Bruno Forever

It’s difficult to find an event these days that has what we used to refer to as “a true sense of community.” People are different now across the board. Because of the rotten side of social media folks are more likely to be trying to “get themselves over” as if they’re the main character of life rather than group together for a common cause. Like any region Greater Pittsburgh has its faults, but one of the areas in which it still excels is maintaining that true sense of community. I don’t think I’ve felt it as great in years as I did this past Saturday at “Bruno Forever.” In talking with other attendees and/or reading their post-event feelings, I wasn’t alone.

The event, under the Pros of Wrestling banner, was designed by promoter Dan Polinsky to celebrate the memory of “The Living Legend” Bruno Sammartino, recall the rich legacy of professional wrestling in Pittsburgh and to put on a great show for a worthy cause. The combination immediately drew eyes and interest. For one thing, wrestling events done in the name of a deceased legend, sadly, usually have zero true connection to the star. This one did. Sammartino’s son, Darryl, not only endorsed it but attended and took part in a question and answer session hosted by the legendary Bill Apter. The event was also a fundraiser for one of Sammartino’s favorite causes, The Greater Pittsburgh Community Food Bank.

A highlight for many was a relatively rare appearance by all-time great and Bruno opponent Stan “The Lariat” Hansen. While I’ve come across him several times in my own travels, I could not think of a single time where Pittsburgh area fans would have had a chance to meet “The Lariat.” It was an amazing opportunity for the local wrestling fandom and, as always, Hansen did not disappoint. His legendary status as arguably the most successful American wrestling star in Japan and one of the roughest and toughest to ever lace up the boots hasn’t taken the humanity out of the man. He’s truly a joy to visit with.

I also have to mention the vendors at the show as I was honored to be one of them. I don’t bring “the table” out too often, but when I do I always have a good time. Other vendors included wrestling journalist and author Greg Oliver and Bob Michelucci. If you’re a true long time reader of this blog the latter name may ring a bell. Michelucci was the co-author of Bruno’s original autobiography and was the force behind the now coveted Wrestling Legends trading card set released in 1991 which contains autograph cards of greats such as Buddy Rogers and Lou Thesz. In the early days of the blog I was honored to work with Michelucci’s partner in those ventures, Tim Ferrante, to bring a behind the scenes look at the creations of both the cards and the book. It was great being vendor neighbors with both Mr. Michelucci and Mr. Oliver.

A full night of wrestling followed all of these other festivities complete with the crowning of the first ever Bruno Sammartino Heritage Champion. It was a night with something for everyone and, maybe most importantly, for all ages. When you put out a product that is not only suitable for everyone but can also capture the attention of anyone who’s watching it, you definitely have a recipe for success. The immense crowd at the show seemed to agree. I don’t think I saw a single person leave before the last bell.

I’m not sure how many in attendance realized, but the event was held just minutes from Bruno’s long time residence. You could feel his aura. I often say that he was the only true role model ever in the professional wrestling business. While there have been other real life good guys, Bruno was just different. He was a good person who found success in a business that, more often than it should, harbors some less-than-good people. He provided for his family, made a steady home and, while having faults like all the rest of us, WAS indeed someone that kids could look up to. Many of the children in the crowd at the show were probably learning of him for the first time. For if any of his values were in some way passed along to them, well, I can’t think of any better tribute.

Everything seems to indicate that “Bruno Forever” may be just the start of something wonderful as opposed to a once-in-a-lifetime deal. There’s already talk of another, possibly at this time next year. I, for one, would be thrilled to be a small part of it yet again. It was a great cause. It was professional wrestling. It was, indeed, community. I saw all three combine to form one thing. I take that back. I saw all three combine to several hundred things.

Nonstop smiles.

Mattel Declares For The Royal Rumble

Do they really do that? My joke in that title, that is. My modern viewing has been limited to putting the Rumble and parts of Mania on my iPad while I watch entertaining stuff on the real tv, but all I ever see in headlines is that such-and-such “declared” for the Royal Rumble. Do they come out and say “Well, I declare!”? It just seems so absurd to me.

So, anyway, Mattel has decided to attempt to make some thirty-plus-year-old dreams come true in their latest venture into the retro wrestling figure universe. A Hasbro-sized Royal Rumble ring? Brother Love? Sherri and Liz? All here. Shortly after I took it I texted several folks the “glamour shot” of the entire set that you see above. As a kid I truly had dreams of finding a lot of those items in stores. The Brother Love card back, in particular, is exactly how I’d always envisioned it using the same image. If we look at that picture and not much further, it truly is a dream come true. It’s also a company banking on nostalgia. I have no problem with that if it’s done right. Was it? Well, some of it.

Both sets are available at Mattel Creations. Brother Love and the ring clock in at $40 while the four-pack of Hulk Hogan as Rip, Zeus, Miss Elizabeth and Sensational Queen Sherri is priced at $60. There’s also a bundle option that saves you. Priced at $100 the bundle saves you from having to click twice to add both items to your cart. Yeah, that’s all that it saves you. Not even $5. I’ll tell you a pretty likely way to save more, if you don’t feel the need to jump the gun as I did, at the end of the entry. Are the bootlicker reviewers who are all the rage giving you tips like that? Of course they aren’t. That’s why their “influencing” is coveted by the companies and my true reviews are ignored in this day and age. Ah well, I had my moment. All of fifteen minutes.

Let’s take a look Brucie and the ring first. These are the items that mostly came out as closely as I imagined them had they existed in the Hasbro line. The ring is another reuse of the standard Mattel retro ring, but you know what you’re getting into here. Like last year’s WrestleMania ring release you can choose which sticker is in the middle of the mat the WWF logo (without the F, of course) or the Royal Rumble logo. Of course you’re choosing the latter. Unlike with the Mania ring, I don’t really understand the inclusion of the basic logo sticker. Because of the color the ring stands out and will like great with a “Rumble” going on, but there was a major change here from previous retro ring releases. The ropes are the “gummy” rubbery style that I last remember being included with the Mattel War Games set. They can, and will, snap. They’re absolutely terrible. If you’re going to display this thing for any amount of time I would recommend going to eBay and finding one of the various sellers who produce “replica” ring ropes for a retro ring. Not only do they look and feel better, but they won’t snap.

Brother Love himself, like the ring, is pretty much how we all imagined. The microphone (we’ve all seen plenty of jokes about its shape since its original release) and The Book of Love are reused from the Mattel Legends figure. Brucie boy doesn’t stand too well with the book in hand which is why he’s picture here without it. I was able to get him to stand elsewhere with it, so your mileage may vary. I’d read some early complaints about the face being too red. He looks fine to me but I will say with the way that I tint my photography it may appear darker here than it actually is.

Going into the four pack you have to start with the champ. This time we get Hulk Hogan as Rip from “No Holds Barred.” It’s pretty much a repaint of the earlier red and yellow Hulkster retro, but I think that it looks great. Would No Holds Barred figures have been at the top of my list? Not necessarily, but in my view they’re the best figures to be released from the movie as this is how I would’ve envisioned them. We finally have a retro stylized belt to go onto the belt holders that have been on every ring. I never liked using the modern belts with the retros as Mattel seemed to earlier suggest. I’m hoping to see this one reused and remolded in different colors and for other classic belts to be given the same treatment.

Zeus is by far the worst item in this “bundle,” largely because of his height. Because of the mold used he looks tiny (Lister?) compared to Hogan. He’s supposed to be imposing. A completely different mold should have been used for him. It’s honestly a waste of a slot with this decision being made. All-in-all, if they wanted to keep to the ’89 theme and aren’t able to use Savage, I’d have been fine with a Hulk Rules era Hogan and a new Beefcake to join Liz and Sherri. It even baffles me, but despite being a No Holds Barred collector (owning many rare promotional materials and even a screen used prop), it’s never been one of my favorite movies. I like the memorabilia due to the connection with the golden era.

The Sensational Queen is next and this is the second retro of Sherri in this gimmick that’s been released in the past several months. One of the boutique retro wrestling figure producers released their own version which is in more of a statuesque design. Honestly, there’s room for both in my view. There’s never been any talk of intentions by Hasbro to release anything but wrestlers in their original line. We haven’t even ever seen design concepts. That being said, we have no idea what Hasbro females, managers and announcers would have looked like. Therefore, any produced today to reflect what they could’ve looked like can’t be wrong. This version, complete with what would’ve been a “Real Wrestling Action,” is definitely the “wrestler” version of Queen Sherri.

Devoid of any previous retro releases from any company I would have to say that Miss Elizabeth was the most anticipated from this set. The likeness is great and I wouldn’t mind seeing it on a new full sized figure. The hair is spot on and I think that the facial likeness is close to how Hasbro would’ve captured her. For non-wrestler Liz the stance is odd, but who’s to say that Hasbro wouldn’t have done the same? The stance hurts the skirt and, honestly, it looks like she’s taking a squat. Still, I think we all have to agree that this is probably what Hasbro would’ve given us.

For me, buying this “bundle” was worth pulling the trigger on. There are items that I wanted and, while I was fairly certain that nothing would immediately sell out, I didn’t want to wait. My feelings on the previous retro set were different. The only figure that I wanted out of that one was Alundra Blayze. I waited and ended up getting that entire set off of Amazon for $40. I’ve also waited on the nWo and DX retro sets and ended up getting them on Black Friday sales. The advice I promised earlier? I highly doubt you’ll miss out if you wait for these. Mattel, as of yet, seems to have no intention of limiting their exclusives as they used to. They know where the money is at for them and it certainly isn’t in making a limited product for scalpers to scoop up.

Now where else do you get advice like that? From a kowtowing “influencer?” I think not. I thank all ten of you who read this, you loyal readers, you.

20 Years Of Legends, Charlotte, Moments & Memories

Twenty years is a long time. Occasionally, as in the case of what I’m looking back on today, it feels like it was the blink of eye. It was Thanksgiving weekend 2004 and I was headed to North Carolina -- for the first time, to a wrestling convention – for the first time. Talk about not having a clue as to what to expect! All I knew was that I was about to be in the presence of Dusty Rhodes, Harley Race, Ricky Steamboat and many, many more.

I wasn’t any stranger to meeting the legends of wrestling. Thanks to local autograph signings and independent wrestling events I’d met a nice roster of greats. But so many in one place? Would they even show up? Show up, they did. This was the original NWA Fanfest, at the time known as The Mid-Atlantic Legends Fanfest. Promoted in the Charlotte University Hilton (now truly famous for wrestling conventions) by Greg Price, this was actually the third event of its kind that year. This one, being over Thanksgiving weekend, was a tribute to Starrcade.

While many of you experienced at least one NWA Fanfest and/or it’s current spiritual successor The Gathering (also promoted in the Charlotte University Hilton), this early show was different. It was a few years before more northern fans caught on to the excitement. Sure, there were plenty of one day events held in the northeast, but an entire weekend? Unheard of. Once the northern fans began taking their dollars south, greedy (there’s no other way to put it) promoters followed. They quickly learned that bringing in just anyone as a “vendor guest” didn’t necessarily guarantee a weekend of riches in The Queen City. By and large, despite fans attending from all over, the southern flavor of the event is what kept it alive. I don’t think that I was prepared for just how robust that flavor was!

At this November 2004 event, the majority of the fans attending were diehard original fans of Jim Crockett Promotions. They lived it and breathed it when it was rocking the wrestling world and they still kept the memories alive all those years later. Many of these fans had been meeting and mingling with these wrestlers dating back to their active days. I couldn’t believe when, during Q&As, these wrestling greats knew many of these fans by name. It was a different atmosphere that absolutely never permeated to northern events.

It’s hard to fathom a convention today with the likes of Jack Brisco, Gary Hart and Ole Anderson, but they were all there. Ole was one of the ones who was absolutely astonished that my friend and I would come from Pittsburgh for this show. It was a different mindset. It was a different generation altogether. Nickel and diming the fans had yet to make its way to these nostalgia-driven events. Was wrestling always about money? Sure. What isn’t? But there was a different feeling then. I can’t think of many, if any, wrestlers that weekend who seemed “fake.” Sure, they were all getting a payday and a reunion with former colleagues, but it’s completely different than if you’ve only attended conventions or “meet and greets” in recent times.

There was also a level of resentment against the company that, for three years by that point, had ultimately won the wrestling war. While one fan was actually moved to tears when I gave him a WWF Mankind folder he’d admired that I was using to keep photos in, love for anything not tried and true southern wrestling was few and far between. These fans absolutely did not care that LJN WWF and Remco AWA figures were sitting at rock bottom prices at vendor tables. They wanted to visit with Paul Jones, Ivan Koloff and The Rock n’ Roll Express. Looking back now, I can’t say that I blame them.

One thing that does make it quite clear that two decades have passed is the hard truth of loss. Not only have many of the names on that 2004 show passed away but so have a bevy of fans who made the event what it was. They truly had a passion for it. Did some of them even get autographs? I’m not sure that they did. I think some just walked through the line to make one more connection to their beloved hero or dastardly villain. It’s unlike anything that you ever saw up north and even at today’s southern shows. I’m not disparaging the northern way at all. “Sign my items, take the photo, pay the money” has always been the name of the game up here. It works and you’re on your way. It just doesn’t have the same heart. Twenty years ago I got to witness the latter and I cherish the memory. 

 

The Iron Claw Grips The Figure World

The Von Erich family has risen! While they’ve never been a footnote, I’d say that the mainstream popularity of the name is as high in 2024 as it’s been since their fabled glory days. A very good chunk of that is thanks to A24’s movie “The Iron Claw.” I saw it, you have probably seen it and, aside from an absolutely atrocious portrayal of Ric Flair, it was quite the flick. Yes, some things were changed. Mike and Chris sort of became one person. But that’s Hollywood. It told their story and got the point across.

This summer I was fortunate enough to meet Kevin Von Erich again. He is such a humble and positive person that, despite all of the tragedy surrounding his family, he is absolutely uplifting to listen to. He seems impossible to rattle. He has strong beliefs and that is what has undoubtedly gotten him through some very dark times. Now, in a way, Kevin has returned to our figure shelves, as well.

The only true Kevin Von Erich figure, released in the original Mattel WWE Legends line nearly fifteen years ago, is a treasure. It’s a fairly perfect figure and that, unfortunately for those of you who missed out, keeps the popularity high. I had first met KVE just before the release of that figure. Since he was doing regular appearances at the time I thought to buy a second one to keep carded to be autographed. Due to his move and other factors that didn’t end up happening until 2024, but I’m glad that it did. Now we have another figure of KVE, this time in the form of Zac Efron.

Yes, Zac Efron. Of course, Mr. Efron is the actor who plays Kevin in “The Iron Claw.” The figure can be purchased directly from A24 at their website and caused a bit of a stir when it was first announced. First off, it seemed to come out of nowhere. Secondly, the figure looked a heckuva lot like the Mattel Kevin Von Erich in the initial pictures. Believe it or not, it does in-hand, too! But is that where the similarities end?

The figure comes carded with a traditional glued on bubble. It’s a nice design that looks like something you could’ve purchased in the past. Maybe not in the ‘80s when the film is (mostly) set, but it definitely harkens back. The other Von Erich actors are shown and named on the back but I doubt we’ll be seeing figures. I guess there’s a chance, and I would certainly buy them all, but a little research into the A24 movie phenomenon indicates that the company is fairly well known for quirky merchandise tie-ins around the time of a film’s release. I think that this figure and a few other items that were produced are all that we’ll see for “The Iron Claw.”

Zac Kevin comes dressed in an entrance jacket. The two-toned garment is made from a nice fabric and could be placed on Mattel Kevin. It’s a bit tough to get over the “claw” hand. If the hands are removable I won’t know because I wasn’t giving it a shot. So how’s the figure itself? It isn’t brittle, but it isn’t as sturdy as the Mattel release, either. It’s not going to fall apart in your hand but I don’t know that I’d put it up to super rough play. Ultimately many figures today are made more for display than anything. It will look great either there or in some figure photography, as you can see here.

It does resemble the mechanics of a Mattel Elite and certainly mirrors their version of Kevin, but it’s not exactly the same. A Toronto-based company named Happy Worker Toys & Collectibles is credited on the packaging. A quick look at their website indicates that they’ve produced other short-run and specialized action figures. They did a nice job here. Again, if Kerry, David, Fritz and Mike were to come along at some point I’d certainly pick them all up. Are you listening?

I don’t like to speculate on value too much, but if I had to give you a “hot stock pick” this one would certainly be on my list. We have no idea how big the run is and/or how long A24 will be offering it. I’ve actually considered picking up an additional one myself. Whether or not I drag my feet on that is one thing, but you grabbing one is another matter. If you enjoyed the movie or are even just a Von Erich fan I would highly encourage it. It’s not an inexpensive figure by any means, but it’s also fairly unique. Mattel and Jazwares aren’t giving us Von Erich nor Iron Claw figures. Am I being an influencer here? God forbid.

I’m pleased as punch about the Von Erich resurgence. It’s well-deserved and has been a long time coming. Grab this new fig, support any future figs (PowerTown, we need some more brothers to keep the Kerry releases company) and if you have the shot go out and meet Kevin. Helluva guy and a helluva wrestling legend.

The Powers Return!

Another entry so soon? Well, the last one was very unexpected. As for this one, once I had these figures in hand I knew I’d have to sing their praises. Like a lot of my work, you should know going in that, more often than not, I’m actually going to like what I’m reviewing. In my decade and a half of doing the blog, Topps was the only company kind enough to send me product to review. I’ve never forgotten that. As for everything else, it’s out of my own empty pocket. So generally you’re not going to see a review here of anything that I truly despise, unless it’s part of something else, i.e. one figure in a set.

The “boutique” figure makers that have popped up over the years, mostly producing retro figures in the spirt of the Hasbro WWF line, have largely run hot and cold. This one is too detailed. That one isn’t detailed enough. This person doesn’t belong in this style. Why do we need another version of this wrestler in this style? You can take any of those complaints and add about fifty more. And don’t even get me started on the egos of some of these “businessmen.” Early on I came to a conclusion not unlike one that I follow for most of my collecting: if I don’t like it, I don’t buy it. Some majorly pathetic folks can afford to just buy everything. That’s not collecting. It’s stocking up to feel as if it gives them some sort of clout. If someone going out and spending money impresses you, you should probably stop reading this blog and see a shrink. Those are the types that I sit back and wait for the fire sale on. Their hefty and undeserved paychecks won’t last forever and the “collections” will start hitting eBay. But maybe I’m just a sadist with bad karma.

Anyway, we’re here to talk about two of the NICEST guys in the wrestling business, The Warlord and The Barbarian. I don’t think I’ve heard a bad thing about either, aside from idiots who might critique their in-ring work. Those are the clowns who don’t understand that wrestling isn’t all flips and mat sequences. It’s getting over, being memorable and making money. While both of these guys are still making appearances, I highly doubt it’s because they need to. It’s because, if you’ve ever met them, you can tell that they both genuinely want to be there.

Ok, enough anger, I promise. Let’s get to these figures. This set is put out by the group now known as Epic Toys. I’m still not sure of the details of what happened with the late Chella Toys but something went down and the company seemed to split. At least there are several companies currently that I think rose from the Chella ashes. I could be wrong about that, but I’m not here to talk about failures. Epic Toys has done a spectacular job thus far since taking over at least a portion of the former Chella line. I had passed on the initial pre-order for The Powers of Pain and regretted it once they hit collectors hands. Thankfully a second batch was made and that’s what we’re looking at here today.

The two-pack comes in a very familiar looking package with the card back greatly resembling the Hasbro two-packs of yore. The biggest difference is that this is “collector friendly” the figures can be removed without damaging a thing. Mattel has begun doing this with their retro line, however they also started adding a sticker tab so that the figure isn’t technically “mint” if you open it. That doesn’t exist here.

I’m very mixed on the concept across the board. While it’s nice and convenient, for whatever reason I’m not as keen on getting them signed in this style. I can’t say that I never will. I recently had the Mattel Retro Wendi Richter signed (it was from a set before the sticker arrived), but for some reason I’m just not as big on it. I prefer the traditional card back and glued bubble combo when it comes to getting them signed. Just a personal preference.

Whatever your feelings are on that, you WILL want to open these. These are absolutely 100% the closest “retro” figures we’ve gotten thus far to actual Hasbro releases. No, there isn’t any “Real Wrestling Action,” but the style and sculpts are absolutely right there. These could’ve been popped into Series 1 and a non-collector would be none the wiser. The PoP were still very much a team in this look when that series was designed so it isn’t out of the question that they COULD have been done then. Both figures also have the look of two original Hasbro poses. The Barbarian most closely resembles Hulk Hogan #1 or Sid Justice while The Warlord looks almost exactly like a redesign of Hogan #3. I absolutely love these designs/sculpts.

Some may have an issue with the soft goods entrance gear, but why? The Berzerker was released with soft goods. They’re a perfect balance of detailed and not-too-detailed. Although I’ve always felt that it was probably a wrestler’s tall tale, but for years the story has went that Mary Tyler Moore wanted to buy The Barbarian’s “fur” at WrestleMania VI. She probably made a joke that got taken too far, but it’s cute and the figure here brings it to mind.

The Barbarian is so under utilized in the figure world. I’m very much hoping that Epic takes on his “antlers” look as a single release. As for getting your hands on these, I wouldn’t even want to look at eBay prices and unless Epic does another release that will be the only way to go. They could do single carded releases if the demand is there. I just don’t want the company to get overwhelmed. They have, in my opinion, a retro coming that, in design, could even outdo these two (will you all please rise?), as well as the long awaited retro debut of Bobby “The Brain” Heenan. What really killed these boutique releases for a lot of us were the constant announcements and no product. Slow and steady wins the race. However you look at it, the retro ring is getting crowded.

So I came back for a few weeks. I have two ideas in the pipeline so I guess we could make a few more entries to round out the year. One is regarding a set that is scheduled to ship this year (although, you never know…) and another that, well, it might be one of the oddest ones I’ve done. Is it really memorabilia? Is it merchandise? It certainly features merchandise, in a sense. Regardless, I feel like talking about it and you can make your own decisions on whether it belongs here or not.

Maybe we’ll visit with The Von Erich boys yet again, too. This blog always was a “World Class” kinda affair.

The Man…Who Ruled…The World.

I normally don’t include much if any memorabilia in tribute pieces. Today I’m making an exception. The promo photo that you see above was signed just a little over three weeks ago. This memorial tribute is for the man in the photo. I’m not saying that it was the last autograph that he signed. It wasn’t. It’s simply a sobering reminder that we just never know. As we so often hear anymore, tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Sid Eudy made a heckuva mark in the wrestling business. He almost seemed to do it “his way.” You never knew how long he’d hang around or where he’d pop up next. He was a rogue in an era where people had largely forgotten how to be one. I’m thinking that he was probably a pro wrestling star who wanted to make his money and go home. I don’t blame him at all. That’s how I am at my day job. As Jim Ross often says, he was looking to feed his family. Is there anything more important?

What was vital is that he had some amazing tools to become a success in the wrestling business in order to make that money. A million dollar look. A realistic promo. Enough skills to work as a dangerous and legitimately scary “big man” wrestler. You weren’t getting “five star” classics with Sid. You didn’t need them. Every kid that I knew who knew wrestling loved Sid. It didn’t matter if he was Vicious, Justice or Sycho. When Sid was part of the show or the card you knew that you were going to get your money’s worth by seeing what looked like someone getting massacred.

Sid headlined my first ever live show teaming with Ric Flair against The Hulkster and Hot Rod. Can you even imagine that? How was that place not sold out? It wasn’t. After all it was 1992 when the business wasn’t really on fire any longer. But in hindsight that place would’ve sold out weeks in advance. I was never enamored with the Hulk Hogan – Sid Justice main event at WrestleMania that year because, like many, I wanted Hogan vs Flair. I would still rebook it with that on top, Savage and Jake in the blow off that an intense feud like that deserved and probably Sid against The Undertaker. Would “the streak” have made it to two? Not being a fan of “The Deadman” I really don’t care and it would’ve been great to see Sid get a win at his first WrestleMania.

Like many of you I followed the big man wherever he went. Again, you knew you were in for a treat when he was around. I think it was the in-and-out nature of his career that held him back from having that truly one big moment. Yes, he headlined more than one WrestleMania and held the big gold everywhere, but that one key career highlight just seems to be missing. Does it really matter? Nah. I saw even casual fans mourning this loss. Even today he is truly over with fans. He made an impact.

I had the pleasure of meeting the man a few times including, as mentioned above, just a few weeks ago. The photo below isn’t from that show, but rather seventeen years ago. It was a packed church/rec hall somewhere in deepest, smelliest New Jersey and we were all sweating. Can you tell? I was just thrilled to meet the “Master and Ruler of the World.” He’s another one that I’ll miss seeing at shows. Meet them while you can, folks.

Sid Eudy

1960-2024

Some Legendary Returns…

What could possibly drag me out of the “indefinite hiatus” that the blog has been on? Maybe The Greatest Wrestler on God’s Green Earth? Ok, no maybe. Definitely. In the nearly six blogless months of 2024 we’ve seen a lot of great figures but something about a proper NWA Harley Race figure gave me a feeling that I haven’t felt since I was a kid. When the figure was announced I felt as I did when I’d walk into a store and see brand new Hasbros or, in an instance that we all can remember, when the “Undertake ‘Em All” figure ad hit WWF Magazine. It’s a figure that many of us have been waiting decades for and here it is along with three similarly themed friends.

In case you’ve been under a rock (and who could blame you in this world?), the new Harley Race is part of a Mattel Creations four pack called “Legends of the Territory Era.” The set also includes Superstar Billy Graham, Gorilla Monsoon and, once again, Muhammad Ali. The set shipped almost as soon as it went on sale and is still available as of press time. Kudos must be given whenever an exclusive figure (or any figure for that matter) is easily accessible to collectors. There’s no need for manufactured collectibles with a limited availability. None at all.

As most Mattel Creations WWE releases have been, the packaging is impressive. The figures reside in a double sided display inside two boxes with impressive artwork. I really appreciate the faux vintage posters used for the design on the inner box. They show that care was instilled during the creation of this. That being said, some of the verbiage used by the company later nearly nullified all of that, but we’ll discuss that in a bit. Although I’m sure you could somehow store the figures back in the trays, it’s the plastic ties that keep them standing so they may move around a bit while stored. If you’re tossing the plastic trays be sure to remove Graham’s sunglasses first. They tend to blend in to the background.

The Ali – Monsoon side is a tribute to their often-replayed confrontation that was part of the build to Ali’s Boxer vs Wrestler match against Antonio Inoki. Monsoon’s airplane spin on Ali has been replayed ad nauseum over the years so you’ve no doubt seen it. We’ve only ever had one wrestling gear version of Monsoon before and this one greatly improves on it. While it’s obvious whose parts are being recycled here, it really works. It truly looks like Monsoon standing there. It’s absolutely his shape, size and stature. No one asked for another Ali but here we are anyway. It does compliment the Monsoon well. The soft goods upper body clothes look a tad off at times but it was crucial that they were made this way for the recreation of the scene. Apparently we should be grateful for this figure. Again, we’ll discuss that in a bit. I absolutely love the watch accessory which I had overlooked in the preview pics. It fits on like the recent removable wrist bands do so you have to remove the hand for the watch to come off.

The Race – Graham duo is a tribute to the never-ending ‘70s struggle of the NWA versus the WWWF. It’s cool to think of how that was possible back then, even if the business-minded promoters could never agree to give us a definitive winner. Not even for a short while. No one could look better than the other. That being said, both sides look great here. While I already gushed over Harley, a lot of the talk has been the belts and rightfully so. This is the first time that the “domed globe” NWA Championship has been in the Mattel line (and one of few figure-sized versions anywhere) and we’ve never seen the ‘70s WWWF Championship released at all. As much as I love the former, it’s the latter that really sticks out to me here. It’s scary close to the real deal and, yes, it does have the WWWF lettering. To think that we have both of these titles in the line in 2024 is mind blowing. Coupled with the fact that we’re getting the UWF Championship later this summer makes you want to ask, “what’s going on here?” Remember when “rights” absolutely could not be worked out for these belts? I can’t speak for them all, but I highly suspect that it was finally realized that no one really WOULD hold the rights to this WWWF title. These were “trophy belts.” Some trophy maker, probably in a back alley shop in Brooklyn, cobbled this belt together with spare parts. It would be a long shot if anyone tried to sue over that “design.” I could be entirely wrong regarding rights and I’m sure that someone “official” will tell me that I am, but I’m going by the facts of how these original belts were produced.

The original Mattel Billy Graham release was perfect and this one only improves on that perfection. The new “Scott Steiner” biceps are used further hitting home Graham’s impressive physique. The shirt is the new style without the velcro so you simply remove the head and hands to slide it on and off. It fits like a glove just as it would in real life. The extra elbow articulation really helps with his poses. While you don’t get the ‘80s Billy Graham head as you did in the first release, you could pop it on here if you really wanted to. This version is to celebrate the ‘70s and its flamboyant champion who paved the way for Hogan, Ventura and even Steiner among many others.

Finally, we have Harley Race. Remember that while the Jakks Classic Superstars release was nice, he had no facial hair. The head was a simple repaint of their King Harley Race head. Facial hair could’ve easily been painted on but inexplicitly wasn’t. Here we’ve got completely molded mutton chops and an amazing head of curly hair. The figure is relatively similar to the Mattel King Harley but that works. With the wonders of modern figures you can even pop the Greatest Hits blonde Harley head onto this body for a really early version of Race, as he did have blonde hair early on. The color here is royal blue and it’s topped off with his robe that Jakks had also included. This time we get “Race” on the back which is a great detail. The belt fits nicely. I might say that the main plate is just a tad too big, but I’m not complaining. Belts are hard to get both looking great in appearance and looking appropriate when on the figure.

A lot of the “official word” on this set rubbed me the wrong way. When first announced this was said to be first in a “line,” as in we’d receive different sets down the pike. This was corrected to be a “one off.” I don’t know who to blame here. Did someone at Mattel claim this to be a line? It was the worthless goons, I mean, “influencers” who seemingly first used the word. Could they ALL have gotten it wrong? In the grand scheme of things it means nothing, but perhaps we’re kowtowing a bit too much to these folks, eh, Mattel? I know they’ve certainly never influenced me on anything. I don’t watch their videos or even follow them, I’m alerted by others when they have some interesting news since, again, that’s how Mattel and most of these toy companies feel the need to release “scoops,” as it were.

In addition to it not being a line, I was directed to where the voice of Mattel stated that it was a one off because there weren’t enough characters nor enough interest to support more. Wrong and wrong again. Off the top of my head I compiled a list of at least twenty names currently known to be “available” to Mattel who could fit into this line. What better does Mattel like than using what they already have? Especially since I’ve been told that the statement of “This set would not have seen the light of day without Ali” was made by the same official voice. That’s funny considering that this is the figure that most DIDN’T want and also the one that a lot collectors stated would be up for sale. I understand getting the most of a license but it’s already been proven that the crossover for Ali just didn’t translate with the Mattel releases. Am I happy to have him? Absolutely. Am I glad that he’s the reason, in Mattel’s mind, that we got these amazing Race, Graham and Monsoon figures? Most assuredly. But that shouldn’t have BEEN the reason. If PowerTown can give us names with much less marquee value in 2024 than these three then so can Mattel. Why would they not want to produce more versions of Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, Bruno Sammartino and Terry Funk? Why do “The Legends of the Territory Era” have to be limited to the ‘70s? The time period lasted well into the ‘80s. Sounds like a team with limited knowledge of history to me and shortsightedness as far as consumer demand. Really, though, we have to keep in mind that toy companies aren’t in it for our collections nor our wants. They are in it to make money and, remember, it’s their job. They want to slap something together, present it to the bean counters and go home. For every loving detail like the ‘70s poster packaging we also get told that what we want doesn’t matter nor does the era that we know better than they do. Just remember that.

On the bright side, the Harley figure did make me remember something very positive. Twenty years ago this November I’d met Race for the very first time. With the help of this new figure I was able to recreate the first 8x10 that I’d ever had signed by him. It was a positive as this set, overall, is. When it was first announced I pretty much decided that I would do a one-off review for it, but then all of the issues in the last paragraph made me reconsider. After receiving the figures in-hand I knew that they had to be featured. If I may be your “influencer” for a second, go get yourself a set. Prove Mattel wrong and show that legends of all eras are what many of us want. If you’re reading this you probably feel the same. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I do have some ideas flowing. One may elaborate on a memory you just read about. I don’t want to limit my returns to amazing figure reviews, but if you want them I’ll try to oblige.

As always in the past fifteen years, thanks for reading and I’m sure that the best is yet to come…