SummerSlam Stories

The Biggest Party of the Summer! Well, it was. In fact, before the Royal Rumble really took off, I’d say that SummerSlam was the second biggest WWF event of the year behind WrestleMania. I’ve never been a fan of summer nor the weather that comes with it, but it was the one time of the year that I was happy to “Feel The Heat,” and I know that I’m not alone. Even now it seems that the company still views it as a big show, complete with fan events that resemble those during WrestleMania weekend. Whether or not it appears a huge deal to fans is a different story altogether.

I do believe that the inaugural SummerSlam, held in 1988, was the first one that I ended up seeing, though not right away. Just like the first WrestleMania it was held in Madison Square Garden and was headlined by a tag team spectacle. The lineup is interesting and, at times, feels like it’s trying to showcase many stars who didn’t get much of a spotlight months earlier at WrestleMania IV. It’s also interesting that several names on the show including Junkyard Dog, Ken Patera, The British Bulldogs, Don Muraco and even commentator Superstar Billy Graham would be gone from the company in just a matter of months. The opening montage featuring “The Mega Powers versus The Mega Bucks” has always been a favorite of mine. Bobby Heenan is shown laughing at one point which, for whatever reason, amused me to no end. Some kids would say “Bloody Mary” three times into the bathroom mirror. I would emulate “The Brain” laughing. I don’t know what that says about me.

“The Slam” has always had a lot of hype. My hometown (a town that’s made some large and tragic headlines in the past few weeks) cable company was, fortunately, the recipient of a lot of the goodies that came with that. They would hold little “Enter your name and win!” contests to give away the goods. I’m guessing that not many people entered, as it seemed as if I always won when I’d enter. I’d assume that cow tipping took precedence over writing your name down for free WWF merch. One of those contests was to promote SummerSlam 1993. I won the program as well as the famous SummerSlam shades! Apparently these sunglasses existed for a few years as Jimmy Hart can be seen sporting them back in 1990.

What I wasn’t privy to, despite being a hardcore WWF devotee from the greater Pittsburgh area, was the pre-sale for the SummerSlam 1995 tickets. In fact, I only learned about the pre-sale while waiting in line for tickets on July 8^th 1995 – the REGULAR on-sale date! What matters now, nearly thirty years later, is that I do have the pre-sale letter explaining how these fans were specifically chosen by Jack Tunney to receive this info. Gee, thanks a LOT, Jack! Best president since Noriega! Jack “On The Take” Tunney! Boy, I’m feeling a lot of Heenan in this entry, aren’t you? Anyway, I do know that this particular flyer came inside of materials sent to a holder of the WWF MasterCard. That…I did not have. Perhaps that’s why I was shunned.

Of course we all know that I ended up at SummerSlam that year. It was the first WWF pay-per-view ever to be held in Pittsburgh and really the first large-scale televised wrestling to be done in “the Burgh” since Pittsburgh’s “Studio Wrestling.” You could argue that point since a bit of the 1987 Bunkhouse Stampede finals, which were also held at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, did air on TV but just as an opening to regular Jim Crockett Promotions programming. I’ve told many stories centering around that show over the years, but one thus far left untold actually happened years later. As I was collecting autographs on the program cover, I failed to tell a certain wrestler (who’s gone through many names, possibly Syxx different ones?) which name to sign. This was ultimately a mistake of mine as most collectors have countless stories of wrestlers accidentally signing the wrong gimmick name. Well, needless to say, the wrong name was signed. I was stunned but politely asked for the name that I wanted to be signed, as well. That wrestler has always been as nice as can be, so it wasn’t an issue, but it did make me not want to look at the program for quite awhile. I stuffed it away somewhere and forgot about it. A few years later I read that, on certain materials/textures, an autograph could be removed with acetone. I obtained some and, voila, the program is fixed and you’d never know the difference.

Yes, I even go modern, and somehow I ended up with a SummerSlam 2009 chair. Ok, so 2009 isn’t quite modern anymore (scary, huh?), but it was when I picked up the thing. I don’t remember how much it cost, but it couldn’t have been very expensive or I wouldn’t have it. It will probably make some folks cringe to hear this, so skip to the next paragraph if you don’t like things being utilized practically, but I have, at times, used this like any other folding chair. Obviously I’m not painting the room with it or taking it outdoors, but it’s definitely had a butt or two in it for Thanksgiving. I’ve cleaned my dog while sitting in it. It’s held packages by the door. Hey, what good is something if you can’t get the maximum use from it?

Between this entry and previous ones I think that I’m tapped as far as SummerSlam 1995 stories. That being said, God willing, we’ll all be back here in two years to celebrate the thirtieth anniversary of the show. Like it or not it’s a true reflection of The New WWF Generation and, as I’ve said in the past, it was just a really FUN time to be a wrestling fan living in Pittsburgh. Interest in pro wrestling may have been pretty low nationally but they certainly knew how to drum up the buzz around here. Love Diesel, King Mabel, ladders and demented dentists? Come on back in two years!

“Hey, do you know who you are???”

Pro wrestling is a completely different world these days and in more ways than one. Not only is the in-ring product and presentation completely different from what many of us originally fell in love with, but fandom outside of the ring has changed, too. The stars who were once “larger-than-life” occasionally appear less than so these days and it isn’t always their physical appearance. It’s accessabilty. The ease of meeting your favorite stars. Heck, I’m sure some fans try and engage their wrestling heroes on a daily basis via social media. Of course, for many of us this means that obtaining the almighty autograph has become an easier task, even if those signatures don’t necessarily look as nice anymore. What’s with this signing initials trend among the young wrestlers? Anyway, let’s go back to the days when wrestling conventions and fanfests weren’t a thing, meeting your grappling heroes was a rare occasion and getting an autograph was something you remembered for years.

Keep in mind that no one is discounting the ease of meeting wrestlers of today. Technology has made it a smaller world and less and less can be kept mysterious or even secretive as the wrestling business used to be. While organized ways of hobnobbing with wrestlers weren’t as prevalent years ago, adventurous fans could find ways to do just that. Mileage would vary, especially depending on if your favorite wrestler was a “good guy” or a “bad guy,” but I know of very few wrestlers who don’t have at least a couple of fan stories out there. Getting an autograph on a program or an index card outside of a locker room or in a nearby all-night diner is probably the basis for most of the stories that we’ve all heard. Remember that fan clubs were a huge deal in the ‘60s and ‘70s. If the star or stars were particularly engaged with their fan club, organized meetings were not unheard of. Considering that this was the age of the wrestling territory, a quick meeting with fans in one of the local towns was probably music to the ears of those in the local office. This was before charity become the name of the game, so going out and becoming even more engaged with your weekly paying fans could only help.

Perhaps the biggest fan club of the time was also a governing body of sorts for those groups. It spawned what many would consider to be the original wrestling conventions. This group was the W.F.I.A. – Wrestling Fans International Association. I’ve written about the W.F.I.A. before both here and on social media. The glory years of the group were roughly the late ‘60s to the mid ‘80s. The organization (which counted Jim Cornette, Candi Devine and Juanita “Sapphire” Wright among its members) would annually partner with a wrestling territory and hold a convention in one of the cities that the promotion ran. A wrestling show, banquet and awards ceremony were among the activities. Wrestlers of both “allegiances” would attend and pictures from these events are often mind-blowing considering as how “kayfabe” was in full effect at the time. Stories from these events are still widely told by those who were there and I’ve long pushed the idea that a book chronicling the W.F.I.A. needs to be written.

The territory which seemed to promote the most fan interaction may well have been Memphis. The book “Rags, Paper and Pins: The Merchandising of Memphis Wrestling” by Jim Cornette and Mark James is not only one of my favorite wrestling books but is required reading for anyone fascinated with the early days of wrestlers outside the ring. Wrestlers actually signing photos sold at gimmick tables? No, this isn’t ‘90s indy wrestling – it’s the legendary Memphis territory! While other areas also did this I’m sure, Memphis surely deserves the most credit for pioneering it. Every so often you will hear of other areas having a wrestler appear to sign autographs before the show, but I do wonder how often they really happened as advertised? I can’t imagine it being a deal breaker back then if it didn’t take place. Nowadays grown men would be throwing fits. You can read more about this great book here and it’s still available to purchase, as well!

As we went into the ‘80s and the “Rock n’ Wrestling” era boom, appearances seemed more and more prevalent. Our favorite stars began appearing at store grand openings, car shows and pretty much anywhere that you’d see a star of another sport, actor or plain old celebrity make an appearance. It was mainstream and fans no longer had to crowd into a dank hotel ballroom or wait on a chance encounter at Denny’s after a show. Fans had the chance to schmooze with the likes of “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Miss Elizabeth at video store signings, Big John Studd at The World of Wheels car show or even sit on Sgt. Slaughter’s lap at a local electronics store. You didn’t think that I’d pass up the chance to throw one of my favorite pictures up on the blog yet again, did you? By the early ‘90s the fabled conventions run by John Arezzi began to get coverage and featured appearances that fans can only dream of today by names like Buddy Rogers, Kerry Von Erich, Woman, Lou Thesz and even The Sheik!

In modern times there are virtually endless ways to get the autographs of your favorites. WWE Axxess (which we should be discussing the beginnings of in a few weeks here…) and various conventions are obviously the biggest, but these days you can even just log into Facebook, watch a virtual signing and purchase an autographed photo right from the comfort of your chair. I’d argue that the “golden age” of wrestling conventions is over. I’d say that it ran for about five years roughly 12-15 years ago. While there are still many conventions and similar events, with so many of the legends now gone it just isn’t the same. That era is a book in itself and I know who the author will be. Heatseeking missiles will be incoming for me, no doubt.

People have often asked me to write more about meet and greets, conventions and other similar entities. I don’t  do it often, but when I do it’s fun to integrate it with advertisements for such things which are now pieces of memorabilia all their own. I can also say that it’s a pleasure when wrestling, maybe more than any other sport, has so many stars who truly appreciate their fans. There are some bad apples as in any bunch, but there have been countless times where I’ve seen joy on wrestlers faces when hearing stories, looking at old memorabilia or just being thanked for their work. Even for people who are used to thousands of fans cheering for them, the words of just one person can mean the world. I also think that wrestlers can often relate to their fans better than any other kind of celebrity. After all, we’re all just crazy people caught up in the same crazy world of professional wrestling.

The Centerpiece Of The New WWF Generation

What were you doing twelve months ago? If you’re reading this blog there’s a good chance that you were thinking it would take forever for a year to pass. That’s because, again, if you’re reading this blog there’s a good chance that you were smart enough to back the Mattel Creations WWE New Generation Arena set. We were told all along that it would ship in August of 2022 and sure enough the arrivals have begun. I never seem to win the shipping time lottery, but for whatever reason my orders were among the earliest to ship. This is usually not the case and quite honestly I was due. The large online wrestling figure store that’s barely two states away from me takes at least two weeks after everyone else to get my orders to me so believe me, I suffer enough. 

Now what is currently shipping is everything that’s in the main box. The entrance way, the ring, Diesel, Doink and even the ring skirts are all here. What isn’t here is the item that, to some, is the highlight of the whole deal, 1994 Macho Man Randy Savage. Since the figure doubles as commentator Savage it’s presumable that is why the commentary table and chairs set will be shipped with him. What did ship here all fits into one big box. The outer case that it fits into is just like how it would’ve shipped to the store. Seeing as some won’t see the item as “complete” without it, you may want to hold onto that box. It should also be noted that once you open the shipping case the whole set is really no longer sealed. There’s a tremendous “display box” like you would purchase off of the shelf were it sold in stores but the ring pieces are packed into smaller bags and even the Diesel and Doink figures aren’t taped shut. Doink has those annoying plastic tab holders around his ankles like many Mattel figures do but really once you open the case nothing is truly sealed. This may be of some concern to boxed collectors, but I never found much use in keeping the Ultimate figures carded/boxed with all those heads and things floating around. Really though, you’ll soon see why there’s not much to be concerned about with this set even if you end up not liking it. 

For me the highlight is the entrance way. No, you’re not getting the actual WWF logo. I think if you’re not over that fact after two decades it may be time to get out of the hobby. What you are getting is the type of add-on/playset that most of us have wanted for thirty years. I know I wasn’t the only one who made a cardboard facsimile of the famous neon WWF entryway shortly after it debuted at WrestleMania VIII. It just looked cool. Now we have it. It lights up. It has a variety of lighting patterns just like the real one. While I wouldn’t say it was worth the $250 to back this thing all by itself, it definitely eats up a good $100 chunk. This thing is substantial and large. In fact, it may even be a bitter bigger to scale with the figures than the real one was to the real superstars. In any case, this alone could be the centerpiece to an amazing looking shelf display surrounded by figures. In case you have one on the way be sure to have four AA batteries on hand to get started. I considered embedding a video to show how cool the lighting is, but rather just head on over to Instagram (@jws_wrestling_memorabilia) and check it out there! 

Next up is the ring itself. Honestly this is my least favorite portion of the deal and I kind of figured that it would be. I just cannot warm up to any “Real Scale Ring.” They’re always just too big if you ask me. This one does have some features that I like as well as some things that I don’t care for. I will say that it was one of the easier scale rings to assemble. The easiest was the Raw ring that Mattel lied to us in order to get us to purchase by saying that it would be the only way to ever get “old man” Elite Goldberg. Well, that turned out to be a joke. Nonetheless the ring didn’t have much assembly required. The worst are the Jakks and Jazwares versions where it takes two hours to set the damn things up. I think I may have assembled the Classic Superstars versions twice a piece. The Jazwares AEW version that I was forced to buy in order to get the first female referee figure? That one was assembled for the photos on this blog. I don’t expect to deal with it ever again. 

The frame of the ring Is easy to build and the faux-wood (they’re plastic) planks are made to resemble how a real wrestling ring is assembled. I do like how the pieces are rather nicely separated into individual bags which were mostly in cardboard dividers. The wooden planks are in three sections and they do seem to stay in. The canvas mat wasn’t too bad to deal with either. There are still wrinkles like all of these mats, but I like how holes in the canvas attach to plastic hooks on the bottom of the framework. I like the color blue chosen for all of the visible plastic pieces. Ignoring the skirts this really could be any era of WWF ring. That’s a very good thing. I didn’t fiddle with mine too much but I didn’t like how the skirts rise above the side of the apron. Again, it may take some fiddling but they protrude just a bit too much at the top as shown in the pictures. That being said, it’s cool that we have basic WWF, In Your House and WrestleMania to choose from. 

The one thing that I couldn’t believe, in a bad way, was when I opened the turnbuckles. While I did appreciate that one of each four turnbuckles is connected to the ropes making it easier to space them out (something that’s always been an issue on most Real Scale Rings), I could not believe that one of the red turnbuckles has a huge, unsightly materials tag sewn right on. It just hangs there. Now most will just cut the thing off, but this has never been on any ring before to my knowledge. It’s completely unsightly. I have yet to attempt to remove mine, though I will and hopefully without doing any damage. It does ensure that most of these that are assembled and go on display will never truly be “mint” as no one is going to want that thing showing. Mattel, what were you thinking here? 

Like I said, it’s one of the better Real Scale Rings but I’d have preferred a bit smaller. The assembly is actually a tad fun in a sense and I can already envision some wrestling figure photography being done with partially assembled rings. A fight breaks out before the show and spills into the arena where the ring crew is setting up? I’m ready to do it. Also it should be noted that two of the cardboard trays that the pieces ship in are the small “crowd” backdrops that were promised later in the hype phase. They’re fun and what I’ve included in the photography here. They’re not as detailed as the third-party crowds that I usually use in my reviews, but I didn’t want to confuse people into thinking that those larger backdrops are what’s included here. These smaller ones would also work great next to the entry way on a shelf display as mentioned earlier. Tons of possibilities for display and play! 

Now onto the figures! We have two definitive “New WWF Generation” characters in Diesel and Doink the Clown. As noted earlier “Macho Man” Randy Savage in his WrestleMania X/commentator outfit will be shipping to backers at a later date, so I’m sure I’ll throw a review up for him as well just to complete the set. Let’s face it, he’s going to be another highlight in the ever-growing Mattel Macho collection. While Diesel was “The Leader of The New Generation,” I feel that we’ve gotten enough of him. The fact that it’s “Ultimate” really means zilch to me. It’s an excuse from them to charge more for a couple of extra accessories. That being said, this one came out far better than I’d imagined. The faces are dead on and it truly does resemble Kevin Nash in the era when “Diesel Power” was running roughshod over the WWF, if not so much at the box office. He headlined my first live attended pay-per-view (SummerSlam 1995) as champion and for that I’ll always have a soft spot for the “Big Daddy Cool” era. In fact, despite its numerous flaws, “The New Generation” is just about the last era that I’ll re-watch with any frequency as I find most of the Attitude Era impossible to get back into all these years later. 

While Randy Savage was the most hyped in the lead up, I think Doink the Clown is the figure that will lead to the most regret from anyone who didn’t back this thing. This figure is great. It is indeed Matt Borne as only he wore this guise. It’s early Doink. The Doink that tripped up the Big Boss Man. The Doink that beat Kamala. The Doink that injured Crush! You get three heads and three hairstyles. I’m not so sure that it was advertised, but just like the first Mattel Doink release, the “wigs” are all interchangeable. Add that to the mallet that was present in at least one early promo photo and his jacket with the “squirting” flower (no, it doesn’t really squirt) and you truly have the Ultimate Doink. Savage will indeed be popular but due to the nature of the release of this set monetarily speculation has been the name of the game here. My bet is that Doink will be the star of the secondary market show. There are plenty of Randy Savage figures to go around and 1994 was hardly a key year for him. They never have any need to release this Doink again. My bet would be seeing another release of the most common Doink look (the first Mattel release) down the line with updated removable hands, etc. If you truly want original, evil Matt Borne you had to have backed this set. 

It's interesting to think how there will be just as much complaining about obtaining this set as there would be for a store exclusive, yet everyone had exactly the same opportunity to get this as anyone else. You backed it? You got one. You backed five? You got five. Make no mistake, the secondary market prices will only rise for this. The ring itself and Diesel will be the easiest to obtain. The ring will be released in other forms, though not necessarily the classic blue. Diesel isn’t different enough from other releases to warrant super high prices, though the “Ultimate” label is a necessity for some. The entrance, Savage and Doink are the gold here. In a way it’s a cautionary tale. If there’s something you feel that you’re ever going to want, you do what you have to in order to afford it when available for the initial price. There’s a similar crowd-funded item from a completely different toy line that I didn’t take advantage of. With the prices of that item now, the only way that I’ll ever own one would be in some form of re-release. Thankfully that company made it clear that they reserved the right to re-release the item down the line. Will they? Who knows. Mattel made it clear with this set, however, that apart from the ring coming back in some form the rest of it is one and done. Is it worth the prices that they’ll be selling for? Absolutely not. But it was definitely worth the $250. I’m confident that my readers were smart enough to back this thing and with you all I share my congratulations and have but only one other thing to say: let’s play!

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--WWF SummerSlam 1995 Program

The day and hour of the publication of this blog entry marks exactly twenty-five years to the minute that SummerSlam 1995 began. It's a show that fans have been divided on since it happened. It's really an event that you either love or hate without much middle ground. I've documented my love for it previously, including on the twentieth anniversary of the event. While it's generally a bit out of my favored era of wrestling, other factors will keep it in a warm place in my heart forever.

Pittsburgh had long deserved a major wrestling event. There had been no major wrestling broadcasts to speak of from The Burgh since our Studio Wrestling show ceased taping in the early 1970's. There was even a short period in the late '80s when the WWF stopped coming here altogether. For the rich history and fan support that remained in the city, we easily deserved an early pay-per-view event in the Hogan era, but it did not happen. When word got around that we were finally getting a major event of our own, fans were more than ready.

While the Internet was in its infancy for most fans, I was already part of a small group on a local BBS (Bulletin Board System) and can still remember the bunch of us fervently looking forward to the big event. The on-sale date passed and I even attended an autograph signing with Diesel and Alundra Blayze the night before the event. Though wrestling was not at the height of its popularity by any stretch of the imagination, the city seemed to truly appreciate that SummerSlam was happening here. Taking nothing away from traditional wrestling hot beds like New York or Chicago, I think our fans truly appreciated it more after being starved for such an event for so long.

As the company did with several pay-per-view events that year, a special program was produced and sold only at the event. It's larger than an average WWF publication and has thicker, glossy pages. The company was still using the original SummerSlam logo that debuted in 1988 and its placement in front of their top guy, Kevin "Diesel" Nash, made for a compelling cover. I've since loaded mine up with autographs from talent who worked on the show, but I did indeed purchase it there. Each match on the card is given a brief write-up and accompanying photos.

The main event is a big part of the controversy around the show, with some feeling that it wasn't up to par with past events. It was a classic World Wrestling Federation affair: larger-than-life hero versus monster villain. "The irresistible force meeting the immovable object," as then-WWF President Gorilla Monsoon would have said. Perhaps the formula would have worked better a decade earlier, but the company was sticking to what it knew and I totally bought into it. I always enjoyed the work of Nelson Frazier no matter which gimmick he was portraying and he was sadly taken from us far too soon.

Some fans see the true main event of the show as being what was actually the penultimate match in the lineup. In a rematch from 1994's WrestleMania X, Shawn Michaels and Razor Ramon once again battled for the Intercontinental Championship in a Ladder Match. My dad forever after dubbed this one the "Ladders Match," as a second ladder ended up being brought in during the bout. It was an exciting match and Razor's popularity here really makes the viewer lament that we were never treated to a WWF Championship run for "The Bad Guy." 

Fans from outside of Pittsburgh are still surprised when I inform them that Bertha Faye's defeat of Alundra Blayze for the WWF Women's Championship was the first title change in our city, but it was. The former Madusa has always been underrated in my view and I won't even get started on my appreciation for Rhonda Singh. For Christmas 1995 I wanted nothing more than for figures of these two to suddenly be made. It only took us over two decades to finally get that Blayze figure. I'm not holding my breath for one of the late Miss Singh in any form, but it sure would be welcomed by more fans than just this one.

Pittsburgh was also treated to a casket match pitting The Undertaker in his signature encounter against Kama, The Supreme Fighting Machine. The feud would've been more interesting had Charles Wright's previous character of Papa Shango been resurrected, but at least we were treated to the beloved "Million Dollar Man" theme music seeing as Kama was a member of the Million Dollar Corporation.

While some fans were probably looking for a textbook Bret Hart classic, instead we saw an equally iconic match from the era where "The Hitman" was battling crazy baddie after crazy baddie. This is the event that saw the debut of Jerry "The King" Lawler's demented dentist, Isaac Yankem DDS. Of course the man behind the character would have a much bigger moment in The Burgh on pay-per-view just a few year later while capturing his first WWF Championship, but that's another story for another program review. Here we had a continuation of the long battle between "The Hitman" and "The King," this time without any unwashed feet.

The show was rounded out with matches between Hunter Hearst-Helmsley and Bob "Spark Plugg" Holly, a tag match featuring The Smoking Gunns and Jacob & Eli Blu, a hot opener with The 1-2-3 Kid and Hakushi, and Bodydonna Skip (Chris Candido) saw action against rival Barry Horowitz. Horowitz was a great talent who deserved to finally have a moment in the spotlight, and some theme music, no matter how brief it may have been. 

Perhaps my only lament is that then-WWF Tag Team Champions Owen Hart and Yokozuna were not on the card. That fact robbed me of ever getting to see the mighty Yoko live and in-person. It should also be noted that, for reasons of which I've never seen explained, The Fabulous Moolah was present at the Pittsburgh Civic Arena, at least earlier in the day. The legendary women's champion made a splashy exit out of the building through the thousands of fans waiting to get in. I've always wondered if she was originally scheduled to play some role in the women's title match or if perhaps she was attempting to do so. This would be a great question for Bruce Prichard. Hey hey!

Even if you don't own one, you've now had a "virtual" look through the 1995 SummerSlam program. For the reasons above, it will always remain a special show to me, as well as the fact that my father's birthday was August 31. Because of that, I'd always joked that I would take him to SummerSlam. My parents ended up taking me, and I still remember my dad returning from a bathroom break with the laminated event poster that was being sold at the merchandise stands that night. My dad would turn 75 this coming Monday. This entry is dedicated to him, the great man that he was, and, keeping in the spirit of the topic, his constant support of my fandom of the business that I loved so much.

Wrestling MarketWatch: The New WWF Generation

Bret! Shawn! Diesel! The Undertaker! Sparky Plugg! It's the NEW WWF Generation! We all remember it. A company that knew how to pull off "cartoon-come-to-life" better than anyone suddenly...didn't. Maybe it's because the biggest superhero of the squared circle, Hulk Hogan, was no longer part of it. Maybe it was the internal struggles that the company was facing. Then again, maybe the tastes of the world were changing. Probably a mixture of all three. Nevertheless, the WWF still wanted to be the number one form of entertainment in your house, thus we got what we got. I'm not saying it was all bad. While I hardly hide my distaste for most things '90s, I do have some good memories from this era in wrestling, most notably the time around SummerSlam '95 seeing that it was the first pay-per-view to emanate from my hometown of Pittsburgh.

With how popular the merchandise from this era still is, the nostalgia is obviously strong. In this latest installment of Wrestling MarketWatch, we'll take a look at some recent auction selling prices for a handful of classic collectibles that capture the spirit of the era. As always, prices noted are for non-autographed examples.

*The World Wrestling Federation was waving their banner high. As high as the sky, in fact. This is the time when the WWF airship, or blimp, or zeppelin, would travel around the country proudly promoting the logo of the "worldwide leader in sports entertainment." An inflatable replica of the airship was briefly offered in the WWF Merchandise Catalog. As with many catalog items, rarity rules. This was actually given to me for Christmas 1995 as a gag gift. You see, my view of SummerSlam 1995 was partially obscured by the "Supersize Stridex Airship" which was present at events of the time. I guess this was to remind me of that. This inflatable toy recently sold at auction for $190.

*As cartoonish as the company was at the time, it was actually a transition period for WWF action figures. Still, many fans equate the Hasbro era with this period, especially the last few years of the beloved figure line. Shawn Michaels, a veritable backbone of the New Generation, saw three different inclusions in the Hasbro lineup. His second is likely the most famous, that being the first action figure of "The Heartbreak Kid" persona. Packaged on the striking yellow card back, HBK has recently sold at auction for an average price of $120.

*If you're talking HBK in the 1990's, you have to mention the man known as "Big Daddy Cool." Kevin Nash as Diesel was one of the great hopes of the WWF at this time, which is obvious by his year-long run with the WWF Championship. Fans were behind him, but he probably would've been more successful in another era. The company had two trading card series from the manufacturer Action Packed during this time, and the second set featured two "jumbo" cards that were roughly the size of promo photos. The one featuring Diesel recently sold at auction for $35.

*Another big hope that didn't pan out at this time was "All-American" Lex Luger. Surrounded by a huge publicity campaign, Luger went across America to promote his SummerSlam '93 match against the mighty Yokozuna. The centerpiece of the project was a patriotic-themed tour bus deemed "The Lex Express." Many items came out of the promotion including buttons, posters, and even a full press kit, but one of the most fun is the promotional photo for the Lex Express itself. Always popular when it shows up at auction, the promo photo recently sold for $92.

*Speaking of centerpieces, the WWF year has always focused around WrestleMania. In 1995, that event featured Shawn Michaels against Diesel and football great Lawrence Taylor against Bam Bam Bigelow. Despite it being a time when wrestling was very much out of public and media consciousness, the latter match did garner some mainstream publicity which had to have pleased the company. Ringside celebrities Pamela Anderson and Jenny McCarthy, however, remained looking bored. The program from the eleventh installment of WrestleMania recently sold for a rather conservative $45.

Were you a fan of The New WWF Generation? Obviously many were. As much as it would hurt many to hear, I actually find it more watchable than the "Attitude Era" which was to follow. Give me cartoony goofiness over gratuitous sex and smut any day. But maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

And The 2019 "Figure Of The Year" Is...

And what does the year boil down to? Why it's "Wrestling Figure of the Year," of course! Once again collectors were inundated with plastic representations of their favorites from yesterday, today, and tomorrow. Some stars saw their first time being immortalized in such a way while others made their first journey into the toy box in quite some time. Before we get to the winner (as far as this blog is concerned), we'll take a brief look at some other possible choices.

When you're talking wrestling figures, you have to be talking Mattel. Unfortunately, the company which holds the WWE license decided to louse up a lot of the fun of collecting by making many of the most desirable characters limited. This practice looks to be continuing into 2020 much to the pleasure of no one. Two great figures were released in that asinine way, those being Pat Patterson and Sensational Queen Sherri. Patterson saw his first ever action figure in an over 60 year career while Sherri saw only her third and arguably coolest.

Mattel brought other characters back with "Ultimate" editions. While there was a separate figure line called "WWE Ultimate Edition," I was ultimately more partial to the most recent release of "Hacksaw" Jim Duggan. Included in the now cancelled "WWE RetroFest" line designed to evoke memories of the WWF WrestleFest video games, Mattel's newest Duggan figure reflects three different periods in the brawlers WWF career. Depending on which accessories you use, ol' Hacksaw can wear his late '80s t-shirt, his regal "King Duggan" crown from 1989, or his 1993 singlet. They even created an all-new "tongue out" head to recreate some of Hacksaw's goofier moments.

The company most famous for Barbie wasn't done there with creating cool figures or cancelling cool figure lines. At long last, "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel made his debut in the WWE Retro figure line. The line was virtually a continuation of the legendary Hasbro WWF figure collection of the 1990s. While Diesel was planned for that line, the figure never saw the light of day. In 2019 Diesel was finally produced in the beloved style...and the line was abruptly cancelled. Thanks again, Mattel.

But the constant disappointment from Mattel didn't damper 2019. Bringing smiles to many was the company Mego, brought back to life a year earlier by its original founder Marty Abrams. Though the company originally began creating action figures a half century earlier, it wasn't until 2019 that Mego introduced its first wrestling figure. Who better to start with than Andre the Giant? While the mammoth Frenchman wasn't quite as lifelike as other releases, the figure included a certain charm that only the classic Mego figure style can capture.

But enough with the runners up. The 2019 "Figure of the Year" is...

Exotic Adrian Street! Yes, in a shocking and unexpected move fitting from the Welsh grappler, the flamboyant and gender-bending wrestler had his own figure produced. While clicking his name in the labels below will bring you to a full review of the figure, what are you waiting for? Hop over to eBay and grab one for yourself. They're only available from Street himself!

2019 is over! Some are cheering, others are lamenting. Whichever camp you find yourself in, remember that 2020 should be even bigger in the wrestling figure world. Will the new NJPW figures prove to be major players? Will AEW reveal a figure line? Which legend will Mattel produce and screw us over on by making limited next? Let's watch the ball drop and find out!

Catching Up On Retro

It's been over two years since the review of the first Mattel WWE Retro figure series appeared on this blog. At the time, collectors all over were hopeful that we would get at least a few additional series out of the line that continues the legacy of Hasbro's famous WWF collection. Amid poor distribution, rumors of cancellation, and some overall frustration, here we are with Series 8, 9, and 10. The aforementioned distribution issues are one of the reasons why all three of these series are lumped into one review, but it also saves on spreading them out.

Some of both the most wanted and most creative figures of the entire line show up here, with a few that we'll pay particular attention to. Series 8 has The Iron Sheik, Jeff Hardy, Braun Strowman, and Zack Ryder. Series 9 brings us "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Goldust, Samoa Joe, and Randy Orton. Finally in Series 10 we've got Junkyard Dog, Matt Hardy, Elias, and Diesel. All series are on blue border Hasbro-esque cards that complete the retro feel. Thankfully the distractions that plagued the design in some of the middle series are gone, those being display stands and ads for a digital game that really has no business here. The game ad has been relegated to the back of the cards which bear no resemblance to the Hasbro cards whatsoever. Similarly, the cardboard stock used here is a lot thinner than what Hasbro used. This has been causing it to be quite the chore to find nice examples for carded collectors. This will certainly factor in as the years go by when mint examples are few and far between. Per retailers, the damaged cards have been coming straight from factory cases, furthering frustration.

Series 8 highlights include The Iron Sheik and Braun Strowman. While the character of the Sheik is just out-of-range of the original Hasbro era, Khosrow Vaziri was in the company in 1991 and 1992 as Sgt. Slaughter's aid Colonel Mustafa. Strowman is a sleeper hit as far as I'm concerned, with the figure fitting in with that Hasbro look perfectly. The arm mechanism was a perfect choice and I really appreciate the painted on tanktop. Jeff Hardy is a welcome addition but the figure suffers from the "too real" head syndrome where it looks like a regular Mattel head was plopped onto a Retro figure body.

Series 9 showcases two legends, those being Goldust and Randy Savage. This is the second inclusion of "The Macho Man" in the Retro line, the first being in his nWo attire. This one is a homage to an unreleased prototype of the first Hasbro Savage figure that was shown in advertisements wearing green trunks. It's nice to see a more classic looking Savage in the line. Joe and Orton are solid modern figures for the line. Some have issue with Joe being produced in his shirt, but we must remember that many original Hasbro figures were in shirts and entrance attire as well. The star here is "The Bizarre One," Goldust, in what could prove to be his final figure for some time. Appropriately, he is produced in his early look complete with black-painted ears and removable wig. Should the Hasbro line have carried on another year, Goldust would have at least been in the planning stages.

Finally we have Series 10, starring a man who was planned for the Hasbro line twenty-five years ago. That man is "Big Daddy Cool" Diesel. The former WWF Champion appears as he did in 1994, which is the look that the original figure would've reflected had it been produced. Like Strowman in Series 8, Diesel is a tad taller just as Andre the Giant and Giant Gonzalez were in the Hasbro line. For the second series in a row we get a second legend, that being the Junkyard Dog. JYD is clad in his classic white tights, complete with "THUMP" emblazoned on the back. Matt Hardy's head is more stylized than brother Jeff in Series 8, though I could've pictured both of The Hardy Boyz with the old "jumping" mechanism. Elias hasn't caught on with me, personally, but the figure includes a guitar as the first Retro accessory. This is the same breakaway guitar included with Mattel's figures of The Honky Tonk Man.

Ten series of Retro. This is the first review of the line that, as of press time, has no future announced releases to discuss at the end. While many collectors finally got what they wanted out of the line in Diesel, there's room for more. Of that fabled unreleased final Hasbro series, Mattel could produce Mabel, Jeff Jarrett, and "All-American" Lex Luger. I wouldn't mind seeing Dusty Rhodes (like that's a surprise...), "surfer" Sting, and Nikolai Volkoff added if at possible. Since females and managers weren't part of the Hasbro line I won't say that I'm expecting any, though it's hard to fathom that the new line would end without at least one woman in the era of the women's revolution. How about Elizabeth, Sherri, Ronda, and Becky? At least two Retro-styled women's bodies should be produced to give us an idea of what could have been...and what now still could be.

Kill the distribution issues, Mattel, and bring us ten more series...

The Memorabilia of SummerSlam

When WWE decided to try and replicate the WrestleMania weekend experience, they chose SummerSlam as the centerpiece. While anticipation over the story lines and matches never comes close to those featured at Mania, SummerSlam has indeed been a marquee event for nearly three decades. Though the card lacks the uniqueness of the Royal Rumble, it is a perfectly positioned "summer treat" for wrestling fans. And as we know on this blog, that means goodies...

Some of my favorites revolve around the early editions of the event. The Ultimate Warrior heavily factored into the first five SummerSlam events from 1988 to 1992. In all honesty, The Warrior may have had a bigger impact at the event than his contemporary, Hulk Hogan. With his wild persona and insane look, he was a perfect fit for a "carefree" summer show. He took the Intercontinental title at the first two events and successfully defended the World Wrestling Federation championship at the third. A promotional button featuring a classic Ultimate Warrior promotional shot exists for the latter event.

Speaking of the 1990 SummerSlam event, it was at that show in which "The Mouth of the South" Jimmy Hart donned official SummerSlam shades. The bright neon orange was a staple of the time and was a perfect accessory for the always "loud" Hart. These shades were actually a promotional item used to advertise the event in the early 1990's. These, and other items, were popular giveaways from cable companies. Yes, at one time, cable systems were locally owned companies that you could actually interact with. This is indeed how I procured my pair, thanks to a local cable outfit.

As with most large WWF events, programs were a big deal with SummerSlam. Even in the last decade, WWE has continued to produced unique publications for the event. In 2009, most of the promotional artwork for the event was made to look like a vintage wrestling poster. Both the program and the ringside chair reflected this, with a "ragged" and "worn" look given to the art, while the WWE Superstars were framed in stars, just as they may have been on a poster had SummerSlam taken place in the '60s or '70s. It was a great concept. WWE produced a special program for the 2010 event, as well.

But my favorite piece? Sentiment takes over, as usual. As I discussed in my twentieth anniversary celebration of the event, SummerSlam 1995 is near and dear to my heart. It was the first pay-per-view event that I attended live. It was held in my hometown of Pittsburgh. It was also a promised kept...in a way. Since my dad's birthday was August 31, I always promised him that I would take him to SummerSlam. While 12-year-old me didn't pay for the tickets, we did attend. Returning from a restroom break, my dad surprised me with the laminated poster of the show featuring Diesel. I treasure it to this day.

It's "The Biggest Party of the Summer!" Take in NXT TakeOver! Hop a plane or train and go to Brooklyn yourself. The "easy breezy" days of summer are about to end. Make those all important plans right now to be a part of SummerSlam! No, I'm not Mean Gene, but in all seriousness, enjoy the event, and treasure the memories! And while you're at it, you may just be at the edge of your seat...