town" match on an early episode of Monday Night Raw, in 1993, which Mr. Perfect won. Hennig would remain a babyface until WrestleMania X where he cost Lex Luger the WWE Championship against Yokozuna. Hennig's success as a babyface cemented his reputation as a versatile performer.

1 Mr. Perfect: Heel

When Curt Hennig jumped ship from the AWA to WWE in 1988, many experts expected it to be a fruitful move for both parties. What nobody knew was just how successful Hennig's WWE career would be. From the very first vignette announcing the impending arrival of Mr. Perfect, Hennig jumped off the screen. Hennig had an undeniable charisma to him that just made the Mr. Perfect character come to life. Add that to Hennig's in-ring prowess and you have the recipe for the main event star.

As a heel, Hennig would main event shows with such heavy hitters as Hulk Hogan, Randy Savage, and The Ultimate Warrior. Hennig would win the prestigious WWE Intercontinental Championship on two separate occasions, cementing himself as one of the greatest Intercontinental Champions in company history. In an era that boasted some of the greatest heels in wrestling history, Hennig managed to stand out and become iconic.

NEXT: 10 Curt Hennig Backstage Stories We Can't Believe