“The Great” Boris Malenko was an amateur wrestler in the Northeast United States during the latter part of his teenage years. This training led to his professional wrestling start in the 1950’s. Early in his career, he wrestled as Larry Simon and Crusher Duggan. However, he gained much success as Otto Von Krupp and later Boris Malenko, which was suggested to him by Vince McMahon, Sr.

Boris wrestled much of the 1960’s and 1970’s in the Southeast United States, most notably Florida and Tennessee. In November of 1961, Boris teamed with Bob Geigel to win the AWA World Tag Team Title. He went on to win the NWA Southern Title in 1962.

Soon after, Boris made his debut in Japan for JWA on February 20, 1965. He only stayed there until April 2nd before he headed back to the States. Once back in North America, Boris held the Florida Title in 1967 and with Johnny Valentine was a NWA Southern Tag Team champion the following year (August 1968). Boris’ success continued with two reigns as a Florida Tag Team champion with Bob Roop and Johnny Walker in May and June of 1972, respectively.

After being gone from Japan for 8 years, Boris returned on May 12, 1973 as a part of All Japan Pro Wrestling. He went on to work for New Japan Pro Wrestling in late 1974 before retiring from active competition in 1975.

With his time in the spotlight over, Boris gave back to the business that had given him so much by opening a wrestling school to train future stars. For nearly two decades, Boris helped train such wrestlers as Sean Waltman (X-Pac), Glen Jacobs (Kane), and Norman Smiley at the Malenko’s Pro Wrestling Camp, which has since been closed down.

Sadly, Boris developed leukemia and passed away on September 1, 1994. The mourners at his funeral was a virtual “who’s who” of professional wrestling including Sean Waltman (X-Pac), Gordon Solie, Randy Poffo (Randy Savage), and Hiro Matsuda. The impact Boris had on the professional wrestling industry is immeasurable and his memory is sure to live on for a long, long time.

Regarding his father, in 1996, Dean stated, “He was a big influence on my career. He taught me how to handle myself in the ring, what to expect, what to look for, what it takes to get where I’m at now. He, unfortunately, is not here today to see what I’ve accomplished. But, I know, somewhere, he is smiling down on me. I just hope I make him proud.” Dean went on to say, “He was also as big an influence on my personal life as much as he was on my professional life. He taught me all of the important values in life, what it takes to succeed. I’ll never forget him, especially because, he not only was a good teacher, but, more than that, a very close friend, someone I confided it for a lot of things. He was always there, during the good times and the bad times. I knew I could always call him, with whatever problem or question I had. And it didn’t matter where I called him from, such as Japan…he was always there.” All summed up, Dean asserts, “My dad is, unquestionably, the one who molded me into who I am today.”