Over the years, many wrestlers have been fired from WWE for a variety of reasons, whether it be simply being surplus to requirements, or something way more serious. In the case of WWE Hall of Famer and legend Mr. Perfect, he was once involved in the latter. Mr. Perfect is considered one of the most talented wrestlers in WWE’s history, and one of the best to have never won a world title, but he was not void of controversy, and he was one of many involved in one of the most disappointing, disgusting, and darkest days ever in WWE – The Plane Ride From Hell. Curt Hennig’s involvement in this infamous incident led to his firing from the company, not long after his sensational comeback.
Mr. Perfect Had A Fight On A Plane With Brock Lesnar
- WWE stars were at the center of the controversial ‘Plane Ride From Hell’.
- Mr. Perfect decided to challenge Brock Lesnar to a fight.
- The pair nearly opened an emergency exit 30,000 feet in the air.
The Plane Ride From Hell was a very dark day in WWE’s history. A boozed up ride home from a WWE European tour led to a sea of awful alleged incidents ranging from silly pranks to sexual assault to legit fights, among other things. One of the many scary and troublesome moments on the plane flight included a tussle between Mr. Perfect and none other than Brock Lesnar. Given Lesnar’s reputation as a great amateur wrestler, Mr. Perfect decided to try and goad Lesnar into fighting him.
With Perfect ribbing Lesnar about who the better amateur wrestler was, the pair engaged in a fight, with Lesnar taking Perfect down thousands of feet in the air, posing a potential risk to many lives in the process. Hennig was not able to match Lesnar, leading to the likes of Finlay, Triple H, and Paul Heyman needing to step in and separate the two men. This tussle allegedly happened close to an emergency exit, and nearly caused it to open. Given the experience of Perfect as a long-time professional, prompting a young Lesnar into a fight during a plane ride was a completely ridiculous decision on his part, though luckily it didn’t end up as bad as it could have.
Mr. Perfect Was Fired By WWE Soon After
- Perfect was fired a few days after this incident.
- His final WWE match came against Matt Hardy.
- Scott Hall was also fired and Dustin Rhodes’ contract was allowed to run out.
The aftermath of the ‘Plane Ride From Hell’ was a messy one for WWE, and it led to several names being fired from the promotion. This included Scott Hall, WWE allowing Dustin Rhodes’ contract to expire, and Mr. Perfect was fired from WWE too. His firing was a result of WWE blaming him for starting and igniting the altercation with Brock Lesnar, which resulted in a lot of people being put in harm’s way. WWE didn’t fire him immediately, as he wrestled when talent arrived back in the US, taking on Matt Hardy on an episode of WWE Heat (which aired on May 12). On May 8, two days after this match, Mr. Perfect was officially let go from WWE.
As noted, Scott Hall was also fired from WWE and Dustin Rhodes was not used after his actions. Jim Ross also took the brunt of the blame for allowing things to go off the rails. Among other incidents on the plane ride included Mr. Perfect and Scott Hall spraying others with shaving foam, Dustin Rhodes allegedly harassing ex-wife Terri Runnels, Michael Hayes punching JBL, X-Pac cutting off Hayes’ mullet, Ric Flair allegedly exposing himself to staff, and more. The whole thing was a disaster, and all those involved were shamed for their actions.
Mr. Perfect Had Returned To WWE A Few Months Prior
- Perfect returned at the 2002 Royal Rumble.
- Fans were overjoyed to see him in WWE.
- Perfect was fired just five months into his WWE tenure.
One of the reasons why Mr. Perfect’s firing was a hard one to swallow due to it being just a few months since he’d arrived back in the company. Mr. Perfect was one of WWE’s most consistent and talented stars of the Golden Era and into the New Generation Era, reigning as Intercontinental Champion and having some marquee feuds throughout his tenure. He would be one of many wrestlers who jumped ship and left for WCW, until his exit in the year 2000. Prior to the 2002 Royal Rumble match, it was announced that Mr. Perfect would be coming home, returning to WWE in the match itself and surviving until the final four alongside Triple H, Kurt Angle, and Steve Austin. This performance and the love that the crowd had for him led to WWE offering him a full-time deal.
For all intents and purposes, it seemed like Mr. Perfect was on course for a nice farewell run in WWE. He was wrestling regularly, showing up weekly on Monday Night RAW, and building up some momentum. However, just five months in and this was over, with Perfect leaving WWE never to return again due to his tragic passing just a year later.
