WWE: 10 Most Underrated Wrestlers in Company History
5. “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig
Hulk Hogan once said that nobody can outperform “Mr. Perfect” Curt Henning. He said that when Hennig walked through the door, others would get their egos in line. That was a lot to say from a man like Hulk Hogan. After a short run in the early 1980s, Hennig returned to the WWE with vignettes hyping the debut of “Mr. Perfect.” Once he debuted, Hennig quickly made his way to becoming the Intercontinental Champion.
Things would come crashing down for Hennig after suffering a back injury against The British Bulldog. Later at the 1991 SummerSlam, Hennig was forced to “retire” from active competition due to a broken tailbone and other back-related issues. From that moment forward, Mr. Perfect was never treated as perfect ever again. Despite efforts to get back in the ring in the 90s, Hennig never got back to where he was pre-injury.
By 1997, Hennig was out of WWE and headed south to Georgia. Wrestling under Curt Hennig once more in WCW, he continued to try and wrestle with his back in bad shape. He remained with the company until 2000 when his contract expired. Two years later, Mr. Perfect was announced to be returning home to WWE for the 2002 Royal Rumble.
Unfortunately, Hennig’s third run with WWE would be his most controversial one. During his 2002 run with the company, he was a part of the infamous “Plane Ride from Hell,” where he got into an altercation with Brock Lesnar. He was released from the company for the last time shortly after. Sadly, Curt Hennig passed away in February 2003. Hennig’s legacy will always be remembered for how good he could have been. Although, he was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame in 2007.
4. Ivory
Unlike Chyna, who the WWE knew how good she was, it was different with Ivory. When it comes to this list, Ivory would top the list of most underrated women of all-time. Ivory was in WWE way before they could really appreciate just how good Ivory really was. We were treated with Ivory’s recent appearance at WWE’s Evolution pay-per-view. Ivory outlasted all of her fellow returning legends in the match and showed that she’s still got it.
If Ivory was in her prime today, she would be one of the top women in the business. Ivory, real name Lisa Moretti, got her start in the infamous Gorgeous Ladies of Wrestling (GLOW) promotion that has been revisited as a Netflix series. After her time in the promotion, Ivory arrived in WWE in early 1999. Before her first year in the company was over, Ivory had already won two of her three Women’s Championships.
Way before her fellow WWE women, Ivory was opening doors for women as well. She faced Tori in the first-ever female hardcore match. While others flaunted their sex appeal, Ivory has always been vocal about being acknowledged for her in-ring talent. Despite all of her time in the company, Ivory may always be best remembered for her time as a member of The Right to Censor, a group against the edgy and racy Attitude era content.
In 2018, the WWE formally acknowledged Ivory by inducting her into the WWE Hall of Fame. However one has to wish that Ivory could have been in her prime in today’s WWE. Ivory has been a leader in the women’s evolution for years before it officially began. To every fan of the women today, you have Ivory to thank.