10 Greatest WWE Cruiserweight Wrestlers Ever
6. Dean Malenko
A wrestler of supreme pedigree, technical skill, and intelligence, Dean Malenko could have made it big in just about any era of wrestling - except, unfortunately, WWE in the early ‘00s. The dog days of the Attitude Era were filled with huge characters and personalities, and Malenko’s buttoned down persona faded a little - though he makes it here through the immense strength of his total banger with Scotty 2 Hotty at Backlash 2000.
His career up to this point, however, was something special for fans of technical wrestling (Daniel Bryan counts Malenko as a favourite). His long term feud with Eddie Guerrero won admiration all over America, with their last match in ECW a particularly emotional encounter, ending with fans pleading for the pair not to go.
A consummate pro, Malenko can make any opponent look terrific, and played an excellent straight man when feuding with louder personalities, such as Chris Jericho - a high point for the WCW careers of both.
WWE clearly recognised his worth and kept him on board as a road agent for nearly two decades. He’s now a producer at rivals AEW, where he is no doubt an invaluable font of knowledge for the next generation.