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All Elite Wrestling already has Chris Jericho locked up. His character is a bit of pain in the ass to deal with these days (ask poor Michael Cuellari), but if he’s willing to help out some of the talent, there’s a lot he can teach them. The man knows 1,004 holds!
Well, now AEW is bringing aboard the man Y2J directed his famous Nitro promo at - Dean Malenko. And The Master of 1,000 Holds (or about 60, according to Jericho) will be tasked with teaching up the All Elite roster. In addition to his role as coach, Malenko will also serve as a senior producer, using some of the knowledge he’s gained while working the past 18 years as a road agent for WWE.
Here’s the press release:
Globally Renowned Producer & Coach Dean Malenko Joins AEW
-- AEW Signs Malenko to Multi-Year Deal as Senior Producer / Coach --
Las Vegas, NV (May 24, 2019) – 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.
“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 sportscentric mentality, and his experience will be invaluable for our team. Welcome Coach!”
“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.”
Certainly seems like the second generation wrestling lifer left WWE to take this job with AEW. Can we call it a war yet?