The Mouths That Roared…And Chewed Turnbuckles

I may complain a lot, but I do try to be fair about it and admit when that complaining is unfounded. Initially, I complained about The Coliseum Collection. I don’t recall how public my complaining was, but I definitely groused a bit. “Here we go again.” “More expensive remakes of figures that we already have.” “The SAME Jake The Snake that we just got in the Legends line?” Well, I was wrong. Between the figures themselves, the packaging and the overall presentation I’ve really taken to the line. That’s why I was actually sad that the latest entry, Rowdy Roddy Piper vs George “The Animal” Steele, was met with a delay. In a few ways, which we’ll get to, these were actually the most anticipated Coliseum Collection entries to date for me, personally. No, we’re not seeing never before made names here. That’s not what The Coliseum Collection is about. We’re seeing top quality modern representations of the characters that made up the beloved LJN Wrestling Superstars line. It’s a true testament to that line that both of “the biggies” (Mattel WWE and Jazwares AEW) are paying homage in their own way at the same time. Let’s see the latest that Mattel brings to the table…and to the turnbuckle!

For as many Piper figures as have been produced I still feel that the longer haired look has been better represented than the short hair style. As far as Mattel goes, the short haired look was long due an upgrade. We were given a taste several years ago with the absolutely great “boxing” Piper figure and, thankfully, the head sculpt from that set is included here, as well. Steele is returning to the Mattel lineup for the first time in years altogether. Both of his previous releases were the same base figure. It was a nice figure but the torso was just a tad too thin for the bulky brawler. I always said that for your shirtless George Steele needs you’d go with the Jakks Classic Superstars version. Since the first Mattel release had a shirt, he was your “go to” for pre-match Animal. Now we’re hopefully getting definitive versions of both.

The packaging on these is grand. There’s no other way to put it. The sturdy and immense outer box featuring spectacular art of these legends opens up to house individual carded versions of the figures in packaging directly paying homage to LJN Wrestling Superstars. It’s a fun touch that the figures are even posed inside of the boxes the way that the old LJN figures were sculpted. The accessories are housed in the boxes below each figure which is were the old LJN posters would’ve been packaged. The Coliseum Collection is certainly growing, as evidenced by the back of the cards! Though he was shown on the back of the debut Coliseum Collection set, the SDCC exclusive Ultimate Edition Sgt. Slaughter is no longer shown on the back. It’s up to you to decide if he’s part of The Coliseum Collection or not, just as it is with the Hasbro LJN-styled figure on which this Slaughter is based. We know that The Hitman and The Anvil will be joining this card back next year. It should be noted that, unlike that SDCC Slaughter, the packaging since has not been 100% “collector friendly.” While you can certainly return these figures to look exactly the way that they came, several of those useless plastic restraints hold them into their individual bubbles.

You get plenty of accessories with these figures including a total of three heads for each and multiple hands. Piper has his shirt, microphone, belt and kilt while Steele includes his own shirt, turnbuckle and Mine. You don’t have to ask who Mine is, do you? Mine has long been a beloved (and pretty) face here on this blog and if you follow the blog on social media you just saw the real deal in an “ad” for this entry. Mattel was the first to bring Mine to the figure world (Jakks showed a bendy-styled prototype at a preview event, does ANYONE have that picture saved???) and it’s good to see him making his return here. The turnbuckle is from the Mattel New Generation Arena set but this one is cut at the top and includes removable “stuffing” for George to gnaw on. You’ll note the lack of red trim on Piper’s shirt and that is due to it being missing in the Piper LJN release. Prototypes of that figure showed the infamous Piper “panther face” shirt which will ultimately never be released. That shirt was white with no trim and LJN likely just replaced the panther with the “Hot Rod” logo thus bringing us what we got in the ‘80s and now on this tribute figure. Other figures in the Mattel line have had the on-screen Hot Rod shirt with trim included if you don’t already have it.

I like the array of heads and hands included. Since the two really aren’t far off in skin tone ultimately any hand here can be used on either figure. The hands that come attached to Steele in the package have only been released once before to my knowledge, with the NXT Cameron Grimes figure. For him they were used to grasp money. Here they’re perfect for George to clutch the turnbuckle. I love the new more pensive George Steele head sculpt, though I think we could’ve had our first no-tongue-showing head in the history of figures of “The Animal” had it been done a little different. Piper’s heads are great, too, especially the aforementioned one originally used in the boxing two-pack with Mr. T. This is exactly the face that you remember any time that Hot Rod was going off on a rant in Piper’s Pit.

I think we have the perfect George Steele here. It’s absolutely everything you’d want in “The Animal” and the body type is exactly right this time around. Does it make the original Steele releases useless? Not in my book. That one can represent ‘60s-‘70s Steele when he was making Bruno’s life a nightmare. As far as ‘80s “boom era” Steele ready to chew turnbuckles on Saturday Night’s Main Event and/or attempt to rescue Elizabeth from “The Not-so-Macho Man,” this is your Animal. Piper is great, too, and fits right in with the inaugural WrestleMania figures that we’ve seen over the past few years such as Hulk Hogan and Mr. T. As with most Piper figures I think it’s a tad too muscular, but with most wrestling figures your eyes will just overlook it. Picture Roddy running his mouth as only he could and a few extra bulges really don’t make much of a difference.

The Coliseum Collection has really become a highpoint of modern wrestling figure collecting for me. It isn’t so much the “Ultimate” body type. It’s the packaging presentation to the accessories to the availability. You know that with the latter I am a huge champion. Everyone should have a fair shot at getting everything introduced in a figure line. Even if it’s a short twenty-four hour window, in 2023 that’s enough time for anyone to pause and place an order on their phone. All three of the Coliseum Collection sets released thus far are available to purchase and that’s a great thing. If someone is just getting started with the line they should absolutely be able to go back from the beginning. With The Hart Foundation joining the ranks in 2024 it’s definitely a growing line. I would not even poo poo the idea of Mattel branching out to “What If’s” by including names who weren’t necessarily in the original Wrestling Superstars line but maybe could’ve been.

I also want a new Hillbilly Jim. Was there anyone more iconic in the original LJNs? Don’t go messin’ with my figure wants!

The Wrestling Classic Figure Review—Mattel WWE Ultimate Edition Sgt. Slaughter

Ah, the figure that unofficially kicked off “The Coliseum Collection.” Actually, it’s shown on the back of the Hogan/Funk set, so maybe it is considered the first? I think we can best categorize it as “partially” part of that set, just like the figure that inspired it is partially part of the LJN Wrestling Superstars line of yesteryear. Why is it being reviewed now, over two years after the fact? A few reasons, but seeing as that it isn’t brand spankin’ new it definitely works as the latest Wrestling Classic Figure Review.

When it was first released I’d initially planned on having it autographed. It’s a great looking figure with unique packaging and I decided that I didn’t really need to open it as it wasn’t all that much different from various other Slaughter figures. Then a few things changed. It’s actually thirty-five years to the month that I first met The Sarge. Always one of the kindest and most gracious wrestlers to meet, it was a little shocking when I began to hear reports that he was charging upwards of $100 to sign this particular figure. In fact, his prices have skyrocketed for just about anything you could want from him at an appearance.

As I said, the man himself has always been one of the best to meet. I’ve never had a bad experience with Sgt. Slaughter nor have I ever heard anyone else report one. Until now. Price gouging is an issue all around the appearance scene, but whether it’s Slaughter himself or the used car salesman who handles his appearances (and, I suspect, his social media accounts), the real-life G.I. Joe is effectively pricing himself out of the market. After three and a half decades of various meetings I certainly don’t have a shortage of Slaughter autographs, but it’s always nice to add more if there’s a particular item out there. Until things change or he’s in a situation where the pricing is different (part of a prepaid lineup, for example), I’ll be looking at his items just as I would those of a wrestler who is no longer with us: unsignable.

If you’re familiar with the aforementioned Coliseum Collection then you’re already familiar with the packaging here, it’s simply one figure instead of two. This was a San Diego Comic Con exclusive which sold out on Mattel Creations in seconds. Their SDCC release this year, Muhammad Ali, is still sitting available as of press time. The design, just like The Coliseum Collection, is based upon the look of the classic LJN Wrestling Superstars line. The figure itself is based upon the look of the Hasbro G.I. Joe mail away figure release that was designed to interact with the LJN figures. I remember marveling, even as a kid, that LJN figures were actually seen at the feet of the Slaughter figure in the Hasbro mail order brochure. That was the kind of thing that most kids wouldn’t have given a second thought to. Me? I guess I was just different!

The interesting part which coincides with my mini-rant above is something that I actually didn’t discover until I went to open the figure. Unlike The Coliseum Collection and just about every other release from any figure company that I’m familiar with, there’s really nothing stopping you from completely returning this figure to “mint” condition. There are no annoying clear bands or plastic fasteners that require cutting. You can take Slaughter, and the accessories, in and out as much as you want. I’m not saying that I’d get it autographed should I ever have the chance to not pay the All-American $100 Sgt. Slaughter Cobra Corps God Bless America fee, but it’s certainly doable.

Just as with The Coliseum Collection the accessories are stored in a box underneath the figure, resembling where the poster would’ve been in the LJN releases. An extra head, various gloved hands, riding crop, whistle and jacket are all included. A removable belt, sunglasses and hat are already positioned on the figure. I’m a really big fan of the various gloved hands included here. You can recreate a lot of Sarge’s famous poses (“Stop and give me $100, kid!”) and I’m sure that these could even work well on another wrestler if you thought about it enough. The jacket reminds me of the one that he wore on that day back in September of 1988 when I first met him. Ah, the glorious and ungreedy days of yore.

The figure itself is of the “Ultimate Edition” style which means more articulation than ever. My personal jury is sort of out on whether or not the extra shoulder joints really work for Slaughter himself, but they DO help it resemble the Hasbro LJN-esque figure on which it’s based. That figure is, pardon the overused expression, jacked. He looks as he did in the G.I. Joe cartoon, especially, and since that’s what we’re going for here…well…why not? The “pained” expression on the extra head (not the one on the fans walking away from his table with sticker shock) is amusing and I don’t think that it’s been released elsewhere. If you can pop this head on the Iraqi Slaughter figure released by Mattel around the same time, and I’m pretty sure that’s doable, it would look great in a WrestleMania VII recreation.

Overall, it’s a nice figure and while it isn’t officially part of The Coliseum Collection, I think that you really may need it to feel “complete” if that’s your thing. I recall that prices for both versions (a “chase” exists on a black inner card) skyrocketed after the ten seconds in which it was available and I’d venture to doubt that they’ve fallen very much. Still, Mattel never seems to release the SDCC exclusives in quite the same look again (aside from Ali even after the original release didn’t light the world on fire), so it may not ever fall. Just remember to sock away a hundo if you want that baby signed.

Yo Joe, money grubbing maggots!

Coliseum Collection Vol. 2!

Timing is everything! As if you don’t already know by now (thanks to following me), we’re mere weeks away from celebrating thirty-five years of WrestleMania IV! Today we’re looking at two wrestlers who battled in the first round of that legendary tournament due to their two newest figures being fresh from the Mattel factories. That being said, as much as I love any show there’s always a match or two that I don’t care for. We can all agree that while Ravishing Rick Rude versus Jake “The Snake” Roberts certainly evolved into one of the more memorable feuds of 1988, it isn’t one of the highpoints of WrestleMania IV. In fact, it wasn’t even originally intended to become a feud following the event! Just who was “The Snake” scheduled to feud with into the summer? Stay tuned for a “flashback” or even a “greatest hit” following the latest from the Coliseum Collection.

It feels like I just reviewed Hulk Hogan and Terry Funk from the first Coliseum Collection release. At the time, Roberts and Rude had been announced as the second installment in the series and I was less than enthused. The Jake felt like a near redo from a Mattel Legends release of not long ago and, while I understand the LJN-esque style choices, there were so many other Rude tights designs that I would rather have had. That being said, as time grew closer to order I became more and more excited for this one. Again, timing is everything and I think it hit me right where it needed to. Right in the WrestleMania IV “feels,” as the kids would say. The price point for what debuted as such a quality product really isn’t arguable, either. When you look at more detailed figure releases in this day and age, the price that these Coliseum Collection releases currently sit at isn’t bad at all. And I’m cheap!

We once again get the dynamic and rather impressive packaging here as we did with the first Coliseum Collection set. The figures are posed as close as can be to the LJN Wrestling Superstars releases with all of the non-LJN accessories packaged in a box below the figure. Longtime readers will know that I love this. Nothing aimlessly floating around. It should be noted that the SDCC Sgt. Slaughter figure, which was released before the Coliseum Collection and wasn’t named as such but was included on the first CC cardback, is no longer shown. Perhaps they’re only going to display the latest releases? If this series goes long enough it would certainly be impressive for them to do a cardback with a few dozen figures like the well-remembered later LJN cardbacks. And if they don’t, I’m sure someone will whip one together for an impressive Instagram pic, at the very least.

I admit when I’m wrong and Mattel did in fact prove just that. I really like the Jake figure. Granted, I feel like the Legends version of this figure is somewhat of a waste now, but this “Ultimate” version improves upon it immensely. The Jake body type is great. I wasn’t sure how well it would translate into “Ultimate Edition” style, but it definitely works. Damien will be the highlight for most as I don’t think we’ve ever received a better version of Jake’s famous companion. It’s bendable, like the original LJN version (remember when Jimmy Hart called it a green bean on the Coliseum Video Hart Foundation release?), but the detail is just amazing. It looks as if it could slither away. The highlights for me are definitely the heads. The cocked eyebrow and you-know-what-eating grin heads are out of this world. The tights are, of course, designed to match the LJN but regardless they’re generic enough to really fill any Jake needs up until ’91 or so.

You knew I’d love Rude. We all love Rude. And I don’t think Rude’s had a bad modern figure. It’s deserving seeing as his LJN and Hasbro figures, while beloved and collectible, were not ideal to play with by any stretch of the imagination. This Rude is right up there. While there are so many different versions that I still want to be produced (short-haired WCW era, “traffic sign” tights), this is another great addition to your Rude shelf. Who doesn’t have a Rude shelf? I’d prefer that the robe had been in a color such as blue that wasn’t already released, but another red won’t hurt. Again, the heads here are what make the figure. And oh yes. The kissy face. This figure is ready for a Rude Awakening. Thanks to the “Ultimate Edition” shoulder joints, Rude can dance as much as he wants…until Jake slaps on the DDT. This one also works well for pre-WWF Rude representation.

Any complaints are few. Rude's robe feels a bit thinner than the original release of the red robe, though I didn't have a chance to compare. The lettering on the back also seems a bit light. The heads weren't as easy as some have been to change out. While I had no problem removing them, at times they felt as if they were a bit high off the peg when putting a new one on. I still don't feel the need for each and every figure to have the "butterfly" shoulder articulation as it's called, but it is pretty handy here. Rude can "dance" as mentioned above and it absolutely lends itself to poses with Jake and Damien.

I must say, like most of you, I’m becoming a big fan of the Coliseum Collection. Any time that a company can make me want figures that I don’t have much desire for…well…you know they must be good. Another thing that I like is that they aren’t selling out immediately. Mattel Creations is making them available to all and to me that’s what collecting should be all about. Who’s up next? Fast predictions? Macho Man/Liz? Heenan/Albano? (Captain Lou is heavily rumored to be joining the Mattel lineup) Andre/Piper? I’d love to throw out something like Hercules/Billy Jack or Adonis/Hillbilly, but I try to stick to the parameters of what we’re aware is available to them. In fact, the person that Jake was originally slated to feud with post-Mania IV is within Mattel’s boundaries again, but seeing as that we’re getting a “Greatest Hits” release of him, I’m not sure how soon he’ll be entering the Coliseum Collection. Then again, Mattel, he is a favorite LJN of mine and I’d buy any Harley Race you threw at me…

Hulk Hogan vs Terry Funk -- Tonight In The Coliseum Collection

Between exclusive playsets, Retro figures and plenty of non-WWE products, Mattel has found yet another way to get extra money out of us. Mattel Creations has become their own version of Hasbro Pulse and likely other company “exclusive” sites that aren’t on my radar. Their standard excuse for most items released this way is believable: these are products that retailers wouldn’t want to stock for various reasons. That’s actually not hard to understand after seeing the pathetic action figure sections of most brick and mortar retailers. Still, I think that today’s topic is a line that retailers just may have gotten behind. It’s entirely possible. Don’t kid yourselves, Mattel isn’t doing you any favors by having Mattel Creations at their disposal. If it isn’t making them money it will never be in your hands, it’s as simple as that.

Hitting porches most recently from Mattel Creations is the first entry in the Coliseum Collection. This series was obviously spawned from the positive reaction for the San Diego Comic Con “Ultimate” Sgt. Slaughter figure from 2021. The figures are in the “Ultimate” style based on décor from the beloved LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars line complete with packaging that bears resemblance to those well-remembered blue cards. The title comes from the text on the poster included with the first few series of figures. On those cards an artistic rendering of the figure was accompanied by “X-Wrestler TONIGHT At The Coliseum.” So while the thought of Coliseum Video is certainly there, that isn’t where it originated from.

Our first two wrestlers in the Coliseum Collection are Hulk Hogan and Terry Funk. I’ll admit that I wasn’t blown away by the choices at first, but it’s interesting that Mattel picked this concept at all for the fact that it’s very limited. How many LJN figures can be recreated with what Mattel has to work with? That being said, the company isn’t limiting itself as much as I initially thought. We’ll get to that at the end. The Hogan is based on the middle of three LJN Hogan releases with red trunks and white shirt. There was only one Funk in the LJN line and while there are liberties with this recreation, it’s close enough to bring those memories roaring back.

The packaging here is impressive to begin with. A brown box with the WWE block logo houses a more colorful box featuring art of The Hulkster and The Funker. Like the LJN-esque cards inside, the outer box was also done with the SDCC Slaughter. Inside are the two figures in poses reminiscent of the LJN counterparts. Additional accessories are housed in boxes at the base of each figure. The card backs slide out of the enclosing plastic and you are indeed able to place the figures back in rather seamlessly. They won't be "mint" again, however, as there are the usual plastic bands and ties which need cut to get the figures out in any sane way. It should be noted that Slaughter is shown on the back as part of the set, even though the "Coliseum Collection" name hadn't been coined for his release. Mattel seems to be indicating that he was the actual first in the series.

The inside of the box as well as the individual card back art depicts an audience just like the LJN designs did. "Crowd signs" are individualized for each wrestler and I must admit that I got a kick out of the choices for Funk. There's also a cool little bonus included in between the two carded figures. You get a third piece of cardboard with the Coliseum Collection logo and a blank space on one side with the classic "Mean Gene" baby blue interview backdrop on the back. This is obviously a little gift for action figure photographers, sort of like the cardboard crowd backdrop that Mattel gifted us with as part of The New Generation Arena. Posing a figure in front of the Coliseum Collection side would make it almost appear that a classic LJN poster went three-dimensional.

Each figure includes three heads total, several sets of hands, The Hulkster's championship belt, headband, soft goods shirt and cross necklace as well as The Funker's cowboy hat, poncho, chaps and branding iron. Many will want this set for the belt alone. This is the first time since the actual LJN days that the first WWF Championship won by The Hulkster has been recreated in figure form. I have a suspicion that we will see this belt re-released down the line as the coloring here is to resemble the LJN version rather than the green strap that it had in real life. This and several other championships either already in or coming to the Mattel line lead me to believe that the rights to "trophy belts" of the past have either been figured out. It's also possible that it's simply been decided that no one can lay claim to the classic, yet basic, piecemeal designs. The Funker's clothing has been redone from the original WWE Legends release of over a decade ago. It's much higher quality this time around and the branding iron even has a thicker portion of the handle to allow better gripping.

The figures themselves are high quality and worthy of inclusion in any collection. I've never felt that the "Ultimate" body type was all that special but it certainly does well here. I wasn't sure if Terry Funk necessarily needed the body type, but I can totally see his physique. Each head contains a different expression for each grappler. While we've seen the Hogan faces before, it's fun to have The Funker be able to display that classic array of emotions in the midst of battle. It's also fun that while the red Hogan trunks do indeed reflect the LJN figure, the look is actually more reminiscent of his AWA days.

Remember what I’d said about this line being limited? That was when I thought that it would be limited to figures who either would be completely different in looks from other Mattel releases (Hulk) or were released so far back (Funk) that it’s not really out of the question to do it again. With the second set unveiled I was proven wrong. Ravishing Rick Rude vs Jake “The Snake” Roberts features a figure of the latter that was just released in the Legends line a few years ago. Yes, this is an Ultimate, but again that's not enough to sell me on a re-release. Rude is also very close to a Basic figure done a few years ago. Will I bite for that set? Time will tell. Even still this line will not go on forever. The one line that Mattel cannot cross is licensing rights. A lot of the more interesting wrestlers that LJN produced are off-limits for them. Am I hoping for some new names to pop up? Yes, but the faith I’ve seen of collectors that this will actually happen has been mind-blowing. Some people just don’t learn. We’ve been shown time and time again that, while we’re occasionally thrown a nice bone, we’re going to see the same faces over and over again. While new versions of Piper and Savage (who has so many looks that he’s almost always a purchase) would be fine, I’m just not seeing too much fresh ground to be broken here. Obvious LJN choices like Paul Orndorff and Big John Studd have absolutely nowhere left to go. Without packing a mind-blowing name with them it’s not even worth a purchase for most.

No matter who comes next, this first installment is a winner. As of press time it's still available at Mattel Creations. I always enjoy when things are available for a good period of time enabling as many collectors to obtain them as possible. Or should I say, enabling collectors to "Bring Home All The Action..."