All Elite Wrestling has brought in another big name to the company. Earlier today, they revealed that former WCW and WWE star Dean Malenko had been signed on, and would be working behind the scenes.
The Man of 1,000 Holds was officially announced as a coach and producer for AEW in a statement on their website, locking him into a multi-year deal.
AEW today announced a multi-year deal with world-renowned coach, producer and wrestler Dean Malenko. Effective immediately, the former No. 1-ranked wrestler in the PWI (Pro Wrestling Illustrated) 500 will take on the role as Senior Producer / Coach.
Malenko, who spent the past 18 years producing and coaching some of the biggest stars in wrestling, a second-generation wrestler trained by his father, the acclaimed Boris Malenko. Malenko’s impact will be immediate as he joins AEW this weekend at DOUBLE OR NOTHING, the highly-anticipated event on Saturday, May 25, at the MGM Grand Garden Arena in Las Vegas.
AEW Executive VP Cody Rhodes was excited to bring in the Iceman, believing that his experience with a variety of styles in the wrestling world along with his incredible skill in the ring makes him an ideal member of their staff.
“Dean Malenko has been a massive force behind some of today’s biggest wrestling stars,” said Cody Rhodes, EVP of AEW. “He’s never stopped being a major talent who was part of the ECW revolution as well as a fixture in the cruiserweight movement on Nitro. He’s kept an open mind to our world from Lucha Libre to Japanese pro-wrestling. He’s the perfect fit for our sports- centric mentality, and his experience will be invaluable for our team. Welcome Coach!”
Malenko is eager to get started, and can’t wait to help build something from the ground up.
“It’s not often you get an opportunity late in your career to be a part of building something from the ground floor,” said Dean Malenko. “The freedom to be able to contribute uninhibited will only lend itself to foster creativity and produce an outstanding product. I’m excited about what the future holds for AEW, and I can’t wait to be a part of the journey.”
Malenko had previously worked as an agent for the WWE for nearly two decades before leaving the company last month. With All Elite Wrestling looking toward their TV debut later this year and their first official PPV event, Double or Nothing, and a roster filled with younger stars who may not be used to working on live television, a veteran like Dean Malenko is invaluable.
