A second generation wrestler that eventually ascended in the mainstream beyond the heights of his hugely respected Father Boris, Dean Malenko spent his proving ground years in relative obscurity. This couldn't have been anymore helpful a start for someone like him.
Immensely skilled but of a notably short stature and with a less-than-obvious charisma, the future 'Man Of 1000 Holds' wouldn't have been permitted to get one of those in on some of the giants in WWE at the time. Having worked a few times as a referee, he honed his abilities in Mexico and Japan, often teaming with brother Joe in contests where the learning curve was steep but varied and valuable.
His time was coming anyway. The pomp and pageantry of the 1980s was suddenly looking absolutely ancient by the mid-1990s, and this played perfectly into his specific offering. With a reputation now in place amongst pro wrestling's most dedicated hardcore base, Malenko was forced into proving himself on a stage that didn't remotely look like it suited him - until he played a crucial part in transforming it completely.
Michael is a writer, editor, podcaster and presenter for WhatCulture Wrestling, and has been with the organisation nearly 8 years. He primarily produces written, audio and video content on WWE and AEW, but also provides knowledge and insights on all aspects of the wrestling industry thanks to a passion for it dating back over 35 years. As one third of "The Dadley Boyz" Michael has contributed to the huge rise in popularity of the WhatCulture Wrestling Podcast and its accompanying YouTube channel, earning it top spot in the UK's wrestling podcast charts with well over 62,000,000 total downloads. He has been featured as a wrestling analyst for the Tampa Bay Times, GRAPPL, GCP, Poisonrana and Sports Guys Talking Wrestling, and has covered milestone events in New York, Dallas, Las Vegas, Philadelphia, London and Cardiff. Michael's background in media stretches beyond wrestling coverage, with a degree in Journalism from the University Of Sunderland (2:1) and a series of published articles in sports, music and culture magazines The Crack, A Love Supreme and Pilot. When not offering his voice up for daily wrestling podcasts, he can be found losing it singing far too loud watching his favourite bands play live. Follow him on X/Twitter - @MichaelHamflett
