For a few years now, the Hasbro WWF line has been the most popular vintage line of wrestling figures. Prices have soared for both carded and loose examples. Figures that clogged the clearance shelves for years and hadn't taken on much secondary value now fetch $30 and $40 for carded examples. Rarer and more popular figures can go into the hundreds. We've had plenty of Hasbro features over the years here on the blog, but this is the first appearance for the line in our "Wrestling Classic Figure Review" series. We're starting with a tag team that tore up the streets of Allentown, PA (or New York City, if WCW is more to your liking) with a nasty sensation. It's Brian Knobbs and Jerry Sags, The Nasty Boys.
Although I began collecting the line shortly after it hit shelves, The Nasty Boys were some of the last figures to join my collection. Part of the second series of tag team sets, the Boys were shipped along with the Legion of Doom. Initial cases did not include The Nasty Boys, and in my area they never seemed to arrive. While Hawk and Animal, despite their popularity, warmed the pegs, I started to believe that The Nasty Boys set just wasn't produced. In 1994, my dad and I saw an ad in a magazine for a company called Figures Inc. (now known as Figures Toy Company). They advertised that they had the figures in stock for a price of what I remember to be around $16. My dad took the number down and when I had saved up enough money, we ordered Knobbs and Sags.
Arguably two of the most unique figures in the line, I'm as thrilled with the twosome now as I was then. Like all of the Hasbro WWF figures, The Nasty Boys each utilize a "Real Wrestling Action" to pound their opponents into submission. Indeed, Sags has the "Punk Pounder" while Knobbs has the "Nasticizer." The body/mechanism types fit well for the style of wrestling that this team was known for: pure brawling.
The detail level was high. Hasbro was usually pretty good in this category with a few exceptions. The graffiti look of the shirts was captured well. The facial likenesses were a bit easier to pull off since the Boys are wearing their trademark shades, but there's no doubt that this is Knobbs and Sags. The mullets and Sags' famous gap tooth look are here, too. Remember, this is before accessories were included with every figure. No trench coats in this first "Nasty" incarnation.
One detail that I always appreciated was in the lower portions of the figures. Hasbro took the time to sculpt special boots, complete with chains, for Knobbs and Sags. It's a little thing that could have been ignored and that many companies have not done with The Nasty Boys since. It should also be noted that little if any of the parts of these figures were ever used again. With Hasbro constantly reusing molds, this is still a surprise and allows The Nasty Boys to stand out when displayed with the rest of the collection.
They've had their share of figures since, but I do believe that the first remain the best. As "primitive" as the Hasbro designs may appear to some modern collectors, that has always been a big part of their appeal and charm. Action figures are toys, and the Hasbro WWF line is exactly what the colorful, larger-than-life, World Wrestling Federation roster of the early '90s should look like as toys.. Now that Mattel is producing newer figures in a similar style, the tradition continues. What does that mean for the modern WWE superstars? They may just have to make a pit stop in "Pity City."
Although I began collecting the line shortly after it hit shelves, The Nasty Boys were some of the last figures to join my collection. Part of the second series of tag team sets, the Boys were shipped along with the Legion of Doom. Initial cases did not include The Nasty Boys, and in my area they never seemed to arrive. While Hawk and Animal, despite their popularity, warmed the pegs, I started to believe that The Nasty Boys set just wasn't produced. In 1994, my dad and I saw an ad in a magazine for a company called Figures Inc. (now known as Figures Toy Company). They advertised that they had the figures in stock for a price of what I remember to be around $16. My dad took the number down and when I had saved up enough money, we ordered Knobbs and Sags.
Arguably two of the most unique figures in the line, I'm as thrilled with the twosome now as I was then. Like all of the Hasbro WWF figures, The Nasty Boys each utilize a "Real Wrestling Action" to pound their opponents into submission. Indeed, Sags has the "Punk Pounder" while Knobbs has the "Nasticizer." The body/mechanism types fit well for the style of wrestling that this team was known for: pure brawling.
The detail level was high. Hasbro was usually pretty good in this category with a few exceptions. The graffiti look of the shirts was captured well. The facial likenesses were a bit easier to pull off since the Boys are wearing their trademark shades, but there's no doubt that this is Knobbs and Sags. The mullets and Sags' famous gap tooth look are here, too. Remember, this is before accessories were included with every figure. No trench coats in this first "Nasty" incarnation.
They've had their share of figures since, but I do believe that the first remain the best. As "primitive" as the Hasbro designs may appear to some modern collectors, that has always been a big part of their appeal and charm. Action figures are toys, and the Hasbro WWF line is exactly what the colorful, larger-than-life, World Wrestling Federation roster of the early '90s should look like as toys.. Now that Mattel is producing newer figures in a similar style, the tradition continues. What does that mean for the modern WWE superstars? They may just have to make a pit stop in "Pity City."
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