Editing Dean Malenko (section)

====Cruiserweight Champion; United States Heavyweight Champion (1995–1998)====
In September 1995, Malenko and Benoit joined [[World Championship Wrestling]] (WCW), where he continued to be a [[Heel (professional wrestling)|villain]]. Malenko came to be known in WCW as "The Iceman" Dean Malenko because of his cold, calculating demeanor and was also given the nickname of "The Man of 1,000 Holds".<ref name="acceleratorbio"/> On May 2, 1996, Malenko defeated [[Shinjiro Otani]] for the [[WWE Cruiserweight Championship (1991–2007)|WCW Cruiserweight Championship]] in [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]].<ref name="cruiser">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/cruiser/|title=WWE Cruiserweight Championship official title history|publisher=WWE|access-date=May 25, 2008}}</ref> He held the title for two months, making successful defenses against the likes of [[Brad Armstrong (wrestler)|Brad Armstrong]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/slambore.html#96|title=Slamboree 1996: Lord of the Ring results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=WCW Cruiserweight Champ Dean Malenko pinned Brad Armstrong (8:29)}}</ref> [[Rey Mysterio Jr.]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#96|title=The Great American Bash 1996 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=WCW Cruiserweight Champ Dean Malenko pinned Rey Mysterio, Jr. (17:50)}}</ref> and [[Disco Inferno (wrestler)|Disco Inferno]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/beach.html#96|title=Bash at the Beach 1996 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=WCW Cruiserweight Champ Dean Malenko pinned Dean Malenko (12:04)}}</ref> before losing the title to Mysterio on the July, 8 edition of ''[[WCW Monday Nitro|Nitro]]''.<ref name=WCW9501Book>{{cite book | first=Graham | last=Cawthon | title=the History of Professional Wrestling Vol 5: World Championship Wrestling 1995–2001 | publisher=CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform | year= 2015 | isbn=978-1499656343}}</ref> He defeated Mysterio Jr. for his second WCW Cruiserweight Championship at [[Halloween Havoc 1996]].<ref name="cruiser"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/havoc.html#96|title=Halloween Havoc 1996 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=Dean Malenko pinned Rey Misterio, Jr. (18:32) to win the WCW Cruiserweight Title}}</ref>

After a successful title defense against [[Psicosis|Psychosis]] at [[World War 3 (1996)|World War 3]],<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/ww3.html#96|title=World War 3 1996 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=WCW Cruiserweight Champ Dean Malenko pinned Psicosis (14:33)}}</ref> Malenko lost the Cruiserweight title to [[Último Dragón|Ultimate Dragon]] (Último Dragón) at [[Starrcade (1996)|Starrcade 1996]] where Dragón's [[J-Crown|J-Crown Championship]] was also on the line.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#96|title=Starrcade 1996 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=J Crown Champ Ultimate Dragon pinned Dean Malenko (18:30) to win the WCW Cruiserweight Title}}</ref> Malenko defeated Dragón on the January 22, 1997 ''[[Clash of the Champions XXXIV]]'' to win his third WCW Cruiserweight Championship.<ref name="cruiser"/><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash2.html#XXXIV|title=Clash of the Champions XXXIV results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=Dean Malenko beat Ultimate Dragon (15:07) via submission to win the WCW Cruiserweight Title|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20101128103446/http://prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/clash2.html#XXXIV|archive-date=November 28, 2010}}</ref> He would hold the belt for nearly a month before losing it to [[Sean Waltman|Syxx]] at [[SuperBrawl VII]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/s-brawl.html#VII|title=SuperBrawl VII results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=Syxx pinned Dean Malenko (11:57) to win the WCW Cruiserweight Title}}</ref> Malenko lost the match after [[Eddie Guerrero]] inadvertently caused Malenko to be hit with Guerrero's [[United States Championship (WWE)|United States Title belt]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thehistoryofwwe.com/superbrawl.htm |title=SuperBrawl |website=thehistoryofwwe.com|date=January 16, 2023 }}</ref>

Malenko then entered a feud with Guerrero, angry over the fact that he had caused him to lose his Cruiserweight belt and began to attempt to win the United States title from him. The match between the two took place at ''[[Uncensored 1997|Uncensored]]'' the next month and interference from Syxx played a role again. The Cruiserweight Champion again tried to take Guerrero's title, but in the process dropped the camcorder he carried to the ring with him. After Guerrero took the belt back, Malenko hit him in the back of the head with the camcorder and knocked the champion out, enabling him to pin Guerrero and win his first United States Championship.<ref name=WCW9501Book/> He retained the belt at ''[[Slamboree 1997|Slamboree]]''  on May 18, 1997, by defeating [[Jeff Jarrett]], but lost the title to him on the June 9, 1997, episode of ''[[WCW Monday Nitro|Nitro]]''. At [[World War 3 (1997)|World War 3]], Malenko participated in a [[Battle royal (professional wrestling)#World War 3|60-man, three-ring battle royal]] won by [[The Giant (wrestler)|The Giant]].<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/ww3.html#97|title=World War 3 1997 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=Scott Hall won a "three ring battle royal" (29:48)}}</ref> At [[Starrcade (1997)|Starrcade 1997]], he challenged Guerrero for the Cruiserweight Title but ended up losing the match.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/starrcad.html#97|title=Starrcade 1997 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 1, 2008|quote=WCW Cruiserweight Champ Eddie Guerrero pinned Dean Malenko (14:57)}}</ref> 

In mid-1998, Malenko engaged in a [[Heat (professional wrestling)|heated]] [[feud (professional wrestling)|feud]] with [[Chris Jericho]]. To better Malenko's claims, Jericho boasted that he was "The Man of 1,004 Holds" and the two had a final showdown at [[Uncensored 1998]] for the Cruiserweight title. After a long match, Jericho forced Malenko to submit in an angled [[Boston crab|Liontamer]]. After the match, the otherwise collected Malenko was left in an unusual fit of frustration.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/uncensor.html#98|title=Uncensored 1998 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 2, 2008|quote=WCW Cruiserweight Champ Chris Jericho beat Dean Malenko (14:42) via submission}}</ref> [[Gene Okerlund]] then confronted Malenko post-match, aggressively citing his many losses in the past several months and asking where he would go from this point. Dejected and worn down, Malenko replied simply, "Home," and would not be seen on WCW TV for two months.<ref name="acceleratorbio"/> In the ensuing two months, Jericho proceeded to mercilessly taunt Malenko, including insulting Malenko's father and attacking Malenko's brother. At [[Slamboree 1998]], Jericho held a [[Battle royal (professional wrestling)|Battle Royal]] for a shot at his Cruiserweight Championship. Malenko entered the battle royal dressed as [[Lucha libre#Masks|masked]] wrestler [[Halloween (wrestler)|Ciclope]] and won the match, after [[Juventud Guerrera]] shook his hand, and eliminated himself. He then unmasked, revealing himself to the crowd following his win. Malenko went on to defeat Jericho for his fourth and final WCW Cruiserweight Championship, thus becoming the first-ever wrestler to win the Cruiserweight title four times.<ref name="slamboree98">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/slambore.html#98|title=Slamboree 1998 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 2, 2008|quote=Ciclope (Dean Malenko) won a "cruiserweight battle royal" (8:27). Dean Malenko beat Chris Jericho (7:02) via submission to win the WCW Cruiserweight Title}}</ref><ref name="malenkocruiser4">{{cite web|url=http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/cruiser/30445413212111221411121|title=Dean Malenko's fourth Cruiserweight Championship reign|publisher=WWE|access-date=June 2, 2008|url-status=dead|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080709031839/http://www.wwe.com/inside/titlehistory/cruiser/30445413212111221411121|archive-date=July 9, 2008}}</ref> Malenko was stripped of the title, however, as he did not earn the title shot as himself.<ref name="malenkocruiser4"/> At [[The Great American Bash 1998]], Malenko and Jericho faced each other in a match for the vacant Cruiserweight title. Malenko lost by [[Disqualification (professional wrestling)|disqualification]], making Jericho the champion.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/gabash.html#98|title=The Great American Bash 1998 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 3, 2008|quote=Chris Jericho beat Dean Malenko (13:52) via DQ to win the vacant WCW Cruiserweight Title}}</ref> At [[Bash at the Beach 1998]], Malenko interfered in Jericho's title defense against [[Rey Mysterio Jr.]] allowing Mysterio to pin Jericho for the title.<ref name="beach98">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/beach.html#98|title=Bash at the Beach 1998 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 3, 2008|quote=Rey Misterio, Jr. pinned Chris Jericho (6:00) to apparently win the WCW Cruiserweight Title. However, the title was returned to Jericho due to interference by Dean Malenko}}</ref> The title was returned to Jericho, however, because of interference by Malenko.<ref name="beach98"/> Malenko was fired in storyline, but returned at [[Road Wild 1998]] as the [[special guest referee]] during Jericho's defense against [[Juventud Guerrera]].<ref name="roadwild98">{{cite web|url=http://www.prowrestlinghistory.com/supercards/usa/wcw/roadwild.html#98|title=Road Wild 1998 results|work=Wrestling Supercards and Tournaments|access-date=June 3, 2008|quote=Juventud Guerrera pinned Chris Jericho (16:24) to win the WCW Cruiserweight Title. Dean Malenko was the guest referee}}</ref> Juventud won the match and the title.<ref name="roadwild98"/>