Exclusive: Dean Malenko Talks Why He Joined All Elite Wrestling

Dean Malenko is All In, after being all the way WWE for almost two decades.

The wrestling great has joined the ranks of All Elite Wrestling, where he’ll help coach the roster to better psychology, in a role very similar to his agent/producer role that he held in WWE for so long. When speaking to Fightful shortly after the news was announced, Malenko told us he was happy the news had dropped.

“I’m excited. Anything that can bring wrestling back a little bit and give guys an opportunity to go out and make a living. It’s got a lot of energy. People are talking about it, and I’m happy to be a part of it,” said Malenko. “I’ve been busy the last 18 years, and haven’t had the opportunity to see a lot of these young guys, but I’m looking forward to that for sure. I’ve been weighing my options and seeing where I was going to land. I’ve known Cody for several years, and his family, I just thought that was the opportunity I needed to go to.”

While Malenko has transitioned from wrestler into a producer spot, AEW Double or Nothing featured Chris Jericho, Aja Kong, Billy Gunn, Glacier, Dustin Rhodes and others who have competed for two-plus decades in the ring. Malenko took a playful jab at Jericho, saying he didn’t want to help him, before pointing at his evolution as a reason he’s still relevant as a performer deep into 2019.

“I don’t think there’s a secret recipe of why these guys stay around. They take care of themselves. Guys like Chris Jericho — he reinvents himself all the time and does different things,” Malenko said.

You can see our full interview with the former WCW Cruiserweight Champion Dean Malenko above.