Most of the champions of wrestling form the 1940s to the 1960s don't have many positive things to say about the current state of their sport. It's too showbiz, they complain; too silly; too over the top. What a wrestler can do on the microphone is now seen as more important than what he can do in the ring. So when Dean Malenko is praised for his wrestling acumen by the legendary Lou Thesz, as he was in a 1998 interview with the Hall of Famer, it means more than any championship belt. But if Malenko's that good, why hasn't he been more successful? Easy - he's not showbiz, he's not silly, and he's never over the top.

Malenko has been dubbed The Iceman because of his frozen facial expression. He looks angry all the time, and though this strategy has worked wonders for Stone Cold Steve Austin, it has not had the same effect on Malenko's career. His mike skills are nonexistent, and because he can't effectively promote his feuds, they don't generate much heat with the fans. Still, when he steps between the ropes, especially to fan an opponent with above-average skills, Dean Malenko becomes a one-man wrestling clinic. There isn't a hold he cannot counter or a move he doesn't execute with textbook precision.

Dean Malenko is the youngest son of Professor Boris Malenko, a skilled grappler in his own right. The Professor's Tampa-based wrestling school was the training ground for Dean and his brother, Joe. In the early 1990's, they broke into the professional ranks and made their first big splash in New Japan. Dean was sometimes billed as Dean Solkoff, but then he settled on his father's wrestling name, which, in turn, Boris Malenko had actually chosen over the real family surname - Simon.

The Malenkos entered ECW as a tag team in 1994 and fought a losing match for the tag belts against Sabu and Tasmaniac. After Boris Malenko passed away, Joe returned to Tampa to run the wrestling school and Dean launched his singles career. He won the Television title from 2 Cold Scorpio and wrestled terrific matches against the likes of Shane Douglas and Eddie Guerrero.

In January of 1995, Malenko began teaming with Chris Benoit, and by February they were tag champions. For almost a month, Malenko held two of ECW's three championship belts. Both Benoit and Malenko remained among the federation's most popular and decorated stars until their departure for WCW late in the year. They entered as a tag team but the federation soon split them up, the first of several mistakes it made in handling both wrestlers' careers.

Malenko's somber demeanor branded him as a heel, even though he pinned the equally unpopular Shinjiro Ohtani to win the Cruiserweight title in March of 1996. He beat Brad Armstrong in his first pay-per-view title defense (at the May Slamboree) then confirmed his heel status by stealing Rey Misterio Jr.'s mask and pinning him with his feet elevated on the ropes. Misterio won the rematch in a classic display of aerial maneuvers vs. mat wrestling. Though Malenko will also climb the ropes on rare occasions, his natural style relies more on submission holds that wear down his opponent. It's a technically sound strategy, but not one that makes for an exciting match.

At the Hog Wild pay-per-view in August of 1996, Dean Malenko wrestled his former tag partner, Chris Benoit. The match, which was called a time-limit draw after 30 minutes and then extended, to the delight of the crowd, remains The Iceman's best moment in WCW. Benoit was the victor due to interference from Woman, but Malenko earned the respect of the fans.

For the next eight months, Malenko either reigned as Cruiserweight champ or was considered the number-one contender. He regained the title from Misterio in October then switched it in December and January of 1997 with the Ultimo Dragon before losing to Syxx and becoming another victim of illegal NOW tactics. But Malenko was not without a belt for long; he pinned Eddie Guerrero in March of 1997 for the United States title, only to lose it to Jeff Jarrett in June.

Storylines for Malenko had been underdeveloped ever since his arrival in WCW. For the most part, he wrestled whomever was available, and he would enter into revenge matches every time he or his opponent won through underhanded means. His alliances with Chris Benoit and Jeff Jarrett were shortlived.

But, in 1998, Malenko finally started to wrestle matches with a subtext. Old opponent Eddie Guerrero returned, and this time he was able to get under Malenko's skin, causing The Iceman to "snap" in the ring and struggle with his emotions. Malenko's next feud was with Chris Jericho, his polar opposite in terms of character/persona. Jericho taunted Malenko mercilessly; he wore trunks emblazoned with the figure "1,004," a reference to Malenko's "Man of 1,000 Holds" identity, and made derogatory remarks about Malenko's late father.

After being defeated by Jericho in a Cruiserweight title match, Malenko (now a crowd favorite) appeared emotionally devastated in the ring. The usually mild-mannered announced Gene Okerlund interviewed Malenko after the match and berated him for losing. Malenko said he was going home, and walked silently out of the arena. His "retirement" lasted about six weeks, during which time Jericho continued his verbal assault on the Malenko family. The Iceman returned in May of 1998 and defeated Jericho for the Cruiserweight title. He soon lost it again, but then he set his sights on something more prestigious than any belt: membership in The Four Horsemen. Malenko was welcomed into the fold shortly after Ric Flair's return from an extended leave. The new Horsemen - Flair, Malenko, Christ Benoit, and Arn Anderson - became WCW's most potent weapon against the rule-breaking NWO Hollywood.

You just read a bit from Slammin: Wrestling's Greatest Heroes and Villians. To purchase the over 250-page book, head over to the Other merchandise section for a link to where you can buy it on the Internet.