BORIS MALENKO BIO

The father of WWE Legend Dean Malenko, Boris - known by many as The King of the Russian Chain Match - was notorious among North American crowds as an in-ring villain during the 1960s, battling the likes of Johnny Valentine, Jose Lothario, Eddie Graham, Wahoo McDaniel and Joe Scarpa with his feared finishing maneuver, the Russian Sickle lariat. Calling himself “The Great Malenko,” Boris’ career would take him to Japan in the 1970s, where he toured with All Japan Pro Wrestling and New Japan Pro Wrestling. Some of the highlights of his career included winning the NWA Florida Heavyweight Championship, the AWA World Tag Team Championship and the NWA Brass Knuckles Championship. Following his retirement from in-ring competition, Malenko dedicated himself to training the next generations of grapplers, including X-Pac, Bob Orton Jr., Marc Mero and of course, his sons Dean and Joe. In 2018, Boris was named a Legacy Inductee in the WWE Hall of Fame.