The Man…Who Ruled…The World.

I normally don’t include much if any memorabilia in tribute pieces. Today I’m making an exception. The promo photo that you see above was signed just a little over three weeks ago. This memorial tribute is for the man in the photo. I’m not saying that it was the last autograph that he signed. It wasn’t. It’s simply a sobering reminder that we just never know. As we so often hear anymore, tomorrow is not guaranteed.

Sid Eudy made a heckuva mark in the wrestling business. He almost seemed to do it “his way.” You never knew how long he’d hang around or where he’d pop up next. He was a rogue in an era where people had largely forgotten how to be one. I’m thinking that he was probably a pro wrestling star who wanted to make his money and go home. I don’t blame him at all. That’s how I am at my day job. As Jim Ross often says, he was looking to feed his family. Is there anything more important?

What was vital is that he had some amazing tools to become a success in the wrestling business in order to make that money. A million dollar look. A realistic promo. Enough skills to work as a dangerous and legitimately scary “big man” wrestler. You weren’t getting “five star” classics with Sid. You didn’t need them. Every kid that I knew who knew wrestling loved Sid. It didn’t matter if he was Vicious, Justice or Sycho. When Sid was part of the show or the card you knew that you were going to get your money’s worth by seeing what looked like someone getting massacred.

Sid headlined my first ever live show teaming with Ric Flair against The Hulkster and Hot Rod. Can you even imagine that? How was that place not sold out? It wasn’t. After all it was 1992 when the business wasn’t really on fire any longer. But in hindsight that place would’ve sold out weeks in advance. I was never enamored with the Hulk Hogan – Sid Justice main event at WrestleMania that year because, like many, I wanted Hogan vs Flair. I would still rebook it with that on top, Savage and Jake in the blow off that an intense feud like that deserved and probably Sid against The Undertaker. Would “the streak” have made it to two? Not being a fan of “The Deadman” I really don’t care and it would’ve been great to see Sid get a win at his first WrestleMania.

Like many of you I followed the big man wherever he went. Again, you knew you were in for a treat when he was around. I think it was the in-and-out nature of his career that held him back from having that truly one big moment. Yes, he headlined more than one WrestleMania and held the big gold everywhere, but that one key career highlight just seems to be missing. Does it really matter? Nah. I saw even casual fans mourning this loss. Even today he is truly over with fans. He made an impact.

I had the pleasure of meeting the man a few times including, as mentioned above, just a few weeks ago. The photo below isn’t from that show, but rather seventeen years ago. It was a packed church/rec hall somewhere in deepest, smelliest New Jersey and we were all sweating. Can you tell? I was just thrilled to meet the “Master and Ruler of the World.” He’s another one that I’ll miss seeing at shows. Meet them while you can, folks.

Sid Eudy

1960-2024

Wrestling MarketWatch: Hype Then. Hype Now. Hype Forever.

“Then. Now. Forever.” Is more than just the name of the figure set we looked at here last week. It’s more than just the company motto, too. It’s hype and that’s definitely something that WWE was built on. Sure, it’s good business, but to their credit the company has always known how to do it well. Ever since the famous WWF logo debuted they’ve plastered it on absolutely everything – and it’s worked! Heck, look closely at the picture to the left. At one point they were printing card lineups on envelopes! I can’t count the number of times that I’ve referenced the WWF marketing machine over the years here in the blog, especially since merchandise is the name of the game. In this latest edition of Wrestling MarketWatch we’re looking at several items that reflect the never ending push of the brand, concepts and top stars of the WWF as we knew it.

*We’ll start in 1995. The World Wrestling Federation is no longer the mainstream entertainment choice that it had been just a few years earlier, though the diehards are still rabid for the product. I wouldn’t quite call it a transitional period, either, as honestly a lot of it felt quite stagnate. That being said, I personally prefer it to a lot of what happened in just a few years time. Nonetheless, the WWF was still looking to get their name out there. What way better to do that than to plaster the WWF logo on an airship? Gliding into cities across America, the WWF blimp was wrestling’s answer to the more widely known Goodyear counterpart. It may not have lasted more than a few years but it did yield an inflatable replica that was available through the catalog and likely at live events as well. Recently selling for $110 this is down from $190 back in 2020.

*The WWF was not only a pioneer in hype but a groundbreaker in pay-per-view television as well. After the success of WrestleMania III the company knew that it needed a follow-up in much less than twelve months. Thus, The Survivor Series was born. While teams of five may have strived to survive, all eyes were on Hulk Hogan vs Andre the Giant. Unlike their one-on-one bout at WrestleMania, the two epic gladiators would instead lead their own teams into battle. Hogan led Bam Bam Bigelow, Ken Patera, Paul Orndorff and Don Muraco (replacing Superstar Billy Graham) into the Thanksgiving night war against Andre and his team consisting of King Kong Bundy, The One Man Gang, Ravishing Rick Rude and Butch Reed. Several Survivor Series-branded promotional photos came out of the hype including one featuring a Hogan-Andre stare down in an image recycled from the WM III media blitz. This photo recently sold for $166.

*Andre may have been Hulk’s greatest rival but as we all know it didn’t end there. Perhaps no one, over the span of years, had more ups and downs with The Hulkster than Randy “Macho Man” Savage. While the two teamed for the first SummerSlam they led opposing duos for the second edition of the event in 1989. The show, emanating from East Rutherford, NJ, saw Hogan and Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake managed by Miss Elizabeth take on Savage and “Human Wrecking Machine” Zeus led by Sensational Sherri. It was one of several tie-ins to the “No Holds Barred” motion picture starring Hogan and Zeus, a film now considered by many to be a cult classic. The artwork promoting the event is a lot of fun and is featured in several outlets including a post card which recently sold for $18.

*1997 was most assuredly a transitional time for the company. Although the event was held in Chicago, WrestleMania that year always felt small to me. Many fans love the matches, however, and have fond memories of the show which honestly acts as a bridge between the “cartoon era” of yore and the “Attitude Era” about to be ushered in. For better or for worse (you know which way I vote), the company and the industry as a whole was about to rake in a whole lot of money. It looks like some sellers are trying to take in similar amounts of money for the promotional Burger King WrestleMania cup that was exclusive to the Chicagoland area. As usual, folks should be aware that those are the ASKING prices. The actual recent selling price is $15. We all know that prices go up and down on a whim. Always get in there when demand is low.

*Cable companies got into the act in those early days of pay-per-view as well. If you weren’t around then you may not know the lengths that fans often had to go to in order to see these events. While it eventually became a single phone call, the early days called for special receiver boxes and other gimmicks just to watch the show that you’re already paying extra for. It was the technology of the time. I can remember difficulties with cable boxes as late as the early 2000s. I’ve long since cut the cable, thankfully, and now it’s as simple as pulling up Peacock. More often than not it’s more entertaining to then go and watch a classic event than what’s streaming live, but I digress. We’ve shown a lot of WrestleMania IV love this year due to it being the 35^th anniversary. One item promoting the show was in fact provided by the WWF for individual cable companies to distribute. It’s a WrestleMania IV branded Hulk Hogan promotional photo complete with facsimile signature. The name of the cable company was added to the top of the photo which is on a far thinner paper stock than the traditional promo. While sellers, again, try to get way more for this photo, it recently sold for $15.

Are you hyped? I am! For the days when the hype was worthwhile, that is…

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--1992 WWF Royal Rumble Program

Some call it the greatest Royal Rumble of all-time. In my opinion, they're right. It was a transitional time for the World Wrestling Federation with names who starred in various territories in the '80s finally calling the WWF their home. The biggest non-WWF star of the previous decade, Ric Flair, was among those wrestlers. Even before the event, it seemed obvious that the event was building to a Rumble win for "Naitch." After all, this was the first time when a Rumble win truly had meaning. The winner would become the undisputed WWF Champion. But what would happen after Flair came strolling out at number three? In an hour we would find out...

The program is a product of the time when the pay-per-view event programs featured unique covers and event pages, but also included the pages from the then-current monthly event program. The non-exclusive pages covered stars and angles pertinent to the time period. In this case, the imminent split of The Rockers and the reinstatement of "Macho Man" Randy Savage are among those featured. Great period ads, too. Who could forget all of the "Hulk Hogan Vitamins" jokes? I'd like to, but the ad is something that kids can look up to...and parents can trust.

Coverage of the event begins with an article mentioning all thirty scheduled participants. We've got Hogan, Flair, Savage, Jake Roberts, Sid Justice, The Undertaker, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Sgt. Slaughter, The Nasty Boys, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, IRS, Big Boss Man, Repo Man, Virgil, Ted DiBiase, El Matador, The Rockers, Skinner, Greg Valentine, The Barbarian, Jimmy Snuka, Rick Martel, Col. Mustafa, Texas Tornado, The Warlord, The British Bulldog, The Berzerker, and Hercules. Of course, we now know that Marty Jannetty and Brian Knobbs would be replaced by Haku and Nikolai Volkoff.

As was standard for the time, the WWF Merchandise Catalog makes an appearance next with the Spring/Summer lineup. Though the days of cameo appearances by Shane and Stephanie McMahon had long since passed (though Shane did referee at the Rumble itself), the catalog is still chock full of fun. I can still remember being extremely amused at the sight of The Undertaker modeling his own t-shirt. It just seemed so out of character and out of place, even in 1992. I also loved gazing at the photo of the mock WWF children's bedroom. I just had to make sure that there were no Hasbro figures shown that I was unaware of.

Next up is a feature on the scheduled WWF Intercontinental Championship match between Bret "The Hitman" Hart and The Mountie. In the days leading up to the Rumble, The Mountie took the Intercontinental Title from The Hitman at a house show where Bret was said to be ill. This would lead to Roddy Piper having his first taste of WWF championship gold when he dethroned The Mountie in a brief encounter at the Rumble. Though Hart and The Mountie did not do battle at this Rumble, they did in fact see action against each other two years earlier at the 1989 Royal Rumble in an opening six-man tag match.

The 1992 Rumble was filled out with three tag team matches. The opening tag greatly mirrored that of the previous year, especially in setting a great mood for the evening. 1991 saw The Orient Express battle The Rockers, while this year the Mr. Fuji-led team battled The New Foundation--Owen Hart and Jim Neidhart. The WWF Tag Team Titles were on the line when The Legion of Doom battled The Natural Disasters and finally The Bushwhackers took on The Beverly Brothers. These latter two tag matches did not amount to much. Earthquake and Typhoon would have been much greatly utilized as two more gargantuan threats in the Rumble match.

It's now been twenty-five years since the "best" Royal Rumble. The event not only featured the best-remembered Rumble match, but also the best commentary performance by the beloved team of Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan. The Rumble included arguably twenty men who were bona fide main eventers in the business and saw the "60 Minute Man" reign supreme in the WWF's most famous "60 Minute Match." With a tear in my eye, Royal Rumble '92 just won't ever be topped.

Put that cigarette out!

Mattel Goes "Sycho"

He was Vicious. He was Justice. He was Humongous. He was even "Sycho." A master of the powerbomb, a skyscraper, and the master and ruler of the world. He is Sid. There's little middle ground on the man. You either like him or you don't. He had a look that was absolutely made for the wrestling business in a time when big men ruled. He hit all of the major companies as well as the top titles. Although he made it to the top of the mountain, various issues prevented him from staying there, or in any promotion, for very long. Now, thanks to Mattel, the man that rules the world is back.

The WWE action figure manufacturer is kicking the year off right. New packaging and many new characters. The first Elite series already contains three Flashback figures, usually favorites on this blog, with Davey Boy Smith and The Godfather joining Sid. The new Elite packaging is very attractive. The bubble is once again "open air" at the top, looking a lot like some superhero figure packaging that I've seen. The figures are also categorized with the logo (Legends, Divas, NXT, etc) that they're most associated with, although in 2016 I'm not sure how a current star can necessarily be labeled from either Raw or Smackdown.

Sid is an absolute giant. Although he always came across as gigantic on television, I don't think that I fully grasped his stature until I stood next to him. That being said, the figure is required to reflect that. The Jakks Classic Superstars Sid was one of the great disappointments in an otherwise unmatchable line. The body and limbs seemed way too wimpy for the massive Sid. The figure also came at a time when the Jakks quality was beginning to wane, making extensive posing of the figures rather risky. Mattel's Sid is big and sturdy. He absolutely looks as in-scale as possible.

This particular Sid facial likeness is one that has yet to be captured until now. Most past Sid figures went for the serious, menacing face. Mattel went the route of Sid's psychotic laugh. It works. Commentators would often point out Sid's maniacal grin and guffaws at the sight of his downed and decimated opponents. I can also recall several classic magazine covers with that exact grin on full display.

Most of the body parts themselves are reused, but they work, no questions asked. Sid was not the most technically sound wrestler, so as long as the figure can perform a powerbomb and chokeslam, you should be good to go. You could probably even reasonably recreate Sid's famous WCW injury, but who would want to do that? Sid's leather entrance vest is also included. I believe that this is an all-new accessory. It is definitely different from the one included with Barry Windham last year.

Here we have another former Horseman from Mattel. In what should be a year of great new faces from the company, Sid is a nice start. For most Mattel collectors, I'd call it a no-brainer to add to the collection. With a few different looks and outfits, I wouldn't rule out another Sid from Mattel down the road. He's certainly a name that I could see being thrown into a Basic set as is becoming more and more the case with Legends figures.

What more is there to say? Throw down your softball bat and squeegee and pick up a Sid!

A Personal Anniversary

A couple of months ago WWE Magazine published an article about wrestling. In recent years the magazine has become more of a hodge podge of pop culture than covering the WWE product itself. This particular wrestling article was about house shows.

For those who've never attended a house show, or live event as they're called by WWE, the article probably had the desired effect. It chronicled exactly why house shows are, to this day, something different and special.

Those who know me personally know that I love a good house show. They're the last remaining vestige of true blue professional wrestling. A ring. A single light over that ring. No obnoxious screens. The Fink. The kind of show that still makes you say, "This is wrestling!"

Today, 2/28, also happens to be an anniversary of sorts for me. It was nineteen years ago today that I attended my first live wrestling card. You guessed it. A house show.

I was lucky enough that, although it was already 1992, I was able to see the two biggest stars of the 1980's collide. In my first live main event, Hulk Hogan and Roddy Piper defeated Ric Flair and Sid Justice. That coupled with matches featuring other personal favorites like Big Boss Man, Ted DiBiase, Rick Martel, Tito Santana, and the Natural Disasters made it one of the most memorable nights of my life up to that point.

That night I also picked up my first live event souvenir. WWF Program #199 was added to my already growing collection of figures, tapes, and magazines. Marty Jannetty, although not on the show that night, graced the cover with the wonderful, and now extinct, lineup sheet inside.

The matches listed were just as Sean Mooney had hyped them on the event center in the weeks prior to the show. "Other Exciting Bouts Featuring The Warlord And Kato" were also promised on the blue, black, and white sheet. It should be noted that The Undertaker was originally announced to team with Flair but was removed after Taker's first babyface turn.

The event ended up featuring The Warlord defeating Chris Walker, Davey Boy Smith defeating Rick Martel, Tito Santana defeating Ted DiBiase, The Natural Disasters defeating Hacksaw Jim Duggan & Sgt. Slaughter by disqualification, JW Storm defeating Kato, Big Boss Man defeating Repo Man, as well as the aforementioned main event.

Not many bootleg handheld videos of shows from our now-shuttered Pittsburgh Civic Arena seem to exist. Thankfully, the main event was done "around the horn" as it were and was taped the following month at Madison Square Garden. While it's not the exact show, the main event is virtually move for move as I remember it.

While the current wrestling product as a whole isn't always my cup of tea, sometimes you only need to take a look at the kids enjoying it. Seeing the excitement they're experience can take you back. It takes me back to February 28, 1992--the night my television heroes came to life before my eyes.