The Territory Photo Albums--WWWF 1976

Before the Internet, how did you see the rosters of your local wrestling territory? If you were lucky, your promotion put out a photo album or yearbook! Usually for a nominal fee, plus postage and handling, these publications could be the key to any fan becoming an expert on the stars and champions of any number of promotions. Some areas kept up better than others at maintaining these guides, but most put out at least a few that are known to exist today.

Bruno Sammartino featured heavily in the five Tri-State Wrestling photo albums put out by the Pittsburgh wrestling office in the 1960's. It's no surprise that "The Living Legend" also made the cover of the 1976 World Wide Wrestling Federation album. Officially titled "Championship Wrestling Yearbook," Sammartino is shown on the cover in a fierce battle with longtime nemesis "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff. Of course, Koloff is also the man who ended Sammartino's first World Heavyweight Championship reign.

Also on the cover is the famous Madison Square Garden logo. These were likely sold at the Garden, though the inside cover shows that these were also marketed through the mail. Just $2.00 ($1.50 for the yearbook, .50 for postage and handling) was all that this forty-page treasure cost 42 years ago. As with so much shown on this blog, if we only had a time machine...

The yearbook features two page spreads on the top stars, while others get single pages (including one each on "The Three Wise Men of The East") and many other get a single photo. All in all we've got Sammartino, Superstar Billy Graham, Ivan Putski, Koloff, Louis Cerdan, Tony Parisi, Buggsy McGraw, Andre the Giant, Fabulous Moolah, Gorilla Monsoon, Spiros Arion, Bobo Brazil, Lou Albano, Freddie Blassie, The Grand Wizard, Haystack Calhoun, Dominick DeNucci, Pat Barrett, Baron Mikel Scicluna, Chief Jay Strongbow, Ernie Ladd, Francisco Flores, Manuel Soto, Pete Sanchez, Johnny Rodz, Black Jack Lanza, Black Jack Mulligan, Jimmy Valiant, Johnny Valiant, Kevin Sullivan, Crusher Blackwell, Dave O'Hannon, Pete Reeves, George Steele, Bob Duncum, Butcher Vachon, Waldo Von Erich, Tony Altimore, The Wolfman, Tony Garea, Dean Ho, Pedro Morales, Taro Tanaka, Susan Greene, Toni Rose, and "The WWWF," which we'll get to.

The many misspellings above are intentional. Those are the misspellings used in the yearbook itself, so I repeated them here for historical accuracy. Most of the photos match up, even if you'll be thrown for a loop at just how young and different the man later known as "The Taskmaster" looks here as regular Kevin Sullivan. It should be noted that the picture used for Toni Rose is actually her tag partner Donna Christanello. The two were often mistaken for each other in photos, and I always enjoy seeing my late friend Donna show up. She is sorely missed.

The last page, listed in the table of contents as "The WWWF," features the brass. The head honchos. The office. Shown are Willie Gilzenberg, Vince McMahon, Arnold Skoaland, Phil Zacko, Angelo Savoldi, and television announcers Vince McMahon Jr. and Antonino Rocca. It's amazing that only Skaaland was misspelled. Of everyone on this page, only Vincent Kennedy McMahon is alive today, though Savoldi just passed away a few years ago and made it as one of the longest living wrestlers on record. If anyone knew where the bodies were buried, it's these seven men.

It's always a blast to look through these publications. Back then, they were a fun look at the stars of the wrestling world as it was in your area. Today they're a time capsule of a bygone era with men and women who are now legends. Featured here were the stars of what the wrestling world knew as "New York." They filled the Garden to capacity and then moved onto the next town, no matter how big or small. The promoters were happy with an ass every eighteen inches, the wrestlers were happy with a decent check and a six-pack.

May those days be remembered forever...

Another 5 Wrestlers...Who Never Had An Action Figure

I still don't believe that there is a bigger victim of the "Wrestler That Did Not Get An Action Figure" crime than The Blue Meanie.  As a wrestler in two different companies that had action figure deals during the late '90s wrestling "boom" period, it's mind boggling to think that The Meanie, who looks like he was thought up exclusively to become an action figure, never had one.  It's an even bigger crime that he did not find his way into Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line which had a nice selection of ECW stars amongst the many series.

The Meanie's absence in plastic, as well as that of Dino Bravo, Buddy Rogers, Verne Gagne, and Dick Murdoch, was the subject of a blog entry here back in 2011.  The topic conjured up some great discussion both here on the blog and on our Facebook page that even made me second-guess one of my initial "top five" choices.

Two years later, it's time to revisit this fun and ever-discussable topic.  Once again, the list is limited to male wrestlers that would've had a decent shot at being produced as an action figure at some point in time.  Although they are among my favorite names in wrestling, again I am not including female wrestlers, managers, announcers, and other non-wrestling types.  This is simply because figures of these stars aren't always included in the plans of toy companies.  I could probably make a list of twenty female stars alone if I were to include them.  In no particular order, here we go again...

#5--Ronnie Garvin

Ronnie is perhaps the one wrestler that I would go back to include in the original list.  Garvin would replace fellow '70s and '80s star Dick Murdoch.  "Hands of Stone" was mentioned in the comments section of the original entry and I still cannot believe that I omitted him.  Coming to the WWF in early 1989, Garvin was just a tad late for the planning of the final LJN WWF figure series.  He was still with the company in time for the design of the first couple Hasbro WWF figure lines, but he would've been another great Jakks Classic Superstars candidate.  A towel and "big gold" belt would've been top accessory choices for the crew cut coiffed grappler.

#4--Pedro Morales

Although his heyday was in the 1970's, many fans forget that Pedro was still with the WWF well into the next decade in various capacities.  With Ted Arcidi and S..D Jones in the LJN WWF figure lineup, Pedro would not have been out of the question.  As with all of the wrestlers in this feature, he also would've made a spectacular Jakks Classic Superstars figure.  As a former holder of both the WWWF Championship and the WWF Intercontinental Championship, Morales is long overdue.

#3--Pat Patterson

One of the great regrets of the greatest wrestling figure line of all-time, Jakks Classic Superstars, is that many announced figures of the later few series never saw production.  Pat Patterson was one of those figures.  It is likely that Pat was to be in wrestling gear rather than a representation of his later role as one of Mr. McMahon's "stooges," but any version would've been welcome.  Similar to Morales above, it would've been ideal to include the Intercontinental Championship with Patterson, the first holder of the title.

#2--Blackjack Mulligan

While his son Barry Windham has seen many figures over the years, the same cannot be said for Blackjack.  Like Pat Patterson, Mulligan was slated for a Classic Superstars figure.  The difference between the two is that a photo of the Blackjack Mulligan prototype was released.  An amazing facial likeness as well as simple and effective details made fans mouths water, but it just wasn't meant to be.  It would be nice if Jakks were somehow able to release the figure as a "Legends of the Ring" figure, but hope for such an opportunity seems extremely dismal.

#1--Magnum T.A.

The golden boy of Jim Crockett Promotions for a few years in the 1980's is a top choice for many collectors.  When Mattel polled fans as to which WWE Legends figures should be produced, Magnum belly-to-belly suplexed the competition.  A prototype was shown and all seemed well when suddenly the figure fell into the same pit of "cancellation" that the Jakks Blackjack Mulligan was lost in.  It's unknown if Magnum will find his way into the Mattel Elite "Flashback" position that other previously-planned "Legends" have, but I would personally bet against it.  Mattel is much more content producing "Flashback" figures of stars who have had endless figures in the past and it doesn't look like a change in their business plan is coming anytime soon.

Another five worthy contenders.  I can see revisiting this topic once again down the line, perhaps breaking a few "rules" that I've imposed on the first two lists.  Between now and then, one can only wonder which deserved wrestlers will finally get action figures...