Dean Malenko

Dean Malenko
Malenko in 2019
Birth nameDean Simon
Born (1960-08-04) August 4, 1960 (age 64)[1][2]
Irvington, New Jersey, U.S.
Spouse(s)
Julie Hittinger
(m. 1996)
Children3
FamilyBoris Malenko (father)
Joe Malenko (older brother)
Professional wrestling career
Ring name(s)Ciclope[3]
Dean Malenko
Dean Sarcoff
Great Pumpkin
Billed height5 ft 10 in (178 cm)[4]
Billed weight212 lb (96 kg)[4]
Billed fromTampa, Florida[4]
Trained byBoris Malenko[4][1]
DebutFebruary 18, 1985[5]
RetiredDecember 11, 2001

Dean Simon[6] (born August 4, 1960), better known by the ring name Dean Malenko, is an American retired professional wrestler.[7] He is signed with All Elite Wrestling (AEW) as a senior producer.[8] He is best known for his time in the World Wrestling Federation (WWF, now WWE) as a wrestler and a road agent and New Japan Pro-Wrestling (NJPW).[4]

Although never a world champion, Malenko achieved championship success in ECW, WCW and the WWF, winning 11 total titles across the three organizations. Pro Wrestling Illustrated named Malenko the #1 wrestler in the world in 1997, and he was inducted into the Hardcore Hall of Fame in 2015.[9] He has been described by commentators as one of the most underrated wrestlers of all time.[10] Multiple-time world champion Bryan Danielson said that his "number one guy, growing up, was Dean Malenko".[11] Following his retirement as an in-ring competitor, he worked as a road agent for WWE from 2001 until 2019.

  1. ^ a b "Dean Malenko's Profile". Online World of Wrestling. Retrieved May 24, 2008.
  2. ^ "Dean Malenko's Bio". Accelerator's Wrestling Rollercoaster. Retrieved May 24, 2008.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference slamboree98 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ a b c d e "Dean Malenko". WWE.com. WWE. Retrieved January 27, 2014.
  5. ^ cite web|url= https://www.cagematch.net/?id=2&nr=531&page=20
  6. ^ Varsallone, Jim (January 24, 1999). "The Past Makes A Bright Present". Miami Herald. Retrieved August 26, 2012.
  7. ^ Greer, Jamie (May 24, 2019). "The Iceman Cometh: Dean Malenko Joins AEW As Senior Producer/Coach". Last Word on Pro Wrestling. Retrieved April 9, 2022.
  8. ^ Currier, Joseph (May 24, 2019). "Dean Malenko signs with AEW as senior producer/coach". WON/F4W – WWE news, Pro Wrestling News, WWE Results, UFC News, UFC results. Wrestling Observer. Retrieved May 24, 2019.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference pwi500 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  10. ^ Top 20 Underrated Wrestlers of All Time
  11. ^ "Daniel Bryan". Wrestling With Rosenberg. June 18, 2012. Retrieved February 20, 2016.