Collector Rage In The Cage!

Ah, playsets! The centerpieces of action figure collecting. Back in the day, an action figure line just wasn’t serious without them. Most wrestling figure lines have had them in the form of rings, but they seemed to die off more and more for other genres as the ‘90s progressed. Now, with pretty much anything action figure related seeing a resurgence, playsets are back. Not only have they returned, but for most lines they’re more expensive than ever! Want the archway where Jabba the Hutt sat his slimy self? That’ll be nearly $300, please! Thankfully, wrestling is for kids (and if you think any different, you’re crazy) and some of the playsets are staying just for them. Our favorite (heh…) red bullseyed retailer is back with an exclusive one that’s sure to excite you and the kids alike. It’s the WWE Legends Classic Cage playset! Let’s open the box and have a look.

Again, just like all of the rings that you find in brick and mortar stores these days, this is for kids. This isn’t meant for replicating an exact ring or the look of one. That being said, I have yet to see a scale ring over the past two decades that looked “right” to me. They always appear to be just a tad too big. Yes, television distorts the actual ring size, but there needs to be a balance between actual size and perception that’s then transferred to the toy itself. I had high hopes for The New Generation ring to finally solve this issue, but that thing is just a tad too big as well, among other issues. Here, for forty bucks, you get the classic blue ring and the classic blue bar cage, complete with opening door.

This isn’t the first time that Mattel has released this set. The same retailer had it as an exclusive several years ago when they had the WWE Hall of Fame Elite figure line and the set was released under that banner. I didn’t purchase it so I can’t tell you if the cage utilizes the same tooling although I would imagine that it’s the same. I can tell you that the ring will be different. This ring, or at least the posts, are the more updated style with somewhat more realistic looking molded turnbuckles and pegs to, theoretically, pose your figures as they’re coming off of the posts. The original blue ring that was released under the Hall of Fame labeling was also a K-Mart exclusive as the Tribute To The Troops ring around a decade ago.

Seeing as that it is, in fact, a kids toy, it’s fairly easy to assemble. The ropes are all permanently attached to one of the posts and easily slip onto the others. I always recommended unattaching them for storage as they can and will stretch and/or break. It happens. The cage is attached with eight clips (two on each post) that are removable when you want to utilize just the ring. I had an issue with the very last bottom clip connecting. It was barely noticeable and the cage stayed on perfectly fine, I just didn’t feel like fixing it. I’m sure that had I used a bit more time I could’ve straightened it, but again, I didn’t feel the waste of time was necessary. Also, I rarely apply the stickers on these things but I did throw them on the turnbuckles this time. I, personally, despise the center mat stickers, though a kid would probably want it on there. I always save it, still attached to the sticker sheet.

It's a nice cage. It looks to be the right height. Jakks did a similar playset many years ago and the blue bar cage was just way too high. They did a “real scale” version, too, but not only did my above gripe about those types of rings fully apply, but the thing was an absolute pain in the neck to assemble. Seeing as that Jazwares grew out of that company,  it isn’t surprising that their AEW scale rings prove that the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree. Back to the set at hand, my only true gripe is that there’s a fairly wide gap between the ring apron and the cage when it’s applied. This isn’t going to bother a kid, but I don’t remember this with other Mattel “basic” rings and cages. No figure is fitting through it or anything like that, but I like when the cage looks as if it’s resting on the ring apron.

Hopefully the attached photos give you an example of just what kind of magic you can do with a $40 kids playset. If you’re into figure photography it’s a heckuva bargain. Even if you just want to display, it works for that, too, especially compared to a real scale ring. I like the “slamming” sound that Mattel’s spring mechanism gives. Oh? You’re afraid of chipping the paint on your figures? Get off my blog. Kidding. Kinda. Anyway, if you’re going for 100% realism chances are that this won’t satisfy you. If you’re looking for a ring and cage playset in the vein of classic toys that you can have a little fun with, this is for you. Works great with the WWE Superstars line, too, as you'll see here on the blog next week! And come on, this is the blue bar cage! Get out your Hulk, get out your Bundy, get out your Ricky Schroeder and let’s have some Mania 2!