The Ravishing One Cleans Up

That guy is reviewing a figure from D-X? The nWo? The Attitude Era? Doesn’t he always bitch and moan nonstop about that era?

 

Well, “yes” to all of the above. But like many of you I’m a complex collector. As soon as a suited Ravishing Rick Rude was announced I must say that it excited me as much as a “First Time In The Line” legend figure would. First and foremost I’m a fan of The Ravishing One in any era. Second, I don’t necessarily damn *everything* from the late ‘90s. Third, who remembers Rude’s run as WCW International Heavyweight Champion? Rude appeared in promo shots as well as on television in a suit during that run. Add it all up and you bet that this is a figure that I’m going to love…and review!

 

Suited Rude comes to us as a Build-A-Figure. These sets are obviously selling as there are more available and/or in production than ever before. A set (that was not reviewed here but was shown on our socials) featuring a child version of Dominik Mysterio was released not long ago and Royal Rumble and WrestleMania sets featuring Dok Hendrix and Mean Gene Okerlund in a tuxedo, respectively, are in the pipeline. Each set now seems to be themed towards a specific “Big Four” pay-per-view or “premium live event” as they’re now known. The Mysterio set was geared towards SummerSlam while the group we’re looking at today is based on the Survivor Series.

 

With a few exceptions, most of the sets as of late seem to feature one “legend” and three current talents in addition to the Build-A-Figure. In case this is your first rodeo, pieces of the BAF are included with each of the individual figures thus getting you to purchase all four main figures. To be honest I’m getting less and less enthused with the main four figure choices. In one respect it’s the only way that I’ll purchase repaints/re-releases of certain stars. I think we have enough “modern” Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio figures to last a lifetime. They say “vote with your wallet,” but in reality that just doesn’t work. These figures sell and, at least in my experience, are rarely seen on the pegs. You have to remember that disregarding those of us who are buying them all to create the BAF, you’ve got kids and parents grabbing for the latest HBK or AJ Styles. It’s a formula that works for Mattel. If it keeps getting us figures (especially legends) that won’t be produced otherwise I will continue to stick by it. I’d be a hypocrite if I complained any more on the topic as I’ve picked up every Mattel WWE BAF set since the first. Between JJ Dillon, Paul Ellering, Teddy Long, The Fink and Jim Ross, among many others, the program has yielded some great additions to the line.

 

This time around we’ve got The Ultimate Warrior, Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre and AJ Styles. Interesting to me is that it’s The Warrior who contains the most unique pieces to build Rude – his heads. That’s right, you get both a mustached and bearded head. If you’re really dead set on not picking up the other three figures you could easily use the heads on another suited figure body. With a new look and rather fresh head sculpt, this figure of The Ultimate Warrior will be the hottest seller here regardless of including the “crucial” pieces to the Rude BAF. Ultimately (no pun intended) it comes down to budgetary restraint as to which figure includes which BAF piece. There has been at least one instance in the past (and one ostensibly upcoming in the Rumble set) where only three of the four figures in the wave were actually needed to build the complete fifth figure.

 

I’m not going to spend too much time on Lynch, McIntyre and Styles. Not only are they fairly uninteresting, but after a decade I know this blog’s audience. Most modern day-only fans aren’t looking for what a 40-year-old man thinks of the latest figure of “The Man.” She looks good, as does Styles, but I just have a feeling that they’re underwhelming releases even to those who actively collect them. McIntyre, on the other hand, is a bit better. I can remember when, not too long ago, the Elite version of “young” Drew from the very early days of the Mattel line was a hot commodity. With upgrades in figure production technology this one is obviously better and comes with a pretty cool soft goods entrance vest that the original lacked. While the fourth figure and BAF Rude are the obvious gems, this Drew isn’t the worst inclusion and is sort of fun as long as we have to include modern names.

 

Speaking of that fourth figure, you already know that it’s The Ultimate Warrior. With a fairly new head sculpt (previously used just once) and paint designed to resemble his look from the 1990 Survivor Series, this is an absolutely stunning figure. I can practically hear him declaring that Tito Santana’s fandom/mania/whatever is “Arriba Derce” to go along with “Hulkamania” and “Warrior Wildness.” You didn’t know that? Go watch the pre-Match of Survival promo. I haven’t done it yet, but throw a winged eagle belt on him and this just may be a picture perfect figure. Everyone goes wild for the “Ultimate Edition” figures of The Warrior and rightfully so, but for my money I’m not sure that we have a better one than this right here. The skeletons certainly made their sacrifice for this figure…

 

And we come to the Build-A-Figure. Some may not be as excited about this one as I am, but for me it’s just a figure that should’ve been made long ago. Suited figures are the favorite of many. There’s something very “old school wrestling” about classic wrestlers in suits. If Rude’s career had gone on as long as it had every right to, I could see him transitioning away from the robes and more towards this. This is another figure that will look great with a belt, preferably “big gold.” I didn’t do a picture of that as of yet, but I’m sure one will pop up on our figure photography social (IG: The_Figure_Arena) or even on Twitter. One issue that mine does have is that the left arm won’t stay attached. My BAF JJ Dillon and Gene Okerlund (who was ultimately not a BAF in the U.S. but came with “switchable arms” anyway) have had the same issue.

 

As much as I love the BAF I can honestly say that I feel that this set won’t be worthwhile to most collectors. Despite it being one of my top wanted versions of Rude I can see a lot choosing to pass. If these show up in abundance at retail it will be The Ultimate Warrior flying off of the shelves. If you’re any kind of Warrior collector, you’ll need this version. There have been “must have” BAF sets and others that are less than such. Unless you feel as I do about building Rude, this one will likely fall in the latter category for you. The upcoming Royal Rumble Dok Hendrix BAF set features Vader (in an update to the “Vader Time” version), Rey Myserio (again), Damian Priest and Brie Bella. The WrestleMania set featuring the Mean Gene BAF is a breath of fresh air for legends collectors with WrestleMania VI versions of Dusty Rhodes and Macho King Randy Savage as well as Hollywood Hogan and The Rock. I guess we could classify that foursome as “The Skydome Series.”

 

In the meantime, maybe go and pull up the 8/18/97 episode of Raw. Don’t do it on Peacock or you’ll miss the classic, and now edited, Rick Rude theme. The show opens with Vince McMahon introducing Rude as “one of the all-time World Wrestling Federation greats” and the subsequent promo gives us a little taste of what may have been had Rude not jumped to WCW only to be totally wasted in his final years. Perhaps the seeing last great incarnation of “The Ravishing One” will inspire you to make your Mattel collection a little more “Rude,” as well.

Where Do The Fiend, Liz, Vis, Rude, AJ, & Ronda Meet? The Elite!

It's rare that I pick up a whole series of figures. With an average of six figures per set, who can afford it? Sadly, the series are also usually filled with re-releases that are, except to completists, unnecessary. Mattel's WWE Elite 77 is one that even I jumped for. It had the perfect mix: three legends (which as you know by now are essential to me), one extremely hot brand new character, and two re-releases which aren't really bad at all. Saving frustration and gas money, the decision to pre-order was made.

In a cool twist, the Elite 77 packaging reflects SummerSlam not only with the logo of the event but also bright, shelf-jumping colors. Each character is also represented with a look that they appeared in at various SummerSlam events over the past three decades. Headlining the set we've got "The Fiend" Bray Wyatt, Viscera, Ravishing Rick Rude, Miss Elizabeth, AJ Styles, and Ronda Rousey. It should be noted that there is a "chase" Rick Rude in different tights and Mattel's first release of Classy Freddie Blassie ships in the same case as a "collector's edition." The latter is not connected to the set in any way other than being randomly dispersed in the case.

Each figure includes a variety of accessories, most notably extra hands. When discussing the inside production of these figures, it's often noted how company budgets decide which characters will end up in each series. I don't know that there has been a wave of figures that displays this better. You've got a positively humongous figure like Viscera in the same set as petite Miss Elizabeth. You have the thicker Wyatt with all new "tooling" next to Styles who has been released time and time again. It's something that is often overlooked when discussing case assortments but sticks out like a sore thumb in this particular go around.

Looking at the re-releases first, I'll explain my bias. Yes, Elizabeth and Rude are re-releases, but they're legends or "Flashbacks" as Mattel prefers to call them. They don't have countless releases like Styles and Ronda, therefore I don't lump them all together. Styles happens to be one of my favorite modern wrestlers, so I never completely shy away from new figures of him. The gloved hands, shirt, and vest are all solid accessories. The journey of AJ's hair has been interesting to follow both in his WWE career as well as in his Mattel figures. Here we have what I can only describe as the "Marlo Thomas flip." If that's a meaningless reference to you, get off my lawn. Ronda is easily my least favorite figure in the set, but it isn't bad by any means. She has some face paint on here which makes her unique in my collection if not the whole line. I thought I was complete with her when the "Ultimate" figure was released, but one more won't hurt.

Two legends I will always buy are Rick Rude and Miss Elizabeth. They are directly from my era and these are two looks we've never seen in figure form, coming from the first two SummerSlam events. This is the first switchable hand Rude which means the open-palm meat hooks are here for hip-swivelin' and sweat flingin'. Using one of each of his hands, I had a flashback to one of the cards from the Classic brand WWF trading card set where he had the same perm and posed the figure as such. Liz is from the infamous main event of SummerSlam '88 where it was all but promised that she would strip down to a bikini. I used the word "infamous" since all she ended up doing was removing her skirt. As disappointing as it was for so many of her starry-eyed fans, in a way it continued to play up the innocence that the character was all about. Yes, the skirt is removable with the red bottoms underneath. She has a yellow painted "corset" on under the top if you really needed to know.

Many fans are seeing The Fiend as the star of the series, but my vote goes with Big Vis. Always a huge fan of Nelson Frazier, I will say that this is the definitive figure of Viscera if there ever was one. The figure easily wins the "LJN King Kong Bundy Award" for providing more-than-your-money's-worth. Not only is the figure massive with a picture-perfect likeness, but also included is the Hardcore Championship and three unique sets of hands including a pair posed in the "V" symbol. The Fiend is a winner, too, complete with the horrifying head lantern. I'll give Mattel one thing, they certainly don't shy away from content like many worried about when they took over the line. The body is also heavily tattooed and the scan of the mask looks great to me.

Wrestling figure sales are at an all-time high. Figures old and new alike are going for big bucks. My best advice is if something you want is up for pre-order at even a tad more than retail, jump on it. While The Fiend is the hottest figure in this set at press time, there's already word that he'll be an upcoming entry in the Ultimate series. With the popularity of the character I'm sure we'll also see Basic versions and additional Elites. After all, the level of his character is what the "Top Pick" Elite sets are meant to be for, so that the top characters are always available for new collectors. Personally I feel Viscera is the one to watch out for in the future. It's an absolutely amazing figure from a popular time in company history. Remember, we've still only seen one Mabel. While Big Daddy V may appear down the pike, get your figures of the big man now.

Another Elite set in the books and on the blog. I have a feeling that more will be here before summer's end. As much as I complain about Mattel, they're doing something right, and grabbing plenty of money from both you and me while they're at it.

The Right Ring For A Retro Rumble

Just when you thought you had enough toy rings in your collection, in creeps another one. But this one is a bit different. It's like meeting someone new who is almost identical to an old friend from your past. A blue friend. A friend made of plastic. A friend who spent many hours taking a beating, yet still came back for more. That friend was unbreakable. That friend was your Hasbro WWF ring. Now, to match that classic toy, Mattel has recreated it for their popular WWE Retro line. How does it compare? Let's find out.

Like the figures themselves, the packaging is similar to its counterpart from the past. Also like the cardbacks of the figures, the cardboard used on the ring box is just a tad lighter than that of the original. It's also a bit smaller, but that will be explained shortly. It's actually nice and compact, in case anyone is looking to pick up an extra to keep sealed. Instead of The Ultimate Warrior pounding George South as in the Hasbro version, we get a live action shot of AJ Styles flying through the air. AJ's figure is displayed, as are several from the 4th and 5th series.

The back depicts a total of four upcoming series of retro figures. We've got prototypes of Ric Flair, Sami Zayn, Finn Balor, a repaint of Kevin Owens, The New Day, and nWo Macho Man Randy Savage. In Hasbro-like drawings at the bottom of the box we're shown Bray Wyatt, Daniel Bryan, Shinsuke Nakamura, Sting (Wolfpac), Shawn Michaels, Chris Jericho (complete with The Scarf of Jericho), Sheamus, and Kurt Angle. That's quite a lineup to add to the first three series already released!

The ring comes unassembled and the pieces are neatly packed into the underside of the ring. Everything easily slides out of the box, enabling you to slide into the DMs...err...accessories. The first point of order must be the logo sticker. It wouldn't be retro if you apply it neatly, either, so I expect every example of this ring to have the logo just a tad off center. There are things that you purposely just don't do perfectly. This is one of them.

The aforementioned reason as to why the box is smaller than the original is that the ring steps, announcers table, and title display that jut out from the four sides of the ring are removable. They are also very easy to snap in. Though Randy Savage is depicted on the box as using the steps as a weapon, you would have to lift the whole thing up to actually remove them. As with most Mattel rings, the posts come tied together with the ropes. After some maneuvering, they eventually untie.

The ropes feel very much like the original, although they are all permanently connected to the turnbuckles of one post and snap into the other three. It's much easier than the Hasbro tying method. The posts snap in very easily and don't have the large rectangles at the top as the later and more common version of the Hasbro ring did. The bit of movement that the separate turnbuckle pieces had from the original ring is completely gone here. Is it necessary? No, but smashing faces into them back then seemed just a tad more realistic. The ropes are tight enough that balancing AJ on the top took very little effort.

The box shows the WWE Universal Championship being used with the removable title display. This is the accessory included with the large Mattel figures. Since no belts...err...championships have been included with any of the Retro figures, this seems to indicate that we are "officially" supposed to use the already released ones from the regular line. The problem is that these belts do not fit on the display as shown. They can be displayed on a tilt, but that isn't how it's utilized on the box. It's really surprising that they let this happen, unless they plan on releasing some retro figure-specific championships down the line.

The other side of the ring has a small announcers table. The original had a smaller table with a single monitor that showed Hulk Hogan. The yellow King of the Ring version had a blank white sticker, though the instructions showed a picture of Vince McMahon. Here we get nothing. It's designed to look like a modern announcers table, but it's very boring. The lack of stickers could be the biggest negative to this ring. While again not a necessity, over-the-top stickers would have added to the retro fun of it all.

Is this another cool retro toy?Absolutely. It's a great way to display
the retro figures, even if most of them aren't from the "blue ring" era. There are some negatives (title display, lack of stickers...and no flag?), but it's a worthwhile purchase. It might be cool to see it re-released in another look, too, as was done in 1993 with the Hasbro yellow ring. Perhaps remolded in modern colors, since most of the figures are current stars? And speaking of things that could be done, how about finally utilizing that trench that stretches all the way around the apron (just as it did twenty-eight years ago) and finally get a cage match going...

Blue bars, anyone?

Post-Mania Blues? Look To The Figures!

While it isn't quite 1985 or 1999, wrestling is popular again. There is a lot of variety to choose from in the market. It's that "something for everyone" feeling that opens up a boom period. That being said, with WrestleMania in the books, it's time for the year-long build to start over from the ground up. For regular wrestling fans this is often considered a downtime. If you're a collector, never fear. Mattel is here.

Now eight years into the license, Mattel is stronger than ever with their WWE releases. The vast number of talent available to them, be it WWE and NXT superstars or Legends, is a great help. After what I will always consider to be a shaky start, Mattel truly starting coming into their own once they balanced what they are able to produce with what fans and collectors want. Considering the way that the figures have been flying off of the shelves, many of which gain traction on the secondary market, they seem to have found the right formula.

Mattel has changed the packaging of their lineups nearly every year. The 2018 design is simple and elegant yet catches the eye. The latter is due to Mattel finally allowing the figures themselves take the spotlight, especially in the current Elite packaging. The toy itself should be enough to make a sale. After all, we generally aren't paying for the packaging. A larger ""window" on the box also allows autograph collectors to get a bigger, more satisfying signature.

Store exclusives have allowed the release of many figures that, for whatever reason, the company would not put in their regular lineups. Though the demise of Toys "R" Us will greatly reduce these exclusives, Wal Mart and Target along with online retailers will still see their share. The Target "Hall of Fame" lineups and packaging have been very popular. The "Build-A-Figure" sets as well as those enabling fans to build set pieces seem to be remaining with Wal Mart. The latter two will include the first ever figures of JJ Dillon and Alundra Blayze respectively.

The NXT line, also exclusive to Target, has also introduced many new names into the fray. With the massive amount of talent under contract to WWE, who is to say that some of these names will ever actually get another figure? Things happen. Plus, what's cooler than a rookie figure in unique, eye-catching packaging? It was recently revealed that Paul Ellering will receive a figure in this line. This is the second legend, after Larry Zbyszko last year, to receive only their second figure in their career thanks to Mattel. Both had their first in the Remco AWA back in 1985.

We've seen a lot of great figures this year, and I thought that I'd already had my choice for "Figure of the Year" (Give me a break!). But with all of the product yet to come, I'm just not sure. My five all-time favorite wrestlers will finally be fully represented by Mattel with the release of an amazing looking "King" Harley Race. In addition, Bobby Roode will be getting a "Glorious" third release and the very first figure of "The Leader of The Four Horsemen" will be some tough competition for my first choice. One thing is for sure: collectors are ready. But are their wallets?

New Year, New Retro

There's no better way to kick off the blog in 2018 than with a line that was a major highlight of 2017. Mattel's WWE Retro action figures have pleased both modern and nostalgic collectors alike. As most already know, these figures are based upon the legendary Hasbro WWF figure line. With a mix of current and past names, the first two series were a major hit. With Series 3 hitting stores late last year, the line saw a few changes.

Series 3 brings Goldberg, AJ Styles, Seth Rollins, and Dean Ambrose to the line. Four figures is two down from the six in both previous series. Each figure is now packaged with a display stand featuring their individual logos emblazoned. While the original Hasbro line was designed to utilize "peg" stands, nothing ever developed from it. The stands are packaged right where the "Real Wrestling Action" of each figure should be advertised. This change takes away from the overall nostalgia, introducing a concept that was not present originally.

The boarder color on the cardbacks has changed from the first two series, which does jive with the Hasbro style. On the other hand, the inclusion of an ad for WWE Mayhem, an app game, is worse than the addition of the stands. The ad completely cramps the superstar photo on the cardback which was a Hasbro staple. For those of us who enjoy having figures signed, this is extra disappointing. Save the gaming ads for the standard figure lines, not a niche one aimed primarily at collectors.

As for the figures themselves, it is also a mixed bag. Glaringly, Goldberg is missing gloves. Has "The Man" ever wrestled without gloves? Certainly not in his WWE return on which the figure is based. The Goldberg "action" should also be switched with that given to Ambrose. Dean is hardly the slamming type, even if Renee would beg to differ. Goldberg should match many of the other "power" figures in this style.

The highlight of the series is unquestionably AJ Styles. Tied (with Series 2 Kane) for my personal best figure of 2017, one of the greatest of this generation translates well into being a "Hasbro." And just as was the case in the original line when the figure "action" matched the real life signature move of the star, one of the best "Real Wrestling Action" moves from Hasbro returns once again as "The Phenomenal Forearm."

While Series 3 wasn't quite as disappointing as I'd predicted, it isn't perfect. More colorful characters are still needed. How about the first female in the Hasbro style? More legends would be welcome as well, as is always the opinion on this blog. In both cases, how about a "Woooooooo!"?

The 2017 J\/\/ Awards

Yet another year of wrestling memorabilia goodness has passed which means it's time for another round of awarding the most coveted prize in sports entertainment--The J\/\/ Award. The "Joshie," as we call it, changes from year to year. This years design, not so ironically, reflects many of the winners in several different categories. With a decidedly "retro" look, the trophy signifies a year that re-introduced us to the classic Hasbro style in wrestling figures and the way that these throwbacks were so well executed. But enough about the award, let's give 'em out!

2017 Best Figure

Mattel's WWE Retro Kane & AJ Styles win "The Joshie" for 2017 Best Figure. A tie! And a late one at that! While Mattel produced some very impressive figures this year, not one but two entries from their Retro line were the best. Kane in the "Hasbro style" captures everything great about the original look of "The Big Red Monster." The Retro AJ Styles combines another great likeness with a classic "Hasbro Real Wrestling Action" and utilizes it to the fullest. 

2017 Best Buy (Non-Figure)

WWE Unreleased wins "The Joshie" for 2017 Best Buy. A DVD collection full of matches and segments that we've never seen before? Of course it's going to win awards! Sean Mooney? It's going to win even more awards! And a "Joshie Award" it shall have. If you love the obscure and relatively "lost" matches of wrestling, what are you waiting for? 

2017 Best Product Line

Mattel wins "The Joshie" for 2017 Best Product Line. After a year of great Retro, Elite, and Basic figures, there's no doubt that Mattel takes this category once again. While Jakks always held my heart as far as depth of a figure line, Mattel is slowly moving right in there. You never know who's going to show up in the Mattel line next. I hate to make bold predictions, but with a Wendi Richter figure coming in 2018, I don't see anyone else taking this award anytime soon.

2017 Future Holy Grail

Mattel's WWE Retro Figure Line wins "The Joshie" for 2017 Future Holy Grail. You know how everyone is nuts for Hasbro WWF product these days? Don't look too far for the next biggie down the line. They are patterned after that beloved line and have already made quite an impact on the 2017 J\/\/ Awards, right down to the design of "The Joshie" itself. As the variety of the line widens into 2018, the prediction made by this award only grows stronger.

2017 Thanks For The Memories Award

2017 Thanks For The Memories Nominee: Lance Russell. The man who kept sanity and order over pro wrestling in Memphis is already deeply missed. Though he lived a rich, full life, wrestling just seems a little less happy without Lance's voice. Thankfully, the world has all of the great footage to look back on. For those of us fortunate enough to have met Mr. Russell, the kindness of his heart remains just as loud and clear as his iconic voice.

Another year and more awards. There's not much left to say other than see ya next year!

TNA Magazine...Italian Style!

I always felt that Total Nonstop Action Wrestling should have had an official magazine. They had exciting stars, beautiful "Knockouts," and plenty of stories to put into print. Heck, I even thought that I could be a dang good contributor to the effort. Nonetheless the magazine industry just isn't what it once was, even a few years ago. Although I never saw it myself, then-owner Dixie Carter pooh-poohed the idea somewhere in print. As nice as a lady as she always was to me, there honestly didn't seem to be many ideas that she turned down, for better or worse. However, the fact is that there was indeed an official TNA Magazine. In Italy. For three issues.

In 2007 an Italian publisher produced three issues of the Total Nonstop Action Wrestling Official Magazine. If there are more than three, I have yet to see them surface anywhere. Though my mastering of the Italian language is a bit rusty (aka non-existent), it isn't hard to figure out what's going on in the many sections of the magazine. There are features on the monthly pay-per-views, profiles on individual stars, and even "Top Ten" looks at the then-current goings on in the company.

There's a particular emphasis on the aforementioned TNA Knockouts, and why not? That's how you sell magazines. The ladies are featured with the superb Lee South photography that found its way onto the many trading cards and promotional photos that saw wide release, in addition to the Knockouts-branded items that were sold at live events and Shop TNA. Leticia Cline, Gail Kim, and Christy Hemme all make the cover, but SoCal Val and Traci Brooks see features as well. Speaking of Brooks, the legendary action figure that never ended up seeing the light of day is briefly mentioned in a list of upcoming figures.

Samoa Joe, Sting, and "The Fallen Angel" Christopher Daniels are the cover stars of the three respective issues. Each issue is all-color and all-slick with high-gloss covers. All three editions also feature a double-sided poster showcasing the cover superstar and Knockout, although the poster with Gail Kim also features SoCal Val. I'm not complaining. And as nice as the photography of the females appears, the action shots from matches are great as well. It's truly amazing the level of talent that was in the company at that point, a fact that often goes overlooked.

It's also cool to see so much of that talent getting press in an actual physical magazine. I often point out that it's a shame that so little of today's wrestling stars will get an actual magazine cover. Aside from Pro Wrestling Illustrated, the occasional WWE "special" release, or the scattered overseas publications, it's an opportunity that largely no longer exists. It's great to see the Christopher Daniels cover as well as talent such as Team Canada (including Bobby Roode and Eric Young), Chris Sabin, LAX, and Abyss see photo features in an age where that is basically extinct. You can argue that wrestlers get much more coverage online these days, but where are those features going to be found in ten to twenty years? For many stars, there will be little tangible to show the grandkids.

Oh what could have been. A publication like this would have done great for sale at TNA live events where anything that could be signed was be scooped up by autograph-hungry fans. Don West would have been plugging these nonstop. Personally, I regret that I was unaware of these in the days of the TNA "Interaction" events where every cover (and most of the insides) could have been fully signed. Regardless, it's fun to know that a TNA Magazine even existed at all. As much flack as the company has received at times, often rightfully so, these publications highlight many of the things that TNA did right.

Topps WWE 2017..."Something Different"

Everyone loves a surprise. When I initially saw the checklist for the Topps WWE 2017 trading cards, I was extremely surprised. Once I figured out that I wasn't reading some sort of joke, I was also very pleased. While I usually personally review two of the Topps WWE products per year, there's usually a lot of repetition. It's to be expected in trading card sets, especially annual ones. This year, we have something different. We have inclusions that I never would have imagined, for numerous reasons, but here they are. Let's take a closer look.

The 2017 WWE set from Topps, as usual, has a base set of 100 cards. There are several subsets, and many different variant and numbered cards. One of the biggest selling points were the inclusion of authentic autograph cards of both The Undertaker and Bill Goldberg. The prices seem to have gone up a bit, which some point to the addition of the aforementioned autograph cards, but they're still not "premium" priced like the WWE Undisputed sets. A hobby box can be had for an average of around $75 and contains 24 packs. The box style once again reminds me of a box of chocolates, being long and slim. It actually almost looks too nice to break open. For the record, AJ Styles, John Cena, and Sasha Banks are the faces on both the box and the packs.

Plastered right on the front of the hobby box is a guarantee of two "hits" per box, including at least one autograph. Since hits can be relics, belt/medallion cards, and autographs, I like the guarantee of at least one autograph. While many of the other hits can be very cool, it's still the autographs that I prefer. Relics are, in my opinion, a somewhat tired gimmick in the world of wrestling cards. Thankfully, occasionally we get something new to spice them up.

My hobby box did indeed yield two "hits." One was a Becky Lynch Women's Championship "medallion" card. I call these belt cards, since embedded in the card is a heavy, metallic representation of a championship. The other hit was a relic, with a twist. This relic, a SummerSlam 2016 mat card, is also signed by Seth Rollins and is numbered as one out of ten. If I have to pull a relic, it may as well include an autograph. An autograph of a top current talent is an added bonus.

The subsets this time around feature shots from three WWE programs: The Stone Cold Podcast, Breaking Ground, and Total Divas. This is another change-up that I appreciate. While I've never personally watched Total Divas, I like some of the shots used (Mandy Rose, I'm looking at you), and even Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart makes a cameo. While I don't think it was intentional, the design of these cards very much reminds me of the Topps Empire Strikes Back cards from way back in 1980. Not a direct replica, but there are similarities.

The base set is where we get really unusual and different. Highlighted are many first timers, including NXT stars (a few of which I couldn't even identify) and a passel full of referees. I'm guessing that this means that referees are once again allowed to have names and identities. The true gold here for me is the inclusion of three legendary ladies: Leilani Kai, Judy Martin, and Princess Victoria. While Kai made a return to WWE products after 30 years in the 2016 WWE Divas Revolution set, this is the first real WWE merchandise for Martin and Victoria. Considering both ladies are named in the WWE concussion lawsuit, this is extra surprising. As I've gotten to know all three of these women over the years, these three cards are the personal "hits" in the hobby box for me. It should be noted that other women from WWE's past such as Terri Runnels, Torrie Wilson, and Ivory are here as well.

The base card design is good, although it'd still be nice to see one set that featured all studio shots. As usual there are color variants (bronze, blue, silver, etc.) where really the only different is a swatch of color in the lower right corner. Some collectors thrive on these differences, but I haven't ever put too much stock into it. I will note that for the first time in year when breaking a Topps WWE hobby box, I did not receive the full 100-card base set. My box wasn't missing any particular biggie, and I probably won't put into effort into ever obtaining the card, but it was a bit of a surprise. For the record, the missing card was David Otunga.

There's a lot to like about this set. Topps took the "main" WWE card set of the year and really turned it upside down. There are no main cards for many weekly stars, yet we get announcers, referees, women's wrestling legends, and many rookies. Since Topps releases so much WWE product these days, this is something that can and should be done. I'm very excited to see what the Topps WWE Heritage 2017 set due in August will hold. There's also a WWE Legends set coming in September. Normally that would be right up my alley, but the cards do appear to be a "premium" release which my wallet just won't warm up to. That being said, Topps is still doing a great job. There's something for every type of collector. Now, even those of us who love the legendary ladies are getting some long overdue new product.