Dean Malenko: HOFer?

[Steamboat Ricky]

The guy is simply the smoothest performer in the history of wrestling. Everything the guy did seemed so effortless and graceful. He was never a world champ, and frankly, he never deserved to be. But for all that he has achieved in the ring, is Dean Malenko worthy of the WWE Hall of Fame?


I say yes. No one can discount the guy's in-ring ability. It is phenomenal. He was United States Champ, which at the time, it wasn't very often that wrestlers of his size were wearing any belt other than the Cruiserweight strap. He was the Cruiserweight champ 4 times, held the tag titles with Benoit, and held straps in both ECW and WWF. He had some of the most entertaining wrestling bouts in history with Rey Mysterio, and he had one of the best feuds that the Monday Night Wars had to offer with Chris Jericho.

Thoughts?

 

[Fizzy]

I agree that the guy was one of the greatest ever in the ring, but most fans won't remember him which is sure as hell a shame. The WWE fans are so much more interested in comedy, mic skills, and charisma that they really don't care to remember or recognize the real wrestlers of the past. Malenko was amazing in the ring, but thats all we will remember him for. Most fans won't even remember him at all, and I really don't see Vince putting him in the HOF. To sum it up I personally would love to see him inducted but I just don't see it happening.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

I agree that the guy was one of the greatest ever in the ring, but most fans won't remember him which is sure as hell a shame. The WWE fans are so much more interested in comedy, mic skills, and charisma that they really don't care to remember or recognize the real wrestlers of the past. Malenko was amazing in the ring, but thats all we will remember him for. Most fans won't even remember him at all, and I really don't see Vince putting him in the HOF. To sum it up I personally would love to see him inducted but I just don't see it happening.

I disagree to an extent. He was able to really pull off some pretty good angles. I still very much remember his run as a womanizer in the WWF. In WCW, he didn't need any kind of gimmick because he was with the Horsemen, and other than that...there was nothing besides the nWo.

And like I said, his angle with Jericho is still one of my favorites of all time. Sure, Jericho was the mouthpiece of the ordeal, but it would have been nothing without the glassy stare of Malenko.

 

[Shocky]

The guy on ability and being a great cruiserweight champion, a guy that was a master of technical wrestling, and a guy that had probably the biggest hand in making the careers of WWE champions like Mysterio, Guerrero, Benoit and Jericho, that's Dean Malenkos legacy.

On his merits alone, I don't think he makes the WWE Hall of Fame, considering he had a relatively obscure career with the E. In my hall of fame, he makes it in, but I'm not running the show for the WWE. It's tough to say with Malenko though. Is he the g uy that had great matches with Mysterio and Guerrero, or was he the guy that palled around with Chris Benoit in the Horsemen? Those are opinions I think McMahon weighs, and if he thinks that Malenko reminds people of Benoit, it will never happen.

 

[Fizzy]

I disagree to an extent. He was able to really pull off some pretty good angles. I still very much remember his run as a womanizer in the WWF. In WCW, he didn't need any kind of gimmick because he was with the Horsemen, and other than that...there was nothing besides the nWo.

And like I said, his angle with Jericho is still one of my favorites of all time. Sure, Jericho was the mouthpiece of the ordeal, but it would have been nothing without the glassy stare of Malenko.

While that is all true, the average wrestling fan will not remember that stuff. I agree he deserves to go into the HOF and that he had some amazing matches and angles, but he is just kind of forgotten by most now. I think it sucks, but yea my opinion is that Vince won't put him in because no one remembers him much, and the fans won't really care except for a few.

 

[Slyfox696]

This...this thread is a joke right?

Dean Malenko in the Hall of Fame? For what? Being the only man in wrestling more boring than Lance Storm? "Ooh, he was a TECHNICAL wrestler, let's all get on our knees and start sucking". Big freakin' deal. The man was boring. He was a walking piss break. Dean Malenko was completely uncharismatic, showed no emotion in a match, and couldn't connect with a crowd if he was fucking one of them up the butt on half priced beer night.

Dean Malenko sucked. Anyone who says otherwise is just trying to be smarky. If you want to put him in a Hall of Fame, you need to first create a "jobber" wing, because basically that's what Dean was around for. To make other wrestlers look good. Not to be entertaining.

 

[IrishCanadian25]

This...this thread is a joke right?

Dean Malenko in the Hall of Fame? For what? Being the only man in wrestling more boring than Lance Storm? "Ooh, he was a TECHNICAL wrestler, let's all get on our knees and start sucking". Big freakin' deal. The man was boring. He was a walking piss break. Dean Malenko was completely uncharismatic, showed no emotion in a match, and couldn't connect with a crowd if he was fucking one of them up the butt on half priced beer night.

Dean Malenko sucked. Anyone who says otherwise is just trying to be smarky. If you want to put him in a Hall of Fame, you need to first create a "jobber" wing, because basically that's what Dean was around for. To make other wrestlers look good. Not to be entertaining.

While I feel "Dean Malenko Sucked" is far too strong an indictment, I agree with most of Sly's post here. Calling him a "walking piss break" is brilliant, depending on who he was in the ring with. He put on strong matches with Rey Mysterio and Chris Jericho, but outside of those two, I don't remember shit from him. No, I don't recall anything he did with Benoit, Guerrero, or Saturn, because those guys usually wrestled the same match over and over anyway.

And as far as building and selling a feud, if Jericho wasn't on the mic for him, nobody gave a damn.

I will say this - he kept the kayfabe feeling going. With Malenko, you felt like you were watching a legit competition for a legit championship. But as a result, he was forgettable. He was never a main eventer, and he's certainly no HOF'er.

Skip Bayless from ESPN always says "it's called the Hall of Fame, not the Hall of Very Good." I don't even place Malenko in the "Hall of Very Good." Nice career, but forgettable and not impactful.

 

[Lee]

If you want to put him in a Hall of Fame, you need to first create a "jobber" wing, because basically that's what Dean was around for. To make other wrestlers look good. Not to be entertaining.

And then the Brooklyn Brawler would be first in, but I digress.

Dean Malenko in the hall of fame...no way.

HE debuted in WWE in 2000 and wrestled his last match in 2001, while Eddie and Benoit went onto great things and Perry was given a mop, there was nothing much for Malenko to do. That is apart from the Light Heavyweight championship where Malenko went from a potential main eventer, to a main eventer...of Heat. A few sporadic bits and bobs with a Radicalz reform which didn't amount to much.

Should we induct him because he held the Light Heavyweight championship for almost a year? Well so did Gillberg...so how does this justify a Hall of fame induction?

 

[klunderbunker]

I say no. While we've long since established that the HOF is a joke, there's no way he gets in. Yes he was cruiser and light weight champions forever, but who remembers much about them other than his losing? He was a great in ring worker, but he had nothing outside of it. His nickname was the Iceman, and that's well put. He was just dull outside of his technical stuff. I'd love to watch him go, but no way he's in the hall of fame. Never.

 

[Skillz]

I agree that the guy was one of the greatest ever in the ring, but most fans won't remember him which is sure as hell a shame.

If no one remembers him, then how the hell can he be considered one of the greatest ever in the ring?

Dean Malenko was shit. Absolute shit. One of the most overrated wrestlers of the 90's, simply because he knew lots of moves. Ridiculous. I never even saw one great Dean Malenko match. His last match in ECW against Eddie Guerrero is highly overrated, and sucked complete ass. Yet people love it because of all the illogical, spotty, no-selling crap that was on display.

He was one of the most boring wrestlers of all time. And he couldn't work a crowd to save his life. Definitely not deserving of a HOF spot. However the HOF is somewhat of a joke, so you never know, he'll probably end up in it one day.

 

[Dead Kennedy]

Judging by the criteria needed for Hall of Fame-dom, Dean Malenko should have his own wing. C'mon, Dean Malenko, one of the men with the best workrate EVER should EASILY be eligible for a spot in WWE's Hall of Fame. Junkyard Dog is in it for Jeez' sakes. Need I say more? Okay, so I will anyway.

If his stellar wrestling wasn't enough, he's also done a hell of a lot more for the business other than wrestling. Road agent, training guys...with his wrestling alone he's surpassed most of the people already in the Hall of Fame.

Will it happen? Nope, I doubt it. Most of his work was in WCW and ECW and by acknowledging Malenko he acknowledges WCW's product at the time as good. That's the way it goes. By the way, guys criticizing Malenko, remove Cena from your sig and maybe then we'll talk. That just invalidates your opinion, bro.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

Judging by the criteria needed for Hall of Fame-dom, Dean Malenko should have his own wing. C'mon, Dean Malenko, one of the men with the best workrate EVER should EASILY be eligible for a spot in WWE's Hall of Fame. Junkyard Dog is in it for Jeez' sakes. Need I say more? Okay, so I will anyway.

If his stellar wrestling wasn't enough, he's also done a hell of a lot more for the business other than wrestling. Road agent, training guys...with his wrestling alone he's surpassed most of the people already in the Hall of Fame.

Will it happen? Nope, I doubt it. Most of his work was in WCW and ECW and by acknowledging Malenko he acknowledges WCW's product at the time as good. That's the way it goes. By the way, guys criticizing Malenko, remove Cena from your sig and maybe then we'll talk. That just invalidates your opinion, bro.

What a great post...wish I would have done this myself...

Let's take a look at some of the other cats in the WWE Hall of Fame:

-Big John Studd
-Johnny Rodz
-George "The Animal" Steele
-Antonino Rocca
-Greg "The Hammer" Valentine
-Pete Rose
-William "The Refrigerator" Perry
-"Soulman" Rocky Johnson


Dean Malenko has far better credentials to be in there than those guys. I can't tell whether to say that the Hall of Fame is a joke, or whether it's just horrible at picking people. I'd say a little of both, as Rocky Johnson's primary reason for induction is that The Rock used to be floating around in his testicles.

 

[Slyfox696]

You know when I can always tell when someone is not deserving of being in the Hall of Fame? When their biggest argument to be in it is other people who are in it.

To be a Hall of Famer, there should not be doubt, and you should rely on the lack of OTHER people's credentials to get you in. That's the worst argument in the world. "Person A should be in because Person B sucked and he's in". Seriously? Who gives a rats rear?

If you can't get in on your own merits, then you don't deserve to be in. And the fact is, Dean Malenko was boring, uninteresting, uncharismatic, was never over in a significant way, and did nothing to change history.

That's not Hall of Fame caliber.

 

[klunderbunker]

Have to disagree on that part Sly. By letting those people into the Hall, that's saying that their accomplishments are enough to put them in. If the numbers and stats are good enough for them, then why would they not be good enough for someone else? Granted, there's no way Malenko should be in the Hall of Fame at all, but based on credentials, he has more than several members already. Of course this doesn't matter in Vince's mind, as all you have to be is remembered to be in the Hall of Fame.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

You know when I can always tell when someone is not deserving of being in the Hall of Fame? When their biggest argument to be in it is other people who are in it.

To be a Hall of Famer, there should not be doubt, and you should rely on the lack of OTHER people's credentials to get you in. That's the worst argument in the world. "Person A should be in because Person B sucked and he's in". Seriously? Who gives a rats rear?

If you can't get in on your own merits, then you don't deserve to be in. And the fact is, Dean Malenko was boring, uninteresting, uncharismatic, was never over in a significant way, and did nothing to change history.

That's not Hall of Fame caliber.

Wrong. When people are inducted, a precedent is set as to what kind of credentials one must have in order to get in. The guys that I listed have equal, and definitely lesser, credentials in comparison to Malenko. Based on that alone, Deano should be going into the Hall.

 

[Slyfox696]

Not at all.

Let's take Barry Bonds, for example. Assuming he's clear of steroid use, do you think that someone is going to look at Barry Bonds, and say that he should be in the Hall of Fame because "Player A" is? How about Greg Maddux? Is Greg Maddux going to get in the Hall of Fame because Don Sutton is in? Or is he going to go because he was a great pitcher, and a true Hall of Famer?

It's no different in wrestling. Saying someone deserves to be in, based upon the merits of someone else is TERRIBLE logic. I mean, is Shawn Michaels going to be in the Hall of Fame because Walter Perry is? Or is it because he's truly deserving?

That's my point. The only people who should go into the Hall of Fame are those who are deserving...not those who have to rely on the weakness of others to get in.

 

[Lee]

Judging by the criteria needed for Hall of Fame-dom, Dean Malenko should have his own wing. C'mon, Dean Malenko, one of the men with the best workrate EVER should EASILY be eligible for a spot in WWE's Hall of Fame. Junkyard Dog is in it for Jeez' sakes. Need I say more? Okay, so I will anyway.

I'm going to agree with Sly and say why should it matter who's in the HOF or not, Malenko certainly doesn't deserve to be in that's for sure.

If his stellar wrestling wasn't enough, he's also done a hell of a lot more for the business other than wrestling. Road agent, training guys...with his wrestling alone he's surpassed most of the people already in the Hall of Fame.

Stellar wrestling is a bit of an exaggeration there don't you think? I would hardly say his boring routine was stellar, he may have had the skills but it was dull. As we have noted many a time, you can have the skills to actually wrestle, but you need the package of being a superstar.

He trained guys? Big whoop, so did Al Snow, should he be in the HOF?
He's a road agent? Big whoop, so is the Brooklyn Brawler, should he be in the HOF? (incidentally the brawler actually had a WWF title shot )

By the way, guys criticizing Malenko, remove Cena from your sig and maybe then we'll talk. That just invalidates your opinion, bro.

I see Jack Bauer in my sig, before that it was Shane O Mac, not John Cena, I've never had a Cena sig nor will I ever have a Cena sig.

EDIT; ALSO NO ONE WHO 'CRITICISED' MALENKO HAS A CENA SIG...

I'd just like to clarify that I liked Malenko's work in WCW, especially his feud with Jericho but it is in fact the WWE HOF not the WCW HOF, so going by htenure in WWF/E he should not be in it.

 

[klunderbunker]

This is where your argument has it's only flaw for me Sly. Using your Maddux example, of course he's going in, because as you said, he's a great pitcher and easily one of the best of all time. However, there's only one way to prove that he stacks up to the best ever: His statistics. We both know that Maddux is great, but the stats are the proof. Bonds is the same way. Stats like 300 wins, 500 home runs, and 3000 hits are benchmarks to get into the HOF as you know. In that logic, shouldn't there be benchmarks in wrestling?

 

[Slyfox696]

This is where your argument has it's only flaw for me Sly. Using your Maddux example, of course he's going in, because as you said, he's a great pitcher and easily one of the best of all time. However, there's only one way to prove that he stacks up to the best ever: His statistics. We both know that Maddux is great, but the stats are the proof. Bonds is the same way. Stats like 300 wins, 500 home runs, and 3000 hits are benchmarks to get into the HOF as you know. In that logic, shouldn't there be benchmarks in wrestling?

Sure.

How about number of fans entertained? How about money brought into a promotion? How about the service value to the promotion? How about World Championships (which shows the company trusts you with their most prized spot)? How about we measure the way they have changed the industry for the better?

I'd say all of those are good starting points. None of which apply to Dean Malenko.

 

[klunderbunker]

The thing is though, how can you prove the number of fans entertained or money brought in? There's really no way to pin all that on one person. Absolutely none of those apply to Malenko, but do they apply to others in the Hall of Fame? People like Atlas or Johnny Rodz don't have the resumes that Malenko does, and even though his accomplishments were mainly in WCW, Nick Bockwinkle, who is a better wrestler than malenko ever dreamed of being, won everything he had in the AWA. The simple fact is WWE's Hall of Fame is a joke, and based on the criteria they've used in the past, as absurd as it is, Malenko might get in one day.

 

[Slyfox696]

The thing is though, how can you prove the number of fans entertained or money brought in?

Do you really think the WWE doesn't know which of their performers are the biggest draws? How dumb do you think they are?

There's really no way to pin all that on one person.

You can get pretty close.

Absolutely none of those apply to Malenko, but do they apply to others in the Hall of Fame?

Why should that matter? We're not discussing whether or not they deserve to be in, we're discussing if Dean Malenko deserves to be in.

That's my point. When your best argument is based upon the weakness of others, then you have no argument. You have already lost.

The simple fact is WWE's Hall of Fame is a joke, and based on the criteria they've used in the past, as absurd as it is, Malenko might get in one day.

Dean Malenko will NEVER deserve to be in any credible Hall of Fame.

 

[Uncle Sam]

He should go in because of his own merits, which are numerous. Malenko has made a substantial contribution to professional wrestling, not least with playing a massive part in the development of others like Benoit, Guerrero, Misterio Jr. and others.

Uninteresting is a point of view. Uncharasmatic, hmm. It may seem impossible to argue against this but I've heard a good argument for it. Dean Malenko played a character; the Iceman. Was he designated this character because he had fuck all charisma? Irrelevant. He's also been criticised for lack of psychology and the like. I thought good psychology was behaving like your character would?

 

[klunderbunker]

Well yeah of course they know who their biggest stars are, but how can you tell when people come to see the mid card? It's not like people see the first couple of matches then leave the arena or change the channel. It's easy to pin it all on one person in the main event levels, but for someone in the midcard, it would have to be much harder. Those guys are warm up acts. Fans don't pay specifically to see them.

I never said he should be in. You said that there should be benchmarks. If another performer's accomplishments make the cut, then that becomes a standard to get in. Of course there's an argument. If person A's accomplishments get him in the Hall of Fame, no matter how good or bad they are, and person B's are the same or better, then B deserves to get in, period.

Of course he doesn't, but under WWE's methods of inducting people, it could happen and you know it.

 

[Miko]

Will he get in? I couldnt tell you. Should he get in? In my opinion no he shouldnt, I know the WWE Hall Of Fame is a bit of a joke and he is definatly better than some of the people that are in but if they start letting everyone in who's better than Rocky Johnson then nearly every midcarder in WWE history would be in it.

He could do a few suplexes and submission's so what? So can every indy wrestler out there, it doesnt make you entertaining, it doesnt make you good. It doesnt make you a better wrestler than a luchadore or a brawler. It just shows that you know a style of wrestling. Chris Benoit could do suplexes and submission's as well as Malenko, Kurt Angle can do them too, the difference is Angle and Benoit made the audience care about them far more than Dean Malenko did.

I just dont think Malenko did anything of value.

 

[Skillz]

C'mon, Dean Malenko, one of the men with the best workrate EVER should EASILY be eligible for a spot in WWE's Hall of Fame.

By the way, guys criticizing Malenko, remove Cena from your sig and maybe then we'll talk. That just invalidates your opinion, bro.

Coming from a guy who has Kennedy in his name? Remove Kennedy from your name, then maybe you will start having a first clue about what good professional wrestling is.

Cena is a million times the worker that Malenko is. It's not debatable at all. Malenko was an atrocious worker. How do I know that? Because no one cared about his matches. A good worker gets people to care about what they do in the ring, and Malenko simply couldn't do that.