The 2016 Additions to The Great Squared Circle in the Sky

As the year comes to a close, it's tradition here on the blog to look back at those wrestling stars that we have lost over the past twelve months. All businesses lose individuals each year, but wrestling always seem to have more than its fair share, many at a far younger age than should be acceptable. 2016 did see a number of names pass who made it their 60s, 70s, and 80s. Others met tragic ends just a few years after their names faded from the mainstream marquee.

Among those from the wrestling business who passed away in 2016 were Joanie "Chyna" Laurer, Archie "The Stomper" Gouldie, Bill Cardille, Lord James Blears, Blackjack Mulligan, Balls Mahoney, Frenchy Martin, Axl Rotten, Harley Saito, Charlie Fulton, Don Bass, Mr. Fuji, Gypsy Joe, Lord Littlebrook, Espectrito, Jean Antone, Hayabusa, Mocho Cota, Mark Young, Edmund Francis, El Mongol, and Iron Mike Sharpe.

Charlie Fulton was a journeyman's journeyman. Name a territory and a place on the card and Fulton likely worked it. Although he did not make it to the pay-per-view era of wrestling that cemented so many names into immortality, he did pass on his wealth of knowledge to a number of other wrestlers including Raven. When I met Fulton in 2013, he seemed very happy to be remembered by both fans and his peers alike. Fulton is the type of wrestler that was content no matter what his role was in the business, something that is seen less and less today where everyone feels that they need to be the center of attention.

Balls Mahoney made his name as one of the most hardcore characters to come from Extreme Championship Wrestling, but the ECW original was more than that. He knew how to technically wrestle if called upon to do so and could play the lovable cartoonish character as he did during his last WWE run. It's no secret that his lifestyle caused his premature demise, but the "Hardcore Chair-Swingin' Freak," as well as his partner Axl Rotten, who also passed away this year, will be remembered for giving their all to entertain the fans, no matter the sacrifice.

Perhaps the biggest 2016 wrestling loss to me personally was Bill Cardille. "Chilly Billy," as he was known to generations of Pittsburghers, was the voice of the Steel City's "Studio Wrestling" program in the 1960's and into the '70s. His battle with cancer was well-publicized here in Pittsburgh and the outpouring of love and respect for the broadcasting legend hopefully made his final days just a bit more comfortable. As affable in person as he was on-screen, Bill Cardille is one passing that did not get as much attention in the wrestling press as others, but he certainly made an equal impact on the business.

As we remember those who passed, we look ahead to 2017 and what good we can do in the memories of those who are now gone...

"To live in the hearts of those left behind is not to die."

The 2016 J\/\/ Awards

More anticipated than the Oscars, the Emmys, and even the Country Music Awards, it's The 2016 J\/\/ Awards featuring "The Joshie!" Each year we celebrate the best in wrestling memorabilia and memories in five different categories. The design of "The Joshie" itself changes every year, as well, utilizing a classic wrestling figure from the past with a "J\/\/" twist. I think that last year's change was lost on a few readers (yes, that was my face under the Doink "paint"), but there's no doubt about the 2016 version, that's Joshie McMahon. Stand back! Without further ado, let's hand out those awards...

 2016 Best Figure

Mattel's WWE Hall of Fame Dusty Rhodes wins "The Joshie" for 2016 Best Figure. In a year that saw some absolutely amazing figures, firsts, and a lot of items that we never thought possible, Dusty takes the crown. Fitting, seeing as that the figure, packaged exclusively with a WCW ring for Target, includes Mattel's version of "Big Gold." The company could have easily cheaped out in many ways on Big Dust, but they didn't. Instead, a pretty cool re-styled ring came packed with an all-new Dusty. That, my friends, is The American Dream!

2016 Best Buy (Non-Figure)

Topps WWE Heritage 2016 Trading Cards win "The Joshie" for 2016 Best Buy. The Heritage cards returned in 2015 for the first time since 2012, but the comeback fell a bit short of my expectations. For a myriad of reasons, I just didn't get exactly what I was hoping for. The 2016 edition changed that. In addition to the great design, we received some very cool subsets and stars who had never before been included in a Heritage set. The classic cardboard of wrestling was back in full force in 2016. This award celebrates that.

2016 Best Product Line

Mattel wins "The Joshie" for 2016 Best Product Line. Once again Mattel takes home this award, and for good reason. In the 2016 wrestling world there really isn't any company that matches the volume that Mattel produces. Is it all great? No, but the good outweighs the bad with some tremendous entries. The speed in which new characters are getting figures has greatly improved, much to the chagrin of wallets everywhere. Will 2017 see another award winning year for Mattel? It's a great possibility.

2016 Future Holy Grail

The Crusher Bobblehead wins "The Joshie" for 2016 Future Holy Grail. In February the Milwaukee Admirals hockey team gave this item away as a game promotion. It's the first figure representation of The Crusher. It's a cross-collectible for both wrestling and bobblehead doll collectors alike. It's also likely one of the last pieces of merchandise that we'll see featuring the beer-chugging, polka-dancing, Milwaukee native. It hasn't completely disappeared from the secondary market, either, so get one off of that famous Internet auction site while the prices are still decent. The fact that the doll is standing on a beer barrel makes it all the cooler.

2016 Thanks For The Memories Award

2016 Thanks For The Memories Nominee: Chyna. This award was not conceived as a memorial, but it has become one since 2014. A lot of people dismissed Chyna for some of her behavior after her WWF career, but she was so much more than that (no pun intended). At times it's easy to forget just how big of a star she was during her tenure. Even in her non-speaking "bodyguard" days, she just stood out. I prefer to remember that, as well as how nice she was to her fans any time that I was around her. In an era that I don't always look back so fondly upon, she is still a shining star.

Well, you may not get the Slammys this year, but there are "The Joshies." It's still not too late to pick up a great wrestling gift for the favorite fan in your life. And as for that doll that's hanging around shelves everywhere doing silly things? Not here...

The Wrestling Classic Figure Review--Mattel WWE Michelle McCool

I never thought that I'd see the day that Michelle McCool would have an entry on this blog dedicated to her, much less a segment of "The Wrestling Classic Figure Review." I don't have anything against her, she just didn't really stick out to me. As far as merchandising, her Jakks figure was very boring. It was actually at the tail end of her wrestling career that I began to enjoy her work, and that's part of the reason why I do like Mattel's 2010 representation of her. It also filled a noticeable void in my own collection.

The Diva who was "lovin' life" was produced by Mattel way back in Basic Series 7. The cards were still that dreadful red, and one aspect of the early Mattel WWE line, which we'll get to in a bit, was still in play. When the figure was first released, I was not completely sold on the line. I was still stuck on Jakks and resisted change. The fact that some of Mattel's early WWE work wasn't the best, not to mention that the WWE product of the time was extremely hit-or-miss, meant that I passed on a lot of the early figures. In fact, at that point I was generally only buying the stars who had never seen a figure before. My first Mattel WWE purchase? Carlito and Primo, since the latter had not previously been produced.

As I grew to love Mattel, like many collectors I had to go back and find figures that I had previously passed by. For many of these figures that saw only one or two releases, prices generally went up. Still, a sharp collector will wait until the price is right. As with the rest, that finally happened with Michelle McCool. She was the last Diva that I did not have a Mattel-produced version of in my collection. Finding a carded example that was priced not much higher than retail made it all the sweeter. And of course, for the sake of reviewing (well, that and the fact that she isn't a figure that I necessarily needed to keep carded), she was released from her plastic prison.

Just as with her Laycool partner Layla, Mattel did a good job on Michelle. The facial likeness is perfect, and the detail on the outfit matches her look at the time. In addition to her change in character, her almost feathered-hair look during her heel run further sold me on Michelle. Apparently the look also worked on a certain legendary WWE star who decided to make Michelle into "Mrs. Deadman." Regardless, the figure looks great with Layla, holding the WWE Women's Championship, or terrorizing poor Mickie James.

As alluded to above, this is also when Mattel still included a plastic figure stand and cardboard name placard with each figure. Allegedly cut for cost reasons, it was a nice addition but didn't end up being a deal breaker for anyone that I know of. Some might consider a loose example to be incomplete if these accessories are missing, but I wouldn't. Judging by the secondary market prices for many of these figures that are missing the stand, I'm not alone.

If you're like me and are now collecting "backwards" trying to get these early Mattel figures, this entry comes with a great lesson: don't overpay. Patience will yield these figures for your collection. Judging by the popularity of an early-2016 blog entry that I did highlighting five of these early, "forgotten" Mattel figures, there's plenty of interest. Keep in mind, especially if you're a loose collector, that many of these figures are well over five years old now. That means that some who bought these early on are no longer interested and/or have "outgrown" (ha!) action figures. Do you know what that means for you? The hunt begins!

The Dragon Scorches The Cover

Many consider him to be one of the greatest of all-time. Others say they've seen none better. Without a doubt, you were highly entertained if you've ever viewed a Ricky Steamboat match. "The Dragon" could do it all, with just about any opponent, and never gave less than 100%. The man had a tremendous look, as well. Exotic and dangerous, he was the wrestler that guys wanted to be and that girls wanted to be with, yet he remained a wholesome hero of the squared circle.

During his career, Steamboat's image graced the cover of many publications. The grappler who would later call North Caroline his home actually first began setting the world on fire in the late '70s as part of Jim Crockett Promotions and Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling. With longer hair than he would later be known for, Steamboat was played up as a Hawaiian high-flyer who did things that many other stars of the time did not. Though he had many top-level feuds at the time, his bouts with "Nature Boy" Ric Flair would be a prelude to their storied NWA World Championship rivalry a decade later. Many have said that these Mid-Atlantic matches, mostly confined to the memories of fans in the arena live, were even better than those later seen on a national level.

The treasured Mid-Atlantic Championship Magazines saw a few Steamboat covers, but none are cooler than the "beach" cover of Issue No. 3 Vol. 8. These magazines are quite collectible and always fetch a high price when they appear for sale these days. Many of the early covers feature beautiful artistic renderings of the promotions stars. Steamboat in his "native" lands of Hawaii is definitely unique and almost too peaceful for a wrestling magazine.

As Pro Wrestling Illustrated was instituted in 1979, it's no surprise that the publication grew as did the career of "The Dragon." Ricky made several PWI covers over the years, including one in May 1981 that featured him as Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Heavyweight Champion. The title belt, a favorite of many classic wrestling fans, saw one of its greatest national showcases on this cover. Steamboat also throws the old adage that "babyfaces don't grow facial hair" out the window as the cover shows him sporting quite the mustache.

By the middle of the decade, Ricky Steamboat had transformed into a
master of the martial arts somewhat reminiscent of Bruce Lee. "The Dragon" was born in the WWF and would be a moniker that followed Steamboat through the rest of his career. Steamboat saw his sole WWF Magazine cover appearance on the October/November 1985 issue. A striking and dramatic cover, the issue seems to show up much less than other issues of the time and, thus, commands a higher price when it does appear for sale.

Many fans consider the WrestleMania III encounter between Steamboat and Randy "Macho Man" Savage as their all-time favorite match. The bout ended with "The Dragon" as the Intercontinental Champion. Though his title reign was notoriously short, Steamboat made the ideal holder of that particular title. After all, it's often said that the matches for that championship "stole the show," just as Steamboat did more often than not. A 1987 WWF program cover appearance shows Steamboat during his brief reign, holding the Intercontinental Title high in the air. Iconic and historic.

Although he just misses my own "Five All-Time Favorite Wrestlers" list, he's definitely in the next five. When a Steamboat match is on, you watch. You can't help but watch. Meeting him many times over the years, Steamboat's greatness in the ring is only matched by his real-life attitude towards his many fans. If anyone ever came away from a meeting with "The Dragon" with any less than a smile on their face, I'd be truly shocked. The phrase "Never meet you heroes" does not apply here.

A true champion of life, cover-to-cover.

Wrestling Gifts Of Christmas Past

Emmylou Harris said it best, "Christmas Time's A Comin'!" For better or worse, this time of year makes many people very nostalgic. It is a month-long reminder of times past. Those of you reading this blog might have memories of that favorite wrestling item that you received as a gift. Maybe you even bought it for yourself. There's certainly no shame in that. Maybe you're an adult now (or an overgrown child) and want to find those vintage wrestling gifts for your own children. Either way, the start of the Christmas season felt like a good time to look back on some of my own favorite wrestling gift memories.

*Although the game is based on the 1991 WWF roster, I remember receiving this for Christmas in 1992. Santa Claus definitely didn't bring this, as there was no way that my parents could hide the huge box. I may have even been on the trip to the late, great Hills Department Store when it was purchased. I'm sure that the Remco WWF Superstars Shoot-Out made many kids happy during an early '90s Christmas season. The figures, as small as they are, have great likenesses. It's a shame that Remco, known more in the wrestling world for their AWA line, didn't get the chance to produce more WWF items at the time.

*As fit-for-merchandising as the 1995 WWF era was, it was largely a dead time for toys and similar items. It was in between the Hasbro and Jakks action figure licenses. While JusToys was producing Bend-Ems, it just wasn't enough. Thankfully, the WWF merchandise catalog still offered some unique items. One of those was the inflatable WWF blimp. This was actually sort of purchased for me by my parents as a gag gift. We had just attended SummerSlam 1995 several months earlier, and the "Stridex Airship" kept floating up and down in front of us. Although this is based on the full-sized WWF Airship that went from city-to-city, my parents ordered this for me to keep the summer memories alive. It still inflates and holds a prominent position in my collection.

*The company didn't capitalize on holiday-themed items too often in the WWF days. But when WWE started merchandising just about everything in the "Ruthless Aggression" era, Christmas finally came! One of my favorite items is a WWE snow globe complete with John Cena, The Undertaker, and Batista. There's even a steel chair! This is a large and heavy Hallmark-quality item that you really don't see too often. A friend of mine gave this to me as a gift when it was new. It still reminds me of our wrestling-born friendship each time that I look at it, and the time that we ended up snowbound while Christmas shopping!

*According to my parents, this was an item that was "one and done" during the 1992 Christmas shopping season. It's the infamous Hasbro Royal Rumble mini-ring. Although I still received gifts from Santa, they openly admitted to only seeing this toy once and grabbing it. Smart shoppers, they always were. The ring was the only way to get the exclusive mini figures included and the only real point to owning the three mini figure four-packs that were sold separately. It's a key item in many Hasbro WWF collections to this day.

*What kid didn't want some of the Wrestling Buddies from Tonka? The advertising, voiced by the late actor Arnold Stang, was all over television at that point. Bonk Em! Bop Em! I remember my parents purchased "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase for a family friend and his parents gave me The Ultimate Warrior. It was the only one that I owned until adulthood (ha!), but I sure did slam and piledrive it endlessly. I still marvel that one toy store in my area, Family Toy Warehouse, sold the Legion of Doom two-pack at the same price as the single Wrestling Buddies. Maybe that was their downfall.

I'm sure that many of you have your own Christmas-wrestling memories. Maybe you received tickets to an event, wrestling-related books, or action figures. The possibilities were, and still are, endless. And if you're in the mood to spread some Christmas cheer, don't forget your local Toys-For-Tots. I'm sure that there are many underprivileged children who would love to have a nice Mattel WWE figure under their tree. Many local wrestling promotions, such as KSWA here in Pittsburgh, even have their own toy drives accompanied with a show.

Happy Holidays!

Mattel WWE Year-In-Review: Survivor Series Style!

2016 may have been Mattel's best year for the WWE line yet. Looking back at just this blog over the past eleven months, even I can't believe how much space has been devoted to the figures. A plethora of names new and old, unique and common, have been produced by the company this year. WWE and NXT stars, Hall of Famers and Legends, and even some off-the-wall and offbeat characters have "made the list" for Mattel, and it's hard to imagine just which one will be "Figure of the Year." For a fun change on this, my favorite holiday, we'll take a look at some of those finalists. But it isn't a normal rundown. Instead, we're grouping the thirty top figures into six Survivor Series teams. Who will be the sole survivor?

REGAL'S ROOKIES 

VS 

THE NXT DEMONS

Ok, so Regal's rookies aren't really rookies, but it sounded good. A late addition in 2016, the Lord Steven Regal figure is an awesome new WCW entry to the ever-growing Mattel roster. Regal leads his team of 2016 figures that includes Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, and The Vaudevillains. Opposing this fivesome is The NXT Demons led by "The Demon King" himself, Finn Balor. The NXT alumni that join him are Apollo Crews, Braun Strowman, Baron Corbin, and Kalisto. 

BAYLEY'S BEAUTIES 

VS 

THE GIMMICK GANG

A Neidhart on each team! Bayley's Beauties have it all. Looks, in-ring skills, and alliteration. The Hugger is joined by Becky Lynch, "The Narcissist" Lex Luger, Nattie Neidhart, and Tyler Breeze. "Prince Pretty" seems more interested in getting a group selfie than in winning this thing. The Gimmick Gang is captained by The Bunny and includes Tugboat, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and The Bushwhackers. 

THE BOSSES 

VS 

TEAM EXTREME

In the main event we see a team that's comprised of people nicknamed "The Boss," a Bossman, someone who was a boss to many, and a Stinger. We've got team captain Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A., Big Boss Man, Sting, and Sasha Banks. They're opposed by Team Extreme, and although Lita is aboard this isn't that Team Xtreme. These are alumni of ECW. Lita is joined by team captain Terry Funk, Bam Bam Bigelow, and The Dudley Boyz. 

See what I mean? Mattel certainly had an impressive lineup this year, and this is only thirty of those figures. My deepest apologies to "SummerSlam 1989" Hacksaw Jim Duggan as well as Enzo and Cass. There just wasn't room. The "sole survivor" will actually be the "Best Figure" winner in the 2016 J\/\/ Awards at the end of the year. A few of the late entries here may even be featured in a blog entry before that as well. Stay tuned!

And although you've already finished the big meal by the time that this hits the Net, it is with my best thoughts that I wish you and yours a...

Wrestling MarketWatch: Survivor Series Programs

It's the Thanksgiving night tradition! Or is that the Thanksgiving Eve tradition? Now, per Michael Cole, I believe it's the Thanksgiving week tradition. No matter what, Survivor Series is a November wrestling staple that, while perhaps taking a backseat to the other "Big Four" pay-per-views in recent years, is steeped in WWF/WWE history. From the famous elimination matches to the very controversial (and now very tired) "Montreal Screwjob," some of the most memorable moments in the business took place at the Series. After a year or two of rumors that the event may disappear completely, Survivor Series is back. A rematch twelve years in the making as well as re-energized elimination tag matches are on tap for this year, but how about years past? Many of those shows can be recounted just by looking through the programs. In this edition of Wrestling MarketWatch, we take a look at the recent auction prices for some of those programs.

*Each Survivor Series seemed to bring something different to the table. 1990 included the "Grand Finale Match of Survival," the debut of The Undertaker, and The Gobbledy Gooker. The latter, remembered fondly or infamously depending on your point of view, was to be the WWF's answer to costumed mascots of sports teams. It may have been a flop at the time, but for some reason the critics that have, for lack of a better term, crapped on it for years just can't seem to stop talking about it. How about that? Regardless, the program from the event, which also featured the final WWF appearance of Demolition Ax, recently sold for $15.30.

*1992 was the first year where the card was dominated by regular singles and tag team matches. Only one traditional Survivor Series elimination match made the event that year, and it wasn't that exciting. The company was also in a state of flux around the same time, thus causing several changes to the card. The Ultimate Warrior (pictured on the cover) "ultimately" did not make the show. A match pitting The British Bulldog against The Mountie for the Intercontinental Championship is also promoted inside, but both of these men also left the company prior. A basic match pitting Bret Hart against Shawn Michaels ended up featuring both the WWF Champion and Intercontinental Champion as each man ended up holding those respective belts in the weeks leading up. The program recently sold for $20.

*The 1994 program was an event-only item. It is much larger than the other magazine-sized programs profiled here. In many was it resembles the large WWE programs of today. Included inside was a poster which is often lost these days. Always a hot item when it shows up, it seems that everyone wants to add the program that features Queasy, Cheesy, and Sleazy to their collection. The chilling picture of The Undertaker that takes up most of the cover probably doesn't hurt the popularity of the program, either. An example, complete with poster, recently sold for $100.

*Going back a year to 1993, we take a look at the last magazine-sized Survivor Series program. The only WWF pay-per-view to be held in the old Boston Garden, fans of the mid-90's WWF remember the event fondly. It was the beginning of the end for Bobby "The Brain" Heenan's original WWF run, featured a great mix of talent from a transitional period, and even included a Smoky Mountain Wrestling tag team title defense. All these years later and it still looks odd to see The Rock N Roll Express in a WWF publication. This unique time capsule recently sold for $25.

*We actually have two programs for 1989. Many of the early WWF pay-per-view event programs have two versions: one sold on newsstands and one sold at the actual event. Newsstand editions have a bar code and possibly a red banner in the corner proclaiming it to be an "Official Souvenir Edition." Prices are usually very close if not identical for either version. For the year that Dusty Rhodes, Randy Savage, Hulk Hogan, Rick Rude, and The Ultimate Warrior captained winning teams, we feature both. Recently the newsstand version sold for $19 while the live event version attained a $26 selling price.

Who are the ultimate winners? Anyone who owns any of these treasures. It's fun to look through them, as we occasionally have right here on the blog, and see what was originally planned and what ended up happening. Sometimes the shows ended up going on exactly as advertised, while other years saw major changes. It's the nature of the beast with printed material. All these years later, we're thankful for it!

Cracking Open The "Topps Vault" With The Leader Of The Four Horsemen

If you're an autograph collector, you know that it's always fun to find something different and unique to be signed. Sometimes the normal items just don't quite cut it. Other times there is a limit for just how many items there are out there in existence for a certain name to sign. After all, not every star has had the full power of a marketing machine behind them. For some legendary names in wrestling, only recently have they started to see their share of merchandising. It's almost always true that if they didn't have a run in the '80s-'90s WWF, stars of that era and before might not have much at all bearing their likeness and name.

Most late-'80s members of the Four Horsemen kind of fall in between. Leaving Ric Flair completely out of the discussion due to his being one of the biggest names that wrestling ever produced, the rest of the Horsemen have varied. Arn Anderson and Barry Windham both had WWF and WCW stints producing action figures, trading cards, and much more. Tully Blanchard and JJ Dillon, aside from the few items put out by Jim Crockett Promotions, largely missed out until WWE Legends deals brought them back into the merchandising picture. While we may never see that JJ Dillon action figure, he is now appearing on Topps WWE trading cards.

Thus far Dillon has only appeared with an image from his WWE Hall of Fame induction. One card appeared in the WWE 2016 set while the other is in the WWE Undisputed set. The latter is a high-end set where, while there is a base card set, the true draw is the various autographs and relics included in each box.

Recently, as they have done with their sets from other sports, Topps has begun selling WWE proof cards from their "Topps Vault" on eBay. These cards are 1 of 1 and were originally used to test the printing of each card. The card backs are blank and holograms are added to increase value to the collector. Each card is  marked with a "Topps Vault" imprint, set into an UltraPro magnetic locking holder, and affixed with a "Topps Vault" seal. While many of these cards sell for high prices, others can be had for $10 and under.

Not long ago, while searching for a unique JJ Dillon item to have autographed at an appearance, I came across the WWE Undisputed proof card of the legendary manager. For around $10 total, I couldn't pass it up. After I received it, I was impressed with the detail that Topps goes into when selling off these cards. It comes shipped in a nice box, complete with resealable bag and Topps Vault Certificate of Authenticity with matching serial number. It's a nice little deal and one that's really unbeatable when matched with a price like that.

As I was looking over the purchase, I wondered if I really wanted to get this signed after all. Did I want to break the seal? Maybe I would leave the seal intact and get it signed over the case. The latter idea didn't sound like me at all, so I took to the Internet to see what collectors of other sports cards do in this case. Quickly, I found that many collectors have no qualms about "breaking the seal" on these to get signed. With that to consider, I decided to go for it. I lifted the seal without completely removing it and brought out the card.

If you haven't met JJ Dillon, you should go out of your way to do so. He's a very nice gentleman and also the author of my all-time favorite wrestling autobiography. He's actually a very common name on the wrestling appearance scene, although as we've learned time and time again, that doesn't last forever. If JJ is appearing at your local wrestling event or a convention and you've always wanted to meet him, don't put it off. And grab a copy of that book if he has them available!

The card came out great and is now back in its plastic home, forever more. Will we see more WWE branded JJ Dillon items? The perfect opportunity for a JJ Dillon figure would have been with last year's Target exclusive Four Horsemen set. While JJ himself has said that for whatever reason Vince McMahon doesn't want a figure of JJ Dillon produced, never say never. Here we are with WWE JJ Dillon trading cards. That isn't far off.

Long Live The Leader of the Four Horsemen!

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--2001 WrestleAmerica Guide To Professional Wrestling

What in the world happened where 2001 is suddenly fifteen years ago? It's true. It feels like yesterday. Some of you reading this may barely remember 2001 if you're young enough. It was a notable year in many respects. For me personally, the year had been ingrained in my head since 1987 when I was in pre-school. That is where I first remember hearing that my group would be the "high school graduating class of 2001." Who knew that the year would end up housing one of the most infamous days in world history? No, I'm not referring to the day that Shane McMahon showed up on Nitro, although that is the direction in which we're heading. We're about to dive into the WrestleAmerica 2001 Annual that features "Your Guide To Professional Wrestling."

If you had any interest at all in wrestling in 2001, you needed this magazine. Sure, the Internet had plenty of info, but here were 125 American wrestling promotions bundled in one place with a generous profile included for each. Sure, most were small independent promotions that shared similar rosters and "name" wrestlers doing one-shots, but this was wrestling fifteen years ago. In many respects, it's the same today. The cover may say "Unraveling WWF/WCW/ECW," but in reality they were all one at this point. And who does that cover feature? Shane and Stephanie McMahon, the stars of Smackdown and Raw. In 2001. And 2016.

It's a lot of fun to look through the pages just to see who "made it" and who didn't. In 2001 if you were talking independent wrestling and proverbial "Internet darlings," you had to be talking Reckless Youth. Nicknamed "The King of the Indies," Reckless Youth had quite the following and seemed destined to be a name that went down in wrestling history. Despite much press and a stint in WWE Developmental, Youth is now long out of professional wrestling. He is featured in several promotion profiles in the magazine along with names like Samoa Joe, Alexis Laree, Low-Ki, Michael Shane, Colt Cabana, and Phoenix who all would go on to some degrees of fame.

There are also legends like Jerry Lawler, Brian Blair, Honky Tonk Man, Jimmy Snuka, and Jacques Rougeau who were still plying their trade on the indy scene. In the case of those cousins from Tennessee, they're still at in 2016! Lastly, there are those who look like they stumbled out of the nearest bar to play "champion" in their nearest indy on weekends. I won't name any names, as they all deserve respect for at least getting into the ring at some level. And how about this Prince Justice guy shown as the champion of NWA Wildside? Guys like him often disappeared into a veritable abyss, never to be seen again.

The magazine also features "The Indy 30: The Top Prospects In Wrestling." Shall I list them? Air Paris, Scoot Andrews, Chad Collyer, Nova, Qenaan Creed, Christopher Daniels, The Island Boys (later Umaga and Rosey), Billy Fives, Russ and Charlie Haas, Tony Kozina, Randy Orton, Michael Modest, Donovan Morgan, Onyx, Brock Lesnar, Nick Dinsmore, Hotstuff Hernandez, Horseshu (later Luther Reigns), Adam Pearce, The Prototype, Jason Rumble, Mike and Todd Shane, Damien Steele, Trent Acid, Shelton Benjamin, Rico Constantino, Minoru Fujita, Dalip Singh (later The Great Khali), Lance Cade, and Jayson Reign. I guess teams count as one. What an interesting list full of highs, lows, fame, and tragedy looking back on it all these years later.

We end with a Book of Lists. "Wrestling's 10 Most Powerful People" is really the only one interesting enough to explore. We have Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, Antonio Inoki, Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, Motoko Baba, Jim Ross, Triple H, Steve Austin, and Paul Heyman. In 2016, the McMahon's are still in power, though Linda has taken a step back. Inoki, long out of New Japan Pro Wrestling, barely makes a ripple. Motoko, widow of Giant Baba, doesn't seem to be involved in much anymore, at least to the extent of puroresu that comes to my attention. Ross, Austin, and Heyman all have their own ventures but their voices are still heard loudly either in or regarding the business. As for Triple H? Some would say that he is more powerful than Vince, others would disagree. If you look at the changes in WWE over the past several years you could make a pretty good argument that in 2016, HHH tops this list.

There's too much fun stuff in this issue to show it all here. It isn't a rare magazine by any means and can be found for under $20. It's definitely a time capsule of a time when the business, and the world, was changing. Will we do this again in 2031? There may not be a magazine to show us exactly where the business was, but I fully believe that there will still be a wrestling business to showcase. I'll see you there.

BAM BAM!

Wrapping up "Mattel Month" here on the blog, it's only fitting that, being so close to Halloween, we finish up with a true monster of the ring. This man, with his flaming costume and head, was more than just a monster. Bam Bam Bigelow was a beast. "The Beast From The East," that is. It's hard to believe that we lost the giant nearly a decade ago, but his amazing agility is still remembered to this day. Did the Bammer live up to his full potential? Many say that he did not. Perhaps had things played out differently, Bam Bam could be remembered as one of the biggest stars that the business ever saw. Regardless, he is still missed for the accomplishments that he did achieve. Now, he's back on the minds of collectors with one more action figure.

Bigelow joins Tyler Breeze, Rusev, and The Rock as part of the Wal Mart exclusive Elite Then, Now, Forever collection. As mentioned in the review of Breeze several weeks ago, you can easily guess which two of the lineup are sitting and which two are selling. Need a hint? Both have now been reviewed on this very blog.

The packaging is in the same shape of the standard 2016 Elite packaging but with a few style changes. The motif is white, likely to match the "Then, Now, Forever" opening on all WWE programming. It's a clean, fresh look and it makes it easy to spot these as soon as you head down the toy aisle of your favorite Wal Mart (oxymoron?). Just like Breeze, Bam Bam does not "float" in the packaging, and by now you should all know how important that is to me. No one wants to spend their hard-earned money to feel like that they're buying packaging. Along with Bam Bam is a cool black breakaway table, a nice nod to his ECW stint.

This is Bam Bam's second time in the Mattel WWE figure line. His debut was in the original WWE Legends line years ago. That figure was based on the 1995 WWF attire that Bam Bam wore as a babyface. It was cartoonish, even for a man covered in flames, and was likely produced because, at the time, Mattel seemed to be producing legends in attires that had never before been done as figures. This time we get a look that Bam Bam wore up until shortly after the 1993 Royal Rumble. The blue had yet to join the attire's flame motif. The back of the packaging compares Bam Bam to Kevin Owens. Big guys who can move. Makes sense.

This is the same Bam Bam facial likeness as used before. If it ain't broke, don't fix it. There really hasn't ever been a bad Bam Bam Bigelow likeness on an action figure. Even the LJN and Hasbro figures captured his look well. I think that this is the closest yet to replicating the famous head tattoos. While we're on the subject, the arm tattoos are well done also. All that's really missing as far as the design is chest hair. It's not really a deal breaker with everything else going on, the size of the figure, and the inclusion of a useful and popular accessory.

The body parts are all re-used but well chosen. Since most of Bam Bam's body is covered in his attire, it works. Bam Bam was never really a "fat guy," per se, so it definitely looks like Bam Bam standing there. I like the use of yellow, especially since his legs seem to be molded in the color. It stands out much better than a paint job. Wrist tape was also included, something that Bigelow wore off and on during his career. Personally, I've always felt wrestlers looked better with it for some unknown reason, so I'm glad that it's here. Maybe it's just more believable that a wrestler, no matter how big and bad, would want to wear as much protection as possible?

I like this figure. I don't think that there has ever been a bad Bam Bam Bigelow, but this definitely ranks as one of the best. I passed on the first Mattel offering of Bam Bam, and I'm glad that I picked this one up. Down the line, I could see a re-issue of the original since they already have the tooling for the entrance gear. After the straight reissues of Kamala and Big Boss Man among other legends, anything is possible. In the mean time, grab yourself a Bam Bam and don't fool around. Remember, if you play with fire, you'll get burned...