Curt Hennig battles Tito Santana in a perfect, must-see title match

Thank Joe Pesci it’s Friday.

Oh, but not just any Friday — it’s the Perfect Friday.

WWE Vault just released a mixtape of “Mr. Perfect” Curt Hennig’s greatest matches. And yes, they live up to the name — they’re perfect.

The reel kicks off with a classic AWA bout against Nick Bockwinkel — another flawless mat technician — for the AWA World Title.

But the main event comes in the second match. Hennig defends the WWE Intercontinental Title against Tito Santana from the July 28, 1990 episode of Saturday Night’s Main Event. It’s a rematch from that spring, when Hennig beat Santana in the finals of a tournament to win the vacant I.C. Title.

Taped in Omaha, NE, the fans are rabid as they rally around Santana while Hennig does some of the best bumping of his career. However, the wrestlers aren’t the only ones working to perfection.

Bobby “The Brain” Heenan shows why he’s arguably still the best manager in wrestling history. At one point, he asks Hennig, who is wrenching on Santana’s neck, if he wants to choke the challenger. After getting the nod, Heenan distracts the ref as Hennig breaks the rules, drawing the ire of the fans.

Midway through, referee Dave Hebner (most likely his twin, Earl Hebner, based on his build) takes a unique bump that injures his knee. This sets Santana up for an out as he has Hennig beaten on several occasions.

After a second referee takes over, Santana withstands another onslaught from Hennig, who ends up crotching himself on the ring post. A series of atomic drops nearly wins the title for Santana. Heenan continues to sell unease as he stalks up the aisle, worried, while the crowd erupts.

This bout deserves a seat at the GOAT table alongside Steamboat-Savage, Bulldog-Bret, and HBK-Razor. It’s a masterclass that still holds up 35 years later. Had it happened on a bigger stage with a title change, we’d be talking about it even more. As it were, it’s the last great match from Saturday Night’s Main Event in its first run on NBC.

The “Perfect” collection also includes standout matches against Bret Hart, Ric Flair, and Diamond Dallas Page.

But if you’re a pure wrestling connoisseur, go straight to the video below — already queued up for you — and treat yourself to pure wrestling perfection.