end of the match. The following year, Curt's first major push came, when he would be pushed alongside his father in a feud with The Road Warriors. The Hennigs eventually went in to win the NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship before Larry's retirement the next year in 1985. Hennig also traveled to New York City to unsuccessfully challenge Bruno Sammartino for his WWF World Heavyweight Championship title. Personal life Before pursuing a career in professional wrestling, Hennig became the Minnesota State High School Heavyweight Champion from Robbinsdale, Minnesota, in 1954. He was awarded a scholarship from the University of Minnesota to wrestle and play football but had to quit due to the priorities of family and raising children. He had five children, including professional wrestler Curt Hennig. Curt died on February 10, 2003, of an acute cocaine intoxication. After the highly publicized death of Chris Benoit, Hennig shared a few words with USA Today regarding premature deaths in professional wrestling. Hennig was also known for his completion of the 1966 and 1967 I-500 snowmobile race, from Winnipeg, Manitoba to St. Paul, Minnesota. He is most notably remembered from the 1966 race in which he drove through a chicken coop. However, this did not prevent him from successfully completing the 500 mile race. Post-retirement Following Hennig's retirement from professional wrestling, he and his wife became owners of a real estate company in St. Cloud, Minnesota. He had sold real estate since 1957 and also worked as an auctioneer. He also dabbled in commodity futures, specifically CME Dairy. Death Hennig died on December 6, 2018, of kidney failure at the age of 82. Championships and accomplishments American Wrestling Association AWA Midwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Lars Anderson AWA World Tag Team Championship (4 times) - with Duke Hoffman (1) and Harley Race (3) AWA World Tag Team Championship Tournament (1962) - with Duke Hoffman Cauliflower Alley Club Iron Mike Mazurki Award (2015) George Tragos/Lou Thesz Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2006 Lou Thesz Award (2013) International Pro Wrestling IWA World Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Blackjack Mulligan Pacific Northwest Wrestling NWA Pacific Northwest Tag Team Championship (1 time) - with Curt Hennig Professional Wrestling Hall of Fame Class of 2017 - Inducted as a part of a tag team with Harley Race Western States Sports NWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Amarillo version) (1 time) References