Editing Dean Malenko (section)

===Eastern Championship Wrestling / Extreme Championship Wrestling (1994–1995)===
{{See also|The Triple Threat}}
On August 27, 1994, Malenko debuted in [[Extreme Championship Wrestling|Eastern Championship Wrestling]] (ECW) as a [[Heel (professional wrestling)|heel]] participating in [[NWA World Title Tournament|a professional wrestling tournament]] for the vacant [[NWA World Heavyweight Championship]]. He defeated [[Osamu Nishimura]] in the quarterfinals before he ended up losing to the eventual winner [[Shane Douglas]] in the semifinals.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/ecw/results/1994c.html#082794|title=NWA World Title Tournament results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=May 25, 2008|quote=Dean Malenko beat Osamu Nishimura vis submission. Shane Douglas pinned Dean Malenko}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/ecw/results/tournaments.html#nwa|title=NWA World Title Tournament 1994|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=May 25, 2008}}</ref> Malenko became known as "The [[Shoot (professional wrestling)|Shooter]]" and was given a [[Gimmick (professional wrestling)|gimmick]] similar to an [[Ultimate Fighting Championship]] fighter (due to his resemblance to [[Royce Gracie]]). On November 4, 1994, he defeated [[2 Cold Scorpio]] to win his first [[ECW World Television Championship|ECW Television Championship]].<ref name="ecwtv">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/history/ecwtvtitlehistory/|title=ECW Television Championship official title history|publisher=WWE|access-date=May 25, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/ecw/results/1994d.html#110494|title=ECW results – November 4, 1994|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=May 25, 2008|quote=Dean Malenko pinned Too Cold Scorpio to win the ECW TV Title}}</ref>

In the beginning of 1995, Malenko formed a [[Professional wrestling stable|faction]] called the [[The Triple Threat|Triple Threat]] with [[Chris Benoit]] and [[Shane Douglas]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.onlineworldofwrestling.com/profiles/t/triple-threat.html|title=Triple Threat Profile|publisher=Online World of Wrestling|access-date=June 1, 2008}}</ref> On February 25, 1995, at [[Return of the Funker]], Benoit and Malenko defeated [[Sabu (wrestler)|Sabu]] and [[Tazz|Tazmaniac]] for the [[ECW World Tag Team Championship|ECW Tag Team Championship]], making Malenko a double champion.<ref name="ecwtag">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/shows/ecw/history/ecwtaghistory/|title=ECW Tag Team Championship official title history|publisher=WWE|access-date=May 25, 2008}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/ecw/results/1995a.html#022595|title=Return of the Funker results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko beat The Tazmaniac & Sabu (10:28) to win the ECW Tag Title when Benoit pinned Sabu}}</ref> A month later at [[ECW Extreme Warfare|Extreme Warfare]], Malenko [[Glossary of professional wrestling terms#Drop|dropped]] the Television title to [[2 Cold Scorpio]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/ecw/results/1995a.html#031895|title=ECW results – March 18, 1995|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=Too Cold Scorpio pinned Dean Malenko (13:34) to win the ECW TV Title}}</ref> On April 8 at [[ECW Three Way Dance|Three Way Dance]], he and Benoit lost the tag titles to [[The Public Enemy (professional wrestling)|The Public Enemy]] ([[Johnny Grunge]] and [[Rocco Rock]]).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/ecw/results/1995b.html#040895|title=Three Way Dance results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=The Public Enemy beat Chris Benoit & Dean Malenko and The Tazmaniac & Rick Steiner (19:56) in a "three-way dance" to win the ECW Tag Title}}</ref>

In the summer of 1995, Malenko [[Feud (professional wrestling)|feuded]] with TV Champion [[Eddie Guerrero]], culminating in a match on July 21 where Malenko defeated Guerrero to win his second ECW Television Championship.<ref name="ecwtv"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/ecw/results/1995c.html#072195|title=ECW results – July 21, 1995|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=Dean Malenko pinned Eddie Guerrero to win the ECW TV Title}}</ref> Only a week later, Malenko dropped the title back to Guerrero.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/ecw/results/1995c.html#072895|title=ECW results – July 28, 1995|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=Eddie Guerrero pinned Dean Malenko to win the ECW TV Title}}</ref> The two continued to battle over the Television Title and fought a series of matches that led to them being offered a WCW contract.<ref name="acceleratorbio"/> His last ECW match was a [[two out of three falls match]] against Guerrero, which took place on August 26. The match ended in a draw as the last fall had both men's shoulders on the mat.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/ecw/results/1995c.html#082695|title=ECW results – August 26, 1995|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=Dean Malenko drew Eddie Guerrero in three falls}}</ref> This would be both men's last match in ECW and they both gave—and received—an emotional farewell to the fans.<ref name="acceleratorbio"/>