Dueling Machos

Action figure photography is all the rage these days. I’ve summed it up here on the blog before: it’s the accepted way for adults to continue to play with their toys. I love it and I’ve often said on my own wrestling figure photography social (Instagram: The_Figure_Arena) that you could literally start an account just for “Macho Man” Randy Savage figure pictures. Is it any wonder? He has countless looks from his colorful years in the business and it seems as if we’re getting several new figures of him each year. Well, now we’ve got two more to add to the lineup. Two new looks just hit, ironically both black and white, and what better way to look at both than in a combined blog review? Dig it? 

Both of these “Macho Men” are entries into the Mattel WWE Ultimate Edition line. Undoubtedly one of the hottest series out right now, the Ultimate Editions are purportedly the “ultimate” in accessories, articulation and likeness. Originally I took the name to imply that they were the “ultimate” edition of each character, meaning that no other version of this particular individual could ever measure up. Seeing as that we now have three “Ultimate” Savage’s and four “Ultimate” Hulk Hogan’s, with more of both on the way, I think that we can resign that way of thinking. At least I can. Instead I believe that we are to think that any figure in this line is automatically the “best of the best.” Does that really ring true? 

The 1993-1994 era Macho Man was the “early bird backer” incentive for collectors to back the Mattel WWE Ultimate New Generation Arena set. The set, along with the other “Ultimate” incentive figures (Diesel and Doink The Clown) have already been reviewed on this blog. Savage, due to being added to the program later, shipped separately. The nWo era “Mach” was a Target exclusive and the second in their “Ultimate Legends” figure lineup. There was an earlier Elite version of this figure that was exclusive to an online retailer, but I passed on that one as I generally do with “Attitude Era” online exclusives due to lack of personal interest. For reasons that we’ll get into when we look deeper into the figure, this one grabbed my attention for sure. 

Both figures are packaged in the standard, large “Ultimate” packaging. The “announcer/WrestleMania X” Macho also has an outer cardboard box which will undoubtedly be considered necessary to be present if one wants a “complete” figure. To me it’s just a box, albeit with the “New Generation” WWE logo on one side and the Ultimate logo on the other. As usual with the Ultimate figures there are plenty of accessories floating around. It’s (sadly) a non-factor when it comes to Randy Savage, but I’ve never entertained the notion of getting any Ultimate figures signed due to this. It just isn’t appealing to me in that respect. It should be noted that additional accessories are unseen yet included with “announcer” Macho. 

Before I really took a good investigative look, I actually thought that I would like the nWo Macho Man more. Considering that the announcer figure is closer to my favorite era, that thought was a bit of a shock even to myself. I’d heard some things that turned out to be false about the announcer figure. Appealing in the favor of the nWo Macho was that we finally get a “tongue sticking out” head for Savage. So, who’s better? 

Both include a plethora of accessories. Announcer Macho, as noted above, even comes with some that aren’t immediately visible. While you do see vintage-styled microphones, monitors, a headset and extra Macho Man cowboy hat with attached headset right in the window, hidden behind some cardboard is the “classic” announce table with blue soft goods table cloth and blue folding chairs. It should be noted that all of these accessories wouldn’t have made it into a standard Ultimate release. Again, they are part of the New Generation Arena theme. For those wondering, beneath the table cloth is your standard Mattel breakaway table. The extra headset (presumably for Vince McMahon, Gorilla Monsoon or Bobby “The Brain” Heenan) is too pliable and doesn’t look as good as its Jakks counterpart from years ago. This Macho also includes “pointing hands,” an entrance jacket and shirt. A fallacy that I’d heard about this figure was that the jacket and shirt couldn’t be worn simultaneously as they were in real life. I had them on the figure together in seconds, so obviously it’s meant to be done. Considering how thin both are (a blessing in this case), there’s no reason that it shouldn’t work. 

nWo Macho also features two thin shirts. In the past few years I think that most of us have gotten used to the thin fabric being used by Mattel. It may actually look a bit better as it’s more form fitting, but I do wonder about it holding up over the years. What I love about the nWo Macho shirts is that they fit on just like real shirts. No velcro! Mattel really needs to take note of how great this is for future Hogan releases. We’ve had more than enough “tearable” shirts with The Hulkster. It’s time to give us some solid ones. Going back to Macho, “The Savage One” also includes a pair of what I call “Freak out! Freak out!” hands, his white sash belt and bandana. It’s a solid figure that can be customized with other already released Savage accessories. All five heads included between these two figures are interchangeable although the “tongue” head is the only one not included twice. 

I do feel that each figure was missing fairly important hands. Seeing as that nWo Macho is gloved, I think that we should’ve received pointing gloved hands. As far as the announcer version, I feel that leaving out “taped thumbs up” hands was a glaring omission. He did this all the time as an announcer. Mattel has been strangely stingy with “thumbs up” hands. Is it some sort of evil, canceled hand sign that I’m blissfully unaware of? I honestly wonder if an updated Hacksaw Jim Duggan were to be released (he hasn’t had a new figure since alternate hands were added to the line) that perhaps they would not be included with him, either. We have gotten them with Scott Hall and in an upcoming Razor Ramon release, but that doesn’t help with Macho seeing as that he wore hand tape. 

The good thing is that The Macho Man has endless looks to choose from, thus there’s really no limit to more releases. Where do these two rank? They’re both very good but I wouldn’t deem either the best. If I had to choose I would probably say that the best Macho release was the first Ultimate figure clad in the white and neon outfit. It wasn’t his most recognizable outfit (despite being made in Hasbro form) but it certainly felt the most complete. Had the recently released WrestleMania VI version of The Macho King included his entrance jacket, I feel that that one would be hard to beat. Alas, it does not include the jacket. Neither of these figures ultimately makes my mental ballot for “Figure Of The Year,” but they’re still solid. nWo Macho is still available through Target while the other, due to it being part of the Mattel Creations set, will have to be obtained through the secondary market if you were not a backer. 

With upgrades in production methods and the ever-increasing demands of collectors, these figures should only be getting better and better. Randy Savage is one of the most visually varied and striking individuals to ever exist in the world of professional wrestling. As long as the rights are continually granted to make figures, we should continue to see him be well-represented. Both of these figures were necessary entries into the Savage collection, but the colors keep them from becoming truly the best of his figures out there. No one was more colorful in or out of the ring. Now that we have figures of just about every “darker” side of Savage (even late WCW which was produced a few years back), let’s get back into his colorful side. How about some of the 1988 robes? More of the “neon cowboy” era? The sky is the limit…although watch for flying elbows.

Just When You Thought The Legends Line Lost Its Way…

I may be in the minority, but I wasn’t too thrilled when D-X found their way into the Mattel WWE Legends line. Certainly they made their impact on the business in that era, but they just aren’t my cup of tea. There was a time when I was frantically pre-ordering every figure in this series that was announced, but that has dwindled in recent waves. With the announcements at San Diego Comic Con my love and utter amazement for the line is coming back. Paul E. Dangerously and The Samoan Swat Team? With variants as The Headshrinkers? Are you kidding me? The Dingo Warrior? Even WCW AJ Styles brought me the tingles. Deep dives are what we all love and Mattel is once again truly bringing Legends to the table. I will say that my most recent purchases may not be that deep and one is even slightly out of my preferred wheelhouse, but they’re FUN. And, I’ll go as far as to say that one is the definitive version of this particular legend. 

Mattel WWE Legends 15, exclusive to Target of course, consists of Lex Luger, Stacy Keibler, X-Pac and Kane. While I’m a fan of the latter two I just don’t need any more figures of either at the moment and I obviously would’ve preferred others in those two slots. Luger and Keibler are a different story. I’ll get into my enjoyment of the Luger figure in a bit, but Stacy might be considered an odd one for me. While she’s definitely not what most think of as a wrestling legend, she certainly made her mark on the business. Aside from always seeming like a sweetheart of a person, Stacy certainly had the look and charisma to leave a lasting impression. While she didn’t exactly change the business, I’d consider her a minor draw and was definitely a big part of the huge WWF/WWE Divas marketing push of two decades ago. 

One thing I will address early on is how easy it has become to collect these Legends waves, even the so-called chase figures. Ever since last years debacle of Brutus Beefcake and Diamond Dallas Page never making it to brick and mortar Target stores, the availability of all of these figures has taken a complete turn. It’s a wonderful thing. I’ve never been one to champion making anything out of reach for any collector. No one will deny that there is a certain thrill in having something that was limited, but I can’t think of a single figure in history that I would choose that status over it being readily available for everyone. Ultimately toys are meant to be played with. Every child, and adult, who wants these figures should have them. It’s just the way that it is. 

Kicking it off with Stacy Keibler who, due to the aforementioned “deep dives” recently taken by Mattel, I’m actually surprised isn’t labeled “Miss Hancock” on the package since that’s really the gimmick that this figure represents. The bio on the back does indeed mention the name, however, and I’d argue that her WCW run was a tad more memorable than her WWE days even if she had more exposure (no pun intended) in the latter. With Stacy you get two heads (alternate hair), her eyeglasses, alternate hands and Miss Hancock’s ubiquitous clip board. This figure actually gives me visions of what could be if Terri Runnels were signed to a WWE figure deal. After what we’ve gotten and what’s upcoming, I truly feel we’d see Alexandra York in figure form. But going back to Stacy, I do believe that this is only her fourth figure in history. I can only recall three previously made (by Jakks) and I did in fact purchase them all. The “wrestling gear” Stacy was pretty coveted at one point and Jakks always seemed to do a good job with her. For their first venture down Keibler Lane, Mattel is continuing that legacy. 

Flexy Lexy brings a whole different discussion to the table. I truly feel that this is the definitive Lex Luger figure to date. When I say that I’m thinking more of the chase version here, but aside from the color of the trunks they’re both the same. Being an ‘80s fan, the chase clad in orange is my preference. Both include alternate heads, alternate hands and a soft goods nWo shirt. While the shirt doesn’t really work with the orange version, throw it on another figure. It doesn’t ever hurt to have extra shirts, especially soft goods ones worn by many different stars. The previous Mattel Lugers have been good but very era-specific. The best was the “Bash at the Beach” version from a three pack with Sting and Randy Savage. That Luger had the Sting face paint. The Narcissist was a solid figure but comes from a very short incarnation of Luger. The “All-American” version was good but honestly should be redone and with the current “New Generation” kick that Mattel is on, such an undertaking wouldn’t surprise me at all. The only “generic” Luger figure was a basic and really reflected the late ‘90s more than anything, though it could be fudged. 

This chase Luger really gives us the earlier Lex we’ve been needing. The interchangeable heads add to it greatly as Lex was known to wear a ponytail even in the ’80s. Throw any of the NWA/WCW belts that Mattel has fast been releasing and you’ve really got a great looking figure. Would I have chosen blue or green as opposed to orange? I don’t think that I would have. While I’d welcome any color of trunks for a future release, I’m always a fan for bright colored figures since it’s something that’s seriously lacking in the present day. For my money this is…The Total Package. 

I had to do it. 

I feel that the Mattel Legends are finally getting back on track as far as what us true old school fans really want. I commented to my friend that, after the great things we saw at SDCC, perhaps Mattel is taking note of what the smaller, “boutique” companies are appeasing us with. Whether or not they’re even paying attention to that is anyone’s guess, but some great new names and “deep dives” (sick of that phrase yet?) do have me wondering. At press time both Lex and Stacy are available to order through Target. Again, the newly found availability of these legends is tremendous. I feel that I run into the chase versions as much as I do the regular and both myself and my friend received one of each with our initial pre-orders. I feel like I’ve said it in virtually every figure review as of late, but it’s a great time to be a collector, especially of the legends we adore.

Should I tell you to "Suck It?"

As distribution problems and other business decisions that can only be described as "wonky" continue to plague the line and frustrate collectors, Mattel has at least continued to crank out product. Occasionally fans can get even get their hands on the figures. Sadly, it's become even a chore to obtain figures that are slated to be online exclusives. One set that we can deem "so far, so good" about is the Amazon exclusive "Fan Takeover," which is now in it's second series.

The concept of "Fan Takeover" is that fan vote allegedly decides which outfits that the figures will be decked out in. I guess we should believe that. From a company noted for being notoriously tight-lipped on such issues as the Harley Race debacle, it's sort of hard to believe that the results would be on the up-and-up. Nonetheless, thus far we've received Ricky Steamboat, Adam Cole, Shayna Baszler and Seth Rollins in Series 1 and Johnny Gargano, Randy Orton, Christian and X-Pac in Series 2. The former 1-2-3 Kid is our subject today.

This version of X-Pac, "as chosen by the fans," is decked out in his 2002 nWo look. It's a look that Jakks produced at the time in the old "TTL" style. The packaging is the standard current shape (said to be changing yet again soon), but the colors are much more vibrant and therefore more attractive, in my opinion. This one looks good boxed and the extra hands aren't floating that manically as sometimes is the case. Amazon isn't known for their great packing in mailings. I must say that this one came boxed and well-protected while Gargano arrived in a bubble mailer. I need say no more.

You get a variety of accessories with X-Pac including a removable nWo t-shirt, bandana, three sets of hands and a Kane mask. I don't particularly remember the angle where X-Pac wore the Kane mask, but I do remember a lot of interaction between the two over the years so I'm sure that it happened. It doesn't fit perfectly but it's still a fun accessory. The hand choices were well done and removable bandanas and headbands should be the rule for every such figure. The nWo t-shirt is always a coveted accessory and allows other figures of a similar size to "join" the New World Order.

In addition to the particular hand choices the facial likeness is great. Coupled with the removable bandana you could honestly label this the "ultimate" X-Pac. For a man such as Sean Waltman who's had plenty of figures down through the years, this is a helluva statement if I do say so myself...and I do.

While the first Fan Takeover series sat available on Amazon for some time, Series 2 has been sporadic at best. If you checked enough you were able to lock in pre-orders on any of them. There could be an upcoming moment where they're all simultaneously available as the first series was, but that has yet to happen. If names for a third series have been unveiled, they have yet to hit my radar. I like the mix of eras in the sets, though as usual I'd prefer a heavier legends presence. If you know me, though, that's my rule. Perhaps we can get the WCW Ricky Steamboat that "didn't win" the Series 1 vote in place of a re-release...

Wrestling MarketWatch: WWF Hall of Fame 2021

Along with the Royal Rumble match, the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony is probably the last piece of fresh programming from the company that I truly enjoy. At this point even WrestleMania has completely lost my interest. For reasons that are no mystery to a single person on the planet, 2020 did not see a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony. While details are still sketchy, it appears that the 2020 class will finally get inducted alongside the class of 2021. Whether the class will be merged as one or if each will go down in history separately has yet to be seen. 

For 2020 we have the nWo (Hollywood Hulk Hogan, Kevin Nash, Scott Hall, and Syxx), John Bradshaw Layfield, Jushin Thunder Liger, "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith, The Bella Twins and Batista. As of press time the sole 2021 inductee to be announced is Molly Holly. In this edition of MarketWatch we're going to look at the recent selling prices of memorabilia from several of these names. As always prices quoted are for non-autographed items.

*Starting with our first 2021 inductee announced we visit the sole action figure of Molly Holly. It's always been an underrated figure and is still a highlight of the Jakks "TitanTron Live" style. Molly is one of the best female grapplers of the past two decades and is more than deserving of her Hall of Fame induction. The support shown by fans as well as her peers has been something to see. This is not the first time that this figure has been here on the blog in a MarkerWatch feature. Around three and a half years ago the figure was selling for $20. Still undervalued, it's recently been selling for an average of $15. Whether or not her Hall of Fame induction will yield her a second figure has yet to be seen.

*Always controversial, John Bradshaw Layfield was one of those superstars who was able to reinvent himself several times during his career. The "JBL" character, WWE's answer to J.R. Ewing, was without a doubt his best incarnation. At WrestleMania 21 back in 2005, JBL made a grand entrance with money falling from the sky. Those "JBL Bills" were scooped up and have landed in the collections of many fans worldwide. One example recently sold for $18.

*Some may say that The Bella Twins are undeserving of a Hall of Fame entry. The WWE Hall of Fame is full of inductees that you may or may not agree with. I will say that the duo has brought many extra eyes to the business, both male and female. Even my girlfriend is a fan of the twins thanks to their "Total Bellas" program. From figures to teddy bears, the twins have also had their fair share of memorabilia. It's a proven fact that authentic autograph cards of female wrestlers sell for a bit more on the secondary market than the male wrestler cards. Perhaps there are a lot of "lonely hearts" collecting? Nonetheless, Brie Bella's Topps WWE Heritage 2016 authentic autograph card recently sold for $28.

*One of my favorite inductees this year is Jushin Thunder Liger. The puroresu star who retired in 2020 has always been fascinating to his legions of fans, myself included. He recently received several modern wrestling figures thanks to a company called Storm Collectibles. You can see the first of those by clicking Liger's "label" at the bottom of this entry which will lead to a review of that figure from last year. That being said his older figures from Japan, while less poseable, are still in high demand. This New Japan Pro Wrestling figure recently sold for $51.

*Shortly after the creation of the New World Order, those in charge at WCW realized that the nWo was the more popular brand. This led to their logo being slapped on nearly every piece of merchandise that passed through the Atlanta-based wrestling company. Did you own a Bash Brick? It's a somewhat hard foam brick that you can "safely" bash your friends (or enemies) with. It really doesn't have much of a connection to wrestling other then the logos, but who's counting? One recently sold for $25.

There are always at least a few speeches to watch out for at the Hall of Fame ceremony. Who those will be and just how the ceremony itself will take place are still mysteries. I can tell you that Batista's will be a great pee break for me, even if I'm not watching live.

Sorry, Big Dave.

Mattel Goes Hollywood

It's always fun to review a brand-spankin'-new figure at Christmas time. I believe both Mattel's Bruno Sammartino and "NWA" Dusty Rhodes figures fall into this category as far as their features on this blog. After all, what's more fun to receive for Christmas than a wrestling figure? Forget those new video game systems, diamond rings or even cars! No gift cards, Nut-of-the-Month club or even fruit cake will satisfy you. You want a rassler. Who better to follow in the footsteps of Bruno and Dusty than The Hulkster himself?

Initially Mattel said that we wouldn't see any of the new Hulk Hogan figures before 2021, but indeed we have. Last month saw the release of The Hulkster in the Masters of the WWE Universe line and here we have his return to the standard WWE line. But this isn't any ordinary figure. It's an "Ultimate Edition" figure. What does that mean? The prices are higher, the articulation is greater, and there may be a few more accessories and parts than your standard Elite. Oh yeah, and you get moveable toes. Sounds fun to me!

While there were other Hulk Hogan figures done by Mattel, a "Hollywood" or nWo version was not yet produced before his departure from WWE in 2015. While I'd have chosen the famous "red and yellow" look for his return to the line regardless of what has already been produced, I'll go Hollywood! The packaging is a large window box which honestly displays more of the parts and accessories than the actual figure. While the packaging is designed to be impressive, I just can't see wanting to keep these in the package. The parts and accessories are useless just to look at. A friend of mine who collects solely for the purpose of autographs have shunned this line completely. For those of us who like to p...uhh..."pose," there are a ton of possibilities. 

In the box with Hulk you get three interchangeable heads (smiling, yelling and pouty), bandana, tearing nWo t-shirt, weight belt, "spray-painted" nWo "big gold" belt, black and white boa, weight belt, sunglasses, and a pair of fists. That is a lot of accessories and definitely more than you would get with a single Elite. I'm kind of surprised to not see another set of hands (pointing?) and the cross chain, but we're still getting a lot. The shirt is soft goods so it looks great and "tears" in the front. The belts are well-made as usual with Mattel and stay on. The boa we've seen plenty of, but never before in these colors. Finally, the bandana is removable and works on any of the heads. That is a must.

I wasn't sure how I initially felt about the facial likeness based upon photos that I'd seen. In person I'm more than satisfied. I won't say that it's dead-on like some other recent releases as if the person is standing there in front of me, but it's very good. There are some great details all around on the figure, but the boots really stick out to me as a highlight. The paint applications on everything are pretty good this time on both the figure and the accessories. With the recent trend towards non-"vac" belts with the authentic shine, I'm glad that they went traditional here even if it's a belt we've had before.

This is the first Mattel figure to feature the "butterfly" articulation on the shoulders. While it doesn't offer really all that much more movement, it doesn't bother me as it seems to other collectors. I've come a long way from when I hated the "torso joint." We all change and adapt in life and collecting is no different. You can really make some great poses with this figure and can hear Hulk spread his nWo venom just by looking at him. I really love gloved figures and being able to switch between the fists and clenching hands really helps when setting different scenes.

I'm sure that we will see more "Hollywood" Hogan figures down the line. He had many different designs during this time period which are all available to explore. It is also being reported that a "red and yellow" Hulkster is coming in the Ultimate Edition line. To grab this one, you will probably have to order it online. As we know that's now the easiest way to obtain any wrestling figure, although there have been reports of the Ultimate Edition line returning to Target stores nationwide.

Either way, The Hulkster is back, brother!

The "Lost" Retro Series

We're all like jilted lovers. Their decisions and actions betray us, upset us, and annoy us, yet we keep coming back for more. Wrestling figure collectors are the victims. The evil entity luring us? Mattel. Sure, they have a great product that we can't get enough of. But what does it take for us to get it? Lousy distribution. Much-wanted product that is deliberately made to be "chased." But here we are. And here is another review of a series that can be classified under all of the above.

Mattel WWE Retro Series 5 should have been available everywhere. You have one of the most popular acts of the last few years debuting in a hot line and an all-time great making his "re-debut" in the style. Aside from some appearances at online retailers and, shockingly, in the bargain basement, this series really didn't show up much of anywhere. The sad part is that without these four the Retro set and collection has a glaring omission. Nevertheless, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, Big E., Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods have arrived.

In my opinion, The New Day was a must for the Retro line. They fit the style, they're fun characters, and the men behind the characters are likely getting a huge thrill being immortalized in the type of wrestling figure that they grew up playing with. The pink and blue color combination is a ray of sunshine in a line that was getting somewhat dull in looks. Sure, many superstars of today lack vibrant colors, but one of the Hasbro WWF figure legacies is exactly that. It was a reflection of the roster at the time and this line should continue that. The current WWE Champion (as of press time) and his crew do just that. Be sure to check out Woods' very Sheik (chic?) boots and the fact that Big E's figure feels very much like Hasbro's Warlord of decades ago.

For me, Randy Savage is the sleeper here. You can't have a bad figure of The Macho Man. It just does not happen with what a larger-than-life character that he was. That being said, I wasn't too excited when this figure was first revealed. The nWo black and white colors just don't do it for me in this style. I would have preferred the Savage that we should've gotten in 1992, but didn't. A simple repaint of the "Macho King" figure with vibrant pants, similar to the figure included in the Hasbro Royal Rumble mini-ring. After having the figure in my hands, I can say that I was pleasantly surprised. It really screams "Savage" (or "Oooooh yeah," perhaps?) in the WCW/nWo era and goes well with other figures in the line such as Sting, Goldberg, and Ric Flair. It should be noted that a packaging variation has been discovered with Savage. In some releases his left arm is raised inside of the bubble.

My only real gripes are the packaging, which has changed for the better in future series as documented in the last entry, and the fact that I would've swapped the "Real Wrestling Action" moves of Woods and Kingston. It's a solid lineup and good to see The New Day released together. If they all weren't so difficult to find I would say that Kingston would be the most popular due to his recent successes, but you'll pretty much have to go the online route to ensure that you pick up the set. There is already another Savage available in the line that I'm sure we'll be seeing here on the blog sooner than later, but it does not really fill the void that I mentioned above. I would not be surprised to see The New Day redone in different colors down the line also.

Thanks for still checking out the blog even on our reduced schedule. There's plenty more to come...

Topps WWE Heritage 2016 Turns Back The Clock To 1986

Could my favorite style of wrestling trading cards finally be getting a steady yearly release? It's been roughly ten months since the last time we visited the Topps WWE Heritage series which saw release in November 2015. That set was nice, but it didn't knock my socks off. Any Heritage set is great in my book with the classic cardboard/no gloss style, but the 2015 edition didn't manage to crack my top three. Here in 2016 we've received another Heritage set, but will it be a collection worthy of the best (2012) or will it sort of fizzle like many of the non-Heritage WWE card releases do?

As usual with Heritage, I cracked open a hobby box. As with most Topps WWE releases, a hobby box guarantees two "hits" (autographs, relics, etc.) and, in recent years, has almost always yielded a complete base card set. The design of the box remains very similar to 2015, changing in color from blue to yellow. The bright colors work well for these retro sets. Once again a mixture of current and past WWE Superstars adorn the box, with no real surprises as far as names included. The packs themselves feature The Rock, John Cena, and Andre the Giant.

The base card design this year is based off the 1986 Topps Baseball collection. I owned that full set as a kid, probably still do, and I remember it being a favorite. In place of the MLB team names we get Superstar, Legend, or NXT. Some of the autograph cards have "Diva," as well, in what will likely be the last time that we see that designation. The photo selections are good, although I noticed at least one change from the sales sheets. A "Macho King" Randy Savage card was planned and for whatever reason we got a rather ordinary "Macho Man" card instead. A change to "Macho King" would've been something different, but I'm sure something got in the way to cause the switch.

As usual we get several subsets including "Record Breaker," "WCW/nWo All Star," and "Turn Back The Clock." The latter features inset reprints of older cards. In addition to cards from Topps 1985 and 1987 WWF sets, foreign releases are included as well. It should be noted that the original WWF block logos are switched to the WWE block logo on the reprints. These "Turn Back The Clock" cards are based on a baseball subset that I also had, and enjoyed, in my youth. The "WCW/nWo All Star" cards feature some great, rarely used photos from the WCW archive. There is also a subset featuring The Rock that are not actual Heritage cards. If you remember my review of Heritage 2015, you already know my feelings on these and thus they are not shown here.

My autograph "hit" from this set was a Brie Bella on-card autograph. I'm very glad that the on-card autographs have returned for Heritage. Ever since Topps started integrating the on-card autos into their sets, I've quite frankly been spoiled. I was very disappointed when, upon opening a box of Topps WWE 2016, the autograph card was once again a stick-on. While the autograph pulls in Heritage 2016 are sharp, I can't say the same thing for the relics. I pulled a Bray Wyatt Survivor Series mat relic that is, to be perfectly honest, boring. While relics are definitely overdone at this point, things can be done to make them more appealing. That is not the case here.

As usual, my focus is the 110-card base set. For most card reviews, the base set is what I base my final opinion on. Opening the hobby box, I once again received all 110 base cards. It's a solid lineup featuring plenty of current favorites and a healthy dose of past greats. For collectors like myself who enjoy getting the base cards signed, it's becoming more and more a reminder each year of just how many legends we've lost. As new sets get released, there are less legends around to sign. This set does feature more recent alumni/legends such as Rikishi, Road Dogg, and Tatanka, but the point is still driven home. Regulars like Harley Race and Nikolai Volkoff among others were left out. I understand why, but it's a tad disappointing when easily obtainable signers such as those greats aren't included.

My verdict? I love the designs. The lineup and some of the photos left me a bit underwhelmed, but this set definitely scores higher with me than 2015. The cards all have that vintage feel, where as some of the subsets last year were an odd mix of retro and current material. It's nice to see that we've now gotten two Heritage sets in consecutive years. In my opinion there is no reason that it should be less than annual. As I suggested last year, a 30th anniversary of the Topps 1987 WWF/WrestleMania III set would be a great idea for 2017. The American-themed border was a simple yet amazing design that we see a glimpse of this year in the "Turn Back The Clock" subset. They could even do a WrestleMania subset with an image from all 32 events. Come on Topps, I give my geniusin' away for free here!

Back To Wrestling's Future...2015 Edition

In my book, nothing says "trading cards" like thick cardboard and a nice matte finish. No gloss! It's what many of us grew up on, and it's why I really enjoy the Topps Heritage cards. The company produces a few different sports under the Heritage banner. Even some Star Wars card sets have been done in a retro style. After a three year wait, Topps has once again revived the WWE Heritage brand.

Once again, a 110-card base set is surrounded by several subsets and seemingly endless hits and parallels. In the Heritage sets it's the base cards that I enjoy the most. In 2015, Topps is celebrating thirty years of WWF/WWE cards. The base card design is based off of the Topps 1985 baseball set. Seeing as that the 2012 WWE Heritage set already used the 1985 Topps WWF design, this was a good choice.

The base set is divided into Legends, Divas, WWE Superstars, and NXT Superstars. There is some crossover, however. The Divas section includes some retired ladies and superstars such as Christian and Santino Marella are thrown in with the current WWE roster. The NXT section features Kevin Owens, Sasha Banks, and Charlotte, but the card designs were switched to the Superstars and Divas designs, respectively, presumably at the last minute.

An abundance of stars, both past and present, has given Topps the ability to spread names, and gimmicks, throughout the set. Some stars only appear in subsets while others such as Alundra Blayze, Eva Marie, and Pat Patterson, make their sole appearances on autograph cards. Even more names, especially NXT midcarders, only appear on relic cards featuring clothing, turnbuckle, or mat swatches. Many big stars such as Ric Flair, Lex Luger, and Terry Funk are only on tag team or group cards. It's an interesting switch likely due to the rights to so many stars being available this time around.

The 2015 subsets include NXT Call Ups, Then & Now, and Rookie of the Year. The latter two are based in design on the Topps 1985 Baseball "Top Prospects" and "Father & Son" subsets, respectively. The "rookie" cards are very nice and mark the first WWE year of thirty different Superstars, not their first year in the business. Yet another subset yields just eight cards and uses art from the WWE 2K16 video game. Of these cards, Paul Heyman makes his lone appearance in the whole set and is a major stand-out.

There is also a ten card subset spotlighting the New World Order. I do believe that these ten cards are replacing what would have been the final ten in the Hulk Hogan tribute subset which was spread out over past sets. It's cool to see Miss Elizabeth and Big Bubba Rogers show up, but they should have completed the Hogan set. Although technically these cards are a subset, since they aren't retro in style I don't technically count them as Heritage. They are glossy and on the modern, thinner, card stock. It's a shame that Elizabeth didn't get an actual Heritage card with a classic '80s shot, but there's always the next set.

A hobby box (twenty-four packs) is guaranteed to have two "hits" inside. These hits can be an autograph, relic, or printing plate. This is the first WWE Heritage set to utilize the ever-growing in popularity "on-card" autographs. For those unfamiliar with trading card sets, it has long been practice for the signers to autograph rows of clear stickers which are then affixed to the cards. In recent years the companies have been switching to getting the autographs right on the card itself. In my hobby box, I pulled a Jack Swagger shirt relic and a Roman Reigns autograph.

For the best shot at obtaining something special like an autograph, as usual your best bet is a hobby box. In the results that I've seen so far, one has been either an autograph or a redemption card for one, so the odds are looking good. This hasn't always been the case with past Topps sets, where autographs can sometimes be slim pickings. Target has been carrying single packs and Wal Mart once again has exclusive Sting cards (and a shot at his autograph) in their jumbo packs and blaster boxes.

I've been asking for this set for three years. Topps delivered. It isn't my favorite Heritage set, 2012 still holds that distinction, but it's close. I think it might be tied with Heritage II back in 2006. I don't see myself going as crazy getting this set signed as I did with 2012. There are too many tag team cards to make me want to make it a project, but I already know a few that will end up in my signed album. Some of the "Rookie of the Year" cards practically scream "get me autographed!" How can I ignore that?

I've admitted before that a Heritage set every year probably won't ever happen, but I hope that Topps doesn't make us wait three years again for the next one. Two years would be perfect to make the thirtieth anniversary of the 1987 Topps WWF set. The patriotic design of that set is begging to be redone with another great mix of current stars and legends.

Maybe even including...a stick of gum?