 | |
| Personal information | |
|---|---|
| Born | Lawrence J. Simon[5] (1933-06-28)June 28, 1933[5] Newark, New Jersey, U.S.[1] |
| Died | September 1, 1994(1994-09-01) (aged 61)[1][6] Tampa, Florida, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Leukemia[1] |
| Family | Joe Malenko (son) Dean Malenko (son) |
| Professional wrestling career | |
| Ring name(s) | Boris Malenko[1][2] Crusher Duggan[1] Larry Simon[1] Laurence Malenko The Great Malenko The Masked Muscovite Mr. Jacksonville Mr. Miami Otto Von Krupp[3] |
| Billed height | 5 ft 10 in (1.78 m)[4] |
| Billed weight | 220 lb (100 kg; 16 st)[4] |
| Billed from | Moscow,Soviet Union (as Boris Malenko)[5][4] Germany (as Otto Von Krupp)[3] |
| Debut | 1955 |
| Retired | 1980 |
Lawrence J. Simon (June 28, 1933 – September 1, 1994), better known by thering nameBoris Malenko (Russian:Бори́с Маленко́,IPA:[bɐˈrʲismɐˈlʲenkə]), was an Americanprofessional wrestler and professional wrestling trainer. He is best known for his appearances withChampionship Wrestling from Florida andBig Time Wrestling in the 1960s and 1970s as a Russianheel. He was the father of professional wrestlersJoe andDean Malenko.[5][1][4][6]
Simon was born in Newark, New Jersey and raised inIrvington, New Jersey. As a teenager, Simon competed atamateur wrestling inYMCAs. Before becoming a professional wrestler, he worked as a truck driver in theGarment District inNew York City.[1]
Simon made his professional debut in 1955 as "Larry Simon", wrestling in theEastern United States. In 1957, he joined theDallas,Texas-based promotionBig Time Wrestling under the ring name "Crusher Duggan", winning theNWA Texas Heavyweight Championship later that year.[1]
On July 19, 1961, Simon unsuccessfully challengedBuddy Rogers for theNWA World Heavyweight Championship inJacksonville, Florida.[7]
In September 1961, Simon joined in theMinneapolis,Minnesota-basedAmerican Wrestling Association. He adopted the persona of "Otto Von Krupp", a German wrestler who worejackboots and aswastika on his back.[8] Simon formed atag team withBob Geigel, with the duo winning theAWA World Tag Team Championship in November 1961, holding it until Simon left the promotion in January 1962.[3]
In 1962, playing uponCold War tensions, Simon adopted the persona of "Boris Malenko", an agent of theSoviet Union.[1] He was occasionally billed as "The Great Malenko"; a pun, with "Malenko" beingRussian for "little", or as "Dr. Malenko" or "Professor Malenko". He built his career inSouth Florida, where his gimmick made him a hatedheel among theCuban population.[2] Over the next decade, he held theNWA Florida Heavyweight Championship twice, theNWA Florida Tag Team Championship twice, theNWA Southern Heavyweight Championship (Florida version) once, theNWA Southern Tag Team Championship (Florida version) once, and theNWA Brass Knuckles Championship (Florida version) eight times. His main rivals includedEddie Graham,Wahoo McDaniel,Johnny Valentine,Joe Scarpa, andJosé Lothario. In an angle in 1966, after Malenko bloodiedSammy Steamboat by biting his ear, Eddie Graham stormed the ring and punched Malenko'sdentures out of his mouth, then crushed them.[1]
In 1970, Malenko returned to Big Time Wrestling, where he held theNWA American Heavyweight Championship and theNWA Texas Tag Team Championship. He had a heatedfeud with Wahoo McDaniel, with McDaniel defeating him in ahair versus hair match in July 1970. A bout between the two in theAstrodome set a longstanding attendance record. In December 1970, McDaniel defeated Malenko in aloser leaves town match, marking his departure from the promotion.[6][9][10] During his time with Big Time Wrestling he was managed by Lord Charles Montegue.
On May 9, 1972, Malenko andBob Roop defeatedBearcat Wright andBobby Shane to win theNWA Florida Tag Team Championship, and six days later, Malenko defeated Wright in singles competition to win his eighth and final Florida Brass Knuckles title inOrlando. On June 24, 1972, Malenko and Johnny Weaver defeated Mike Webster and The Professional for his second run with the Florida Tag Team titles.
Malenko toured Japan withAll Japan Pro Wrestling in 1973 andNew Japan Pro-Wrestling in 1974. During his time with NJPW, Malenko wrestled a number of high-profile bouts withAntonio Inoki.[11]
In the late 1970s, Malenko wrestled for theKnoxville, Tennessee-based promotionSoutheastern Championship Wrestling, winning both theNWA Southeastern Heavyweight Championship (Northern Division) and theNWA Southeastern Television Championship in 1978. He became themanager ofJerry Blackwell after it was claimed he had acquired themortgage to Blackwell's family farm, forcing him to fight on his behalf. Theangle ended afterRon Garvin paid off the mortgage, freeing Blackwell to attack Malenko.[2][12]
Malenko retired in 1980 and opened a training school in Florida with his sonsDean andJoe. He died of leukemia in Tampa Florida at age 61 in late 1994.
Simon, who was Jewish, had two sons,Dean andJody, both of whom became professional wrestlers.[13] He died in September 1994 fromleukemia.[1][6]
| Winner (wager) | Loser (wager) | Location | Event | Date | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Wahoo McDaniel (hair) | Boris Malenko (hair) | Houston, Texas | Live event | July 10, 1970 | [9][10] | |
| Ronnie Garvin (hair) | Boris Malenko (hair) | Knoxville, Tennessee | Live event | October 13, 1979 | [21] |
