AEW has announced that former WWE backstage hand and WCW wrestler Dean Malenko will by plying his trade in AEW. This comes exactly one month after Dean quit WWE and one day before AEW’s premiere show, Double or Nothing. In a press release, AEW officially commented on the signing.
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 starts in wrestling, is 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.
Additionally, AEW EVP Cody Rhodes had this to say about Dean joining the fold
Dean Malenko has been a massive force behind some of today’s biggest wrestling stars. 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 sportscentric mentality, and his experience will be invaluable for our team. Welcome Coach!
Dean himself had this to say about the career change.
It’s not often you get an opportunity late in your career to be a part of building something from the ground floor. 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.
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