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When Brock Lesnar made his main roster debut in 2002, he was THE guy. Within months, he was the WWE Champion and the corporate machinery was behind him, seeing him as the next big megastar of the company. Despite enjoying so much success and fame so early on his career, Lesnar remained who he was, a private guy who did his work and went back home. This was the case back then, and even in the year 2022, Lesnar is still the same guy. Arrive. Perform. Leave.
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Several WWE superstars have noted that Lesnar was a quiet and reserved fellow all the way back in 2002 when he made his WWE debut. He never went out to his way to make friends with his co-workers in WWE. He was friends with Shelton Benjamin, we all know that. Paul Heyman became his best friend and Goldberg is another who became friends with Lesnar. That said, there was one guy whom Lesnar befriended way before he made his main roster debut. Mr. Perfect, Curt Hennig, was that guy.
Brock Lesnar And Curt Hennig Were Friends Despite The Plane Ride From Hell
Most fans tend to think that Lesnar and Hennig were enemies and did not get along. The infamous story regarding these two is the shoot fight/wrestling match they had on a plane. During the infamous Plane Ride From Hell, Lesnar and Hennig got into a little skirmish when Mr.Perfect splattered shaving cream on the head of Brock Lesnar.
This enraged the rookie Lesnar, who chased Hennig around in the plane and finally got his hands on him near the emergency exit. A legit wrestling match ensued right there and then, and right next to the emergency exit. Given the size of the two guys, the nearby folks started fearing for their lives. They were wrestling so very close to disaster after all, but Heyman intervened and broke it up. It does sort of suggest that the two did not get along well, but in reality, Hennig was a close friend of Lesnar.
Brock Lesnar Had A Lot Of Respect For Curt Hennig
In fact, Lesnar considered him a role model early on in his career, flat-out admitting that Henning was a big influence and that his advice helped him immensely during the early phase of his career. He was smart, tough, and knew the wrestling business inside out, but what made Hennig special was the fact that he was honest about the workings of the ruthless business, and Lesnar respected the honesty more than anything.
When Lesnar first arrived on the pro wrestling scene, he was training under former amateur and professional wrestling star, Brad Rheingans. One day, thanks to Brad, Lesnar met Curt Hennig, a veteran of the industry, and the two quickly became friends.
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In his autobiography, Lesnar credited Hennig for opening his eyes regarding the business of wrestling and smartened him up. At the end of the chapter dedicated entirely to the late, great Hennig, Lesnar mourned his death and said that he thought of Hennig every day, as he was one of his closest friends in the wrestling business.
Brock Lesnar Took Curt Hennig's Tragic Death Hard
Way back in the early 2000s, Lesnar was a part of an interview conducted by WWE titled WWE: Confidential. This was shortly after the death of Hennig, and for the first time on camera, Lesnar was visibly emotional when he remembered Mr. Perfect. Lesnar mentioned that he hung out with Hennig every day and choked up at the very name of his friend. In the same interview, Lesnar recalled that Hennig, much like himself, was very close to his family and that is something the two bonded over as well.
In the aftermath of the plane ride skirmish, Hennig was released from the promotion but this didn’t cause any sort of animosity between Mr. Perfect and the Beast Incarnate. They remained friends until the very end. In his own book, Brock repeatedly emphasized the importance of privacy and solitude, but it doesn’t mean Lesnar dislikes people, or hates making friends. On the contrary, his close friends regard him as one of the nicest guys around, and Hennig was one of them.
