Dean Malenko: HOFer?

[Steamboat Ricky]

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.

In that case, are you ready to label the Ultimate Warrior as a good worker? Because people cared what he did in the ring. However, in the wrestling community, you will hear people calling the Ultimate Warrior one of the worst workers in history.

I laugh at that comment, really. Malenko..."atrocious"? Wow, son. I guarantee that wrestlers were overjoyed to get booked with Malenko. They knew he was going to make them look pretty friggin good.

Malenko couldn't make people care what he did? I was watching WWE 24/7 yesterday, and the match I was watching that had he and Rey Rey classically putting on a wrestling clinic inspired me to make this discussion. People cared what he did in the ring. Otherwise, he wouldn't have been there as long as he was.

 

[butsecks]

dean malenko should be in the HOF...why not ? he was a great wrestler...last time i checked the WWE hall of fame was because of wrestling and entertainment right? labeling dean malenko "atrocious" and no one cared about his matches iand blah blah blah is ridiculous...

hell he wasn't even bad on the mic...PROOF: go to you tube and type in "piper flair malenko" the first vid there u click on it and you'll c a segment with malenko doing a good job talking...

now the first match rey mysterio had in wcw was against dean malenko and they both got a standing ovation from the boys in the lockeroom...doesn't that tell u something? hell, i remember watching wcw gettting amped everytime dean malenko would come out because i knew i was going to be entertained everytime and i certainly was. Future HOF indeed

 

[Skillz]

In that case, are you ready to label the Ultimate Warrior as a good worker?

Yes.

Because people cared what he did in the ring. However, in the wrestling community, you will hear people calling the Ultimate Warrior one of the worst workers in history.

What community is this? The people who talked about him on his DVD? That DVD was completely biased. It has become a complete misconception that Warrior couldn't work. He had a job to do and a character to play and he did it very well, and earned the WWE lots of money for it. Therefore making him a good worker.

However, this isn't about the Ultimate Warrior, this is about Dean Malenko.

People cared what he did in the ring.

People didn't care about Malenko. The only few people that did were the smarkiest of smarks who like him because he's a technical wrestler.

The fans cheered at the fancy moves and flips he did, but they didn't give a crap about his character. That's the difference between Dean Malenko and a good worker. A good worker will get people to care about their character, and get the fans to become emotionally invested into their matches. Malenko got fans to say "wow, nice move!", but after that, everyone forgot about him.

 

[Steamboat Ricky]

Yes.



What community is this? The people who talked about him on his DVD? That DVD was completely biased. It has become a complete misconception that Warrior couldn't work. He had a job to do and a character to play and he did it very well, and earned the WWE lots of money for it. Therefore making him a good worker.

However, this isn't about the Ultimate Warrior, this is about Dean Malenko.



People didn't care about Malenko. The only few people that did were the smarkiest of smarks who like him because he's a technical wrestler.

The fans cheered at the fancy moves and flips he did, but they didn't give a crap about his character. That's the difference between Dean Malenko and a good worker. A good worker will get people to care about their character, and get the fans to become emotionally invested into their matches. Malenko got fans to say "wow, nice move!", but after that, everyone forgot about him.

Q: What community is this?

A: The wrestling community. That was clearly stated. And at what point does a DVD become biased? Did they leave out all of the comments from the guys that liked wrestling with him? I suppose they did, but I challenge you to find 3 testimonies of guys that actually enjoyed working with UW. If you do, then I will concede this to you. However, from all of the reading I've done and interviews I've watched, I can't specifically cite an instance where someone said that UW was a good worker of any sort. I have, however, heard plenty of the opposite.


You say that Warrior had a character to play and a job to do....how is that ANY different than Malenko? Malenko's character wasn't supposed to be flashy, charismatic, or catchy. He was supposed to be an old-school guy who went to the ring and got business done. He was a gem at that role. And YES, people remember him for that...far more so than people remember Rocky Johnson, Peter Maivia, JYD, Johnny Rodz, Greg Valentine, or Big John Studd.

 

[agentmichaelscarn]

I really dont see how he could get in. Yes he was a solid in-ring worker but we all know that there is more to wrestling then that. And yes I know that the Hall of Fame is a joke because of some of the people that are already in it but those guys are from different eras so I dont know if you can compare him to them. Just like in real sports people from earlier eras always seem to be put on a higher pedistal for whatever reason. So I think you have to compare him to wrestlers from his era. And when he wrestled he was never anything more then a mid carder and sometimes even less then that. He was never ever one of the top 5 guys in the company, I dont believe he ever wrestled in a main event in WCW or WWE if he did I cant remember it. So a guy that was a career midcarder in the 90s should not be in.

 

[ServantofTwilight]

First, I agree with the post which said that previous inductees help dictate who else gets in. baseball was brought up and this HoF, more then any other sport, relies heavily on stats and records. You could be the most popular player ever, but if you put up bad numbers you sare not getting in. There are generally unofficial numbers for hits, RBIs, HRs, SO, and Wins. Someone mentioned Maddux and his 300 wins. If all the pitchers in the HoF had 400, Maddux would be on the bubble, much like Mussina is now.

That being said, Pro Wrestling is a different animal all together. It is not a sport. Now, before everyone starts jumping on me I am not saying that these men and women are not athletic or talented, I am saying that since the outcome is predetermined, the matches staged, that it is not a true sport. As such, stats as we veiw them in other sports don't truly count. Andre the world title for the length of a sneeze and a short title run, yet no one would argue he is not HoF material. Likewise, Jack Brisco was a great NWA world champ, holding the title twice but no one sees it strange he is not in there. So...

Dean Malenko, for all his accomplishments, is not HoF material. He was crisp in the ring, but not exciting or memorable in the ring. He relied on his oppenent to generate the excitment part of the match. His matches with Mysterio and Jericho have been mentioned, but it was clearly those men and there charisma that caused the interest. Malenko was good, great with the technical stuff, but overall good.

On a side not I believe that had Malenko had a manager such as Heenan, Hart or Cornette to do his talking and set things up that way in the matches that we may be saying something different. Bobby Eaton is remembered as a great wrestler, mostly in tag matches, yet he hardly said a word. Cornette helped elevate him higher then he would have gone on his own. It is too bad we don't have more managers today as I feel many stars today would benifit from a good one.

Dean Malenko in the Hof? Sorry, but no.

 

[Afro-Ameri-Spawn]

Dean Malenko is shit. And I mean that in the kindest way that I can because the only reason why I liked him was the fact that he was quiet, lethal, and smooth. But of course, that weighs against him too. How so? Well let me explain a bit. You see Dean Malenko's quietness always kept him under the radar. He was little more than a blip at times. Yeah, sure his feud with Rey Mysterios was one of the most entertaining that you have ever seen as it was a pure wrestlers going toe to toe with a then innovative high flyer. But what did it really do? Who REALLY remembers it? Hell, Ricky referred to it as a "match" with Rey when it was an entire feud that went match after match after match.

And I'm not saying that the fans are in any way to blame for this, it's Malenko's fault. He thought that just being a wrestler would be enough to get you over, and that may be right but it's not the case when you are an undersized wrestler. He was so unassuming and had the charisma of a graham cracker. Well maybe not that much, because graham crackers are tasty and flavor and have some definition to them. But you get what I am saying.

Even when he was The Ladies Man, he was a complete statue. He wasn't believable and he wasn't anything but stiff. I mean who was supposed to be buying this guy as a "James Bond" type? Probably the same people who bought into the whole "Bald Bombshell" gimmick that Saturn had when he wore a dress. Notice I said it was a dress and NOT a kilt.

If you asked me many many years ago, in his youth, if Dean Malenko was Hall of Fame bound, I would answer that he had potential. Where that potential went, I do not know. I do know this. With the standards that they have for the WWE Hall of Fame it would not be out of the question for him to actually get in. He has the cruiserweight credentials. He has the wrestling credentials. And he still works for WWE as an agent, something that has to tip the vote in his favor quite a bit. Of course if he died, accidentally, he would be a shoe in. But does he truly DESERVE to be in the hall of fame? My answer is an astounding.... no. He just hasn't done anything spectacular or differentiating enough to get my vote. Sorry.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

as much as I love Malenko, hell no he shouldnt be in the HOF. not by a fucking LONG shot. I mean, the guy put on some FANTASTIC matches, but what did he accomplish??? What did he ever do that was memorable??? He was an absolute shell of the guy he was in WCW when he got to the "E" and had an entirely unmemorable run there. Sly is correct, using the "well these guys are in" argument is a TERRIBLE argument. Just becuase other guys who didnt deserve it got in, doesnt mean you let MORE people who dont deserve it get in.

 

[klunderbunker]

Before I start, let me make it clear again: Malenko isn't a HOFer, period.

But about the this guy gets in, that guy gets in, I disagree. Yes those other people got in, but why should the standards or lack thereof be changed for future people. As we all know there are people that have no business being near the HOF. Since this is true, why should those same standards not hold up for everyone else. If someone taht has no title reigns, no big angle feuds and no big splash made in wrestling be allowed in, why should someone that is clearly better in the ring, has a better resume, and has been in feature matches occasionally be left out? Look at someone like JYD and Malenko. While there's no way that either should be in, JYD is, and his resume is nothing compared to Malenkos. WHile Malenko shouldn't be in, it's almsot unfair to him or anyone like him to keep him out.

 

[Mighty NorCal]

*tough shit*

is why its fair. As you have finely pointed out, obviously the standard hasnt been nearly high enough for some time now, so why in the earth if you want any sort of prestige or legitimacy would you continue in that manner?? If its admittedly bullshit on some of it, then things like that need to be straightened out. Its not about being fair, its trying to make something half worth shit. If he doesnt deserve it, then the other people who didnt deserve dont make him worthy. It just means that a lot of motherfuckers who didnt deserve it are in. So why would you want to further taint the pool??

 

[klunderbunker]

I don't want to further taint the pool. All this is doing is further exposing the WWE HOF for what it is: an excuse for Vince to try to make himself look like a good guy. The best solution I see to this is cut off the list of people you can get in for a single class, just like the NFL does, but with maybe four a year. That's mainly what the HOF does anyway: put in 2-3 guys that are obviously deserving to get in, and then mid carders who are just old and calls them legends. As we've both said, there's people that don't deserve to be in, so why not cut the list down a lot? It would stop a lot of the problems that come with the HOF and make it more exclusive.

 

[JerryvonKramer]

While Malenko was a great worker, he didn't really have the charisma to go over with the fans. He was sort of like a poor man's Arn Anderson: a guy who looks good in a stable.

For me, he was always undermined by his size. This is not a problem in itself, but it's the fact that he was booked as a lightweight/ cruiserweight. That instantly saps kudos in my book.

Besides, it's pointless talking about this when guys like DiBiase, Savage and Rude aren't in the HoF yet.

 

[Kid A]

i always liked him, or had respect for him. and my only real memories of him are during the mid to late 90's in WCW. his matches honestly bored the hell out of me. while he had extreme technique and talent, he had very little mic ability or marketabililty. he made a headcase like Benoit seem like a golden ticket. he def was a great wrestler tho, he was menacing. i can still remember his wcw theme music, fit his peronsality at that time perfectly.

 

[It's...Baylariat!]

Dean Malenko isn't a HOF'er. He's not charasmatic, didn't have a huge impact on the business, didn't draw huge numbers, and simply isn't known to many common wrestling fans.

HOWEVER, Malenko is still 'a wrestling lesson rolled into a human being'. The man can teach wrestling like no other. He's a great worker, who can carry anyone to a solid match. It's entertaining and can be good filler for a card, but not main event. Malenko's good. Not great.