Figure Of The Year 2023

It’s hard to believe, but it’s that time once again. What was the single best figure of 2023? Maybe I shouldn’t say single since, as far as this blog is concerned, there were two winners in 2022. There’s no denying that there are now more figures than ever to choose from since, for better or worse, there are now a multitude of manufacturers. Well, at least there are a handful of manufacturers and some kids playing dress up and trying to be manufacturers. Thinly veiled shade aside, more names than ever are immortalized in plastic and as long as they’re available to all it’s ultimately a better market. Let’s take a look at a few of the choices this year, some which were reviewed on this blog and some that weren’t.

You know him and you love him. Virgil was back in 2023 with a new figure from Mattel. This is only the second action figure of Virgil in his wrestling gear to be produced and just the fourth overall. For such a ubiquitous character in the glory days of the WWF it’s hard to believe, but at least he’s finally getting his due. I’m not sure why the choice was made to do this one as a Build-A-Figure as he would’ve been a hugely popular character in the Legends series, but there’s always room for that, too, just change it up to the look he had in the Hasbro figure. (George Foreman on Nutrisystem?) While we’re at it, why not a “Bodyguard Virgil” Retro figure?

Andre the Giant, as usual, saw a multitude of new releases but none stood out to me more than the suited version finally released in Mattel Elite Series 100. It’s a look that’s been ignored for decades and was finally done, complete with a variant. The big man was perfect for all of the “35^th Anniversary of WrestleMania IV” celebrations that were held worldwide (you weren’t invited to one? Where were you?) and filled a gap in collections everywhere. My one gripe with the figure was that the huge “paw” hands that were used on about two Andre figures and a Big Show release several years ago were not included and seem to be forgotten by Mattel altogether.

Figures Toy Company added some absolutely great names to their Legends line with the first ever figures of Dr. Tom Prichard, Brad Armstrong and Mr. Hughes among others. Many collectors sleep on these offerings and will be sorry when they’re no longer available. It’s the one line that I would absolutely guarantee a monetary value raise for once they’re no longer in production. The company has also recently announced that going forward there will be a brand new body type for all future released figures. This could be a game changer with some of the unique names that only FTC is seemingly willing to make. As the kids say, “I’m here for it.”

The Coliseum Collection gave us some nice possibilities with Ravishing Rick Rude and Jake “The Snake” Roberts as well as the Rowdy Roddy Piper and George “The Animal” Steele releases that you saw featured here last week. I honestly think that Steele could be my “First Runner-up” this year, if I had one, and I’ll reiterate a point that I made last week: availability is key. All of The Coliseum Collection releases are still available to order at press time. Remember, one of the factors in my choice of “Figure Of The Year” is availability. No one should be left in the cold buying what is nothing more than a children’s toy. Speaking of toys, George came with plenty including a turnbuckle and Mine!

No one could talk “Figure Of The Year” without mentioning the first six PowerTown Wrestling releases. Stan Hansen, Bruiser Brody, Verne Gagne, Kerry Von Erich, Lou Thesz and Magnum T.A. will forever be immortalized as the first figures in what will hopefully become one of the greatest lines of all-time. There were some hick-ups along the way and maybe a questionable marketing choice and tactic or two, but with the upcoming lineup announced I think we’re in for more FOTY possibilities in 2024. Let’s not forget their new “Remco” line, either! Dory Funk Jr, Wahoo McDaniel, Madusa, Junkyard Dog, Kamala and Jack Brisco will make up Ultras Series 2.

We can’t forget Mattel’s Mr. America, Gobbledy Gooker, Rhythm and Blues Greg “The Hammer” Valentine in both Elite and Retro formats as well as various entries from the Remco-styled WWE Superstars line. Perhaps the figures that could’ve caused another tie would have been Samu and Fatu. The Headshinkers were long overdo for a return to the action figure world. Nearly three decades, to be exact. While I got everything I needed from the releases I have to believe that some collectors didn’t end up with what I feel were the more desirable variants, The Samoan Swat Team versions. The boys had never before been done in this style as figures and it’s a shame to think that someone may not have been able to grab them. An honorable mention goes out to their manager, Paul E. Dangerously, who was released in the same series. It was “the mad scientist of wrestling’s” first figure in that look and name.

The winner? The 2023 Figure of The Year? From Junkshopdog it’s none other than Aja Kong. The Junkshopdog line should be familiar to anyone reading this. It’s a line based on the Japanese Popy wrestling figures of the early ‘80s. The fully licensed line has taken on names not only from the original era in which it replicates but also newer stars from around the world. You may recall their Bruiser Brody release reviewed right here on the blog several years ago. Recently the company was proud to announce that through a licensing deal with WWE they’re able to add Hulk Hogan to their lineup. This is especially fun since The Hulkster was indeed part of that original ine by Popy.

Aja Kong has long been one of my favorites. Her appearance in the line follows the release of fellow women’s wrestling star Bull Nakano who is equally amazingly captured. While I’d still like modern articulated releases of both of these ladies, the ability that the company had to take their unique likenesses and translate them perfectly to the Sofubi figure style is amazing. Another huge plus is that these figures come to you in one-hundred percent “collector friendly packaging.” This is a term used for decades which means that you can remove the figure from the packaging without damaging a single thing. Mattel has adopted this with their Retro line, but I’m not as fond of it there. In that line it’s a poor late-in-the-game change that disrupts the flow of the collection itself. Junkshopdog has been doing it since their first release. Best of all, while the company has had some sellouts on limited editions, most of their figures are available to purchase directly from them. No need to play the scalper game here. No “Biggin’” is buying his next bag of Cheetos off of the hard work of these guys, that’s for sure.

I’m looking forward to what 2024 brings us as far as wrestling figures. In my opinion Mattel has had disappointing “preview” showings and, aside from Virgil, the often bright lights of the Build-A-Figure sets have been huge letdowns. They’re also completely becoming slaves to retailer exclusives. Jazwares has seemingly lost as much steam with their AEW line as the wrestling company itself has. Why pre-order any of the figures when most characters are going to be clearance out at $4.99 by the end of year? Maybe it’s the smaller companies such as Junkshopdog that we should be looking to. The issue there is that for every Junkshopdog, which has proven itself to be a legitimate contender for your money, there are five or ten other little boys pretending to be toymakers with varying results. Caveat emptor.

We’ll be back next week to “wrap it up…”

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…

My Favorite Events--WWF WrestleMania IV

 “So sit back and relax, or if you’re like me get on the edge of your seat, because WrestleMania IV is next!”

– Craig DeGeorge, Coliseum Video

It's been thirty-five years since the WWF invaded Atlantic City's Boardwalk Hall which at the time was somewhat enveloped as part of the Trump Plaza complex. A polarizing event since the day it occurred, WrestleMania IV has always been one of my favorite editions of Mania. For this "coral" anniversary let's go back to "Atlantic City's Centerpiece" and see why I'm not the only fan with endless love and memories for the fourth installment of WrestleMania.

WrestleMania IV did huge business and it's easy to understand why. The company was riding high on its success at the Pontiac Silverdome with WrestleMania III one year earlier. Hulk Hogan was as recognizable as any sports star in the world and, while I feel the true "Rock 'n Wrestling era" saw its end at WrestleMania III, the mainstream inclusion was still there and thriving. It's part of why I'll never agree that Stone Cold Steve Austin eclipsed The Hulkster as the biggest star in wrestling history. Did Austin sell a few more shirts? It's possible. They were also a helluva lot easier to purchase. In the mid to late '80s almost anyone of any age knew who Hogan was. At the peak of Austin a decade later there were many people who still thought "Steve Austin" was "The Six Million Dollar Man." Trust me when I say that Austin was not the household name that Hogan was. There will never be anyone bigger in professional wrestling in the United States than Hulk Hogan.

Up front I will admit that I did not watch the event live. The first WrestleMania that I remember seeing from start to finish was WrestleMania III on VHS on my birthday in 1987. I do recall seeing highlights of IV on "The WWF Television Network." Despite being a child, I have more memories of wrestling in prime time than the traditional weekend morning slots. Therefore I likely saw highlights on Prime Time Wrestling. Another interesting memory is that, despite never being much of a boxing fan, for whatever reason my mind associated the look of WrestleMania IV with boxing. It makes sense, I'm just not sure how I picked up on it at the time. Personal memories for me also revolve around the build and the aftermath. My dad and I watched both the January 2nd, 1988 Saturday Nights Main Event (Andre's attack on Hogan) and The Main Event on February 4th as they happened. After WrestleMania, like legions and legions of other kids, I was fascinated by the VHS release. A pop-up box featuring The Hulkster? A double tape set? WWF marketing magic at its best.

Speaking of that VHS, this is one of the few Coliseum Video WrestleMania releases that completely trumps the original pay-per-view version. Very little is edited out (I do believe a bit is missing from the Rick Rude-Jake Roberts match which, as you know, is not a big loss) and a bunch of extra content is included. An extended intro, a brief rundown of "WrestleMania Weekend," and special backstage promos. It's a surprise to some that the legendary sequence of Bobby Heenan receiving his "special package" was a Coliseum Video exclusive. It's so memorable, and important to the event, that many figure it was part of the pay-per-view. Speaking of the "WrestleMania Weekend" footage, what you're seeing is actually what turned into what became known as WrestleMania Axxess years later. Look for Brian "Blue Meanie" Heffron in the sequence showing Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat signing autographs!

I know that I'm not a product of my own era and my tastes skew very differently from others around my age, but I never got the need for modern rock music in virtually any event from any wrestling promotion in the past twenty-five years. Other sports don't always go with it, yet wrestling inexplicably feels the need to be "edgy," or something, and shoves "modern rock" down our collective throats. That being said, I love the simple sax intros for Mania 2 and III and the extension of the classic "What The World Is Watching" music intro for IV. Remember, less is more. I recently uncovered info about what seems to be a last minute change in the opening minutes of WrestleMania IV. If you're a follower of the blog on Instagram, you already know what it is! If you don't have a clue, all that I can advise is to stay tuned for the next blog entry.

Back then everyone knew who the celebrity guest were, too. The world recognized Vanna White, Bob Uecker, Robin Leach and Gladys Knight. It isn't like today where people are actually labeled "racist" for not knowing certain WrestleMania celebrity guests. Yes, folks, it's happened. In watching the hype and at the event itself, it's interesting to note that Vanna is rarely mentioned without the full "Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White" title. It had to be something in her contract. There's even a match on a pre-Mania edition of Wrestling Challenge where Gorilla Monsoon corrects Heenan into saying "Wheel of Fortune's Vanna White." It continues many times throughout IV until Uecker suddenly decides that she's "some guy named Vance White."

Speaking of Gorilla, I've made it no secret over the years that I prefer his broadcast booth partnership with Jesse "The Body" Ventura. They tended to be brought together only for special events and to this day I find their commentary somewhat comforting. It felt real, unrehearsed and natural unlike anything you'd hear on WrestleMania today. I'm not putting down the modern product, I'm just pointing out things that even the staunchest of modern day supporters are forced to agree with.

The show itself is long and the crowd is admittedly not as responsive as a WrestleMania audience should be. The reasons for this have been discussed ad nauseam, but I will say that if this same exact show, tournament matches and all, had been held at the Pontiac Silverdome with that size crowd consisting of true wrestling fans, WrestleMania IV would be remembered far differently. I'm not saying that it was the most perfectly booked show ever put out by the World Wrestling Federation, but it definitely holds a reputation in some circles that it simply does not deserve.

I'll go as far as to say that WrestleMania IV frankly wasn't the place for the "five star matches" that many of the shows detractors wish would've happened. Yes, you occasionally did get your "mat classics" like Steamboat-Savage and British Bulldogs-Dream Team at the early WrestleMania shows, but that's not what the name nor the company were built on at the time. It was glitz and glamour, stars and spectacle. What I call the "What The World Was Watching" era began at WrestleMania IV and it was never more true of a motto than at this time.

As far as storytelling in wrestling, it's never been better than right here. One of the single most memorable storylines arguably took off at this very event and culminated one year later in the same arena. That, of course, is The Mega Powers exploding. In addition you had a cast of dozens who nearly all qualify for "legend" status all these years later. I find it very hard to believe that the same will be able to be said about many stars of the modern product. I word it that way as I don't believe it to be the fault of the current talent as much as it is the presentation that they're forced to deal with. Eh, the scripted promos could go, too.

Thankfully we're left with more than just memories three and a half decades later. The WrestleMania marketing machine seemed to really take off with IV, again building off of the success in 1987. Posters, apparel, press materials and other souvenirs are aplenty. The aforementioned VHS tape is arguably the most beloved and remembered release in the entire Coliseum Video WWF library. Back then and even now I also most associate the WrestleMania VCR game with WrestleMania IV, especially since it was released the same year and featured footage from the event.

Lost media has become a big deal in recent years. The definition of such being film, photographic or print content that was known to exist at one time but is no longer readily accessible. There are two forms of "lost media" pertaining to WrestleMania IV that seem to have disappeared. The first was an amazing photo gallery of fan-taken shots during the weekends of WrestleMania IV and V. Most of the pictures were of the wrestlers in and around Trump Plaza. They were truly fascinating photographs and I lament not saving them. The other was a video which was available on YouTube just a year or two ago. It was a press conference, held seemingly the day after IV, in a room likely somewhere in the Trump Plaza hotel. Mean Gene Okerlund interviewed The Macho Man, Elizabeth and The Hulkster in front of dozens of press members. 

As for additional content that is still out there to view, it's actually fairly plentiful. YouTube has collections of 1988 episodes of Wrestling Challenge surrounding Mania IV. The post-event shows feature promos in front of the "glittery globe" interview backdrop with not only the celebrities but also the wrestlers themselves highlighting upcoming feuds-some of which happened and others that didn't. Also on YouTube is a nearly nine minute radio segment off of New York's WFAN featuring early "smart mark" speculation and a call-in from someone in Atlantic Coty the night before. For those without a VCR, DailyMotion has the Coliseum Video extras currently uploaded in amazing quality. As I alluded above, I feel that those extras are essential for full WrestleMania IV enjoyment. Also readily available via Peacock/WWE Network is the last episode of Prime Time Wrestling before the show. Gorilla and Bobby bring the laughs from all areas of the Trump Plaza hotel and casino complete with great glimpses of some amazing Mania advertising.

Although there are a few gems hidden inside of it, I don't highly recommend Bruce Prichard's podcast review of the event. Despite the show being his first WrestleMania he doesn't have much good to say about it. He DOES offer a good reason as to why Savage-Steamboat II didn't happen at the show and it's reasoning that this fan agrees with. Lance Storm, who attended the show, offers a few fascinating photos that he took (including a GREAT WrestleMania IV billboard shot) however his written commentary and review of the show impress me about as much as Prichard's reflections. 

I don't know that anyone has written as much about this show as I have and next time, to celebrate the actual day of the event, we're giving you even more IV! How about an inside look at an actual artifact from the show? You've seen the press kit. Now we're going to go through the actual WrestleMania IV media guide which was only included in the press kit at the show itself. You saw a bit of it on Instagram a few weeks ago, now it's time to see What The World Was Watching just as if you were there covering the show yourself! Stay tuned...

Looking At The Elite Of Elite 100

For better or worse, Mattel loves to celebrate their own milestones. Many of you will recall when they celebrated their 100^th “Basic” WWE figure series several years ago. Now the company is making a celebration out of the 100^th Elite series. Like with virtually any action figure producer since such toys became an entity, it’s been an up and down relationship between the company and collectors. They’ve produced their share of figures that have made collectors very happy. They’ve also made decisions that have left most of us scratching our heads. What it boils down to is that they’re producing a product so that we will buy it. No matter the rhetoric and ever-growing P.R., no company is doing this out of the goodness of their heart or for the love of the collector. Nonetheless, we try to stay on the happy side of collecting around here, so let's celebrate two, or three, of the good results of the long Mattel-WWE partnership.

Speaking of those two figures, let’s take a look at them! The 100^th Elite set includes John Cena, Rey Mysterio, Becky Lynch, The Rock, Stunning Steve Austin and Andre the Giant. It’s the latter two that we’ll be discussing today. All of the figures include championship belts designed to be a bit different than what we’ve seen before. As you can already tell from the photos, the “chase” of the series is Andre, thus why there will be three figures in this review. Although I could see myself picking up the others in the set should they ever see a deep discount, the only ones that warranted an initial purchase from me were Austin and both the regular and chase Andre.

The packaging, while the same as it’s been in shape, is jazzed up a bit. Silver foil has been added in places, the overall style is black, silver and gray and artwork has been added to the back. Even the backer cards inside the packaging have character-specific artwork. Again, Mattel enjoys celebrating their milestones. With how cheap and flimsy the cardboard has been across the board lately in the Mattel packaging, is it really worth the extra design effort? Speaking of the lesser quality packaging in recent years, it seems harder and harder to get truly good conditioned boxes.

Starting with the Giant, this is a version that it absolutely shocks me it’s taken this long to get. I could honestly have even seen LJN doing this Andre decades ago had they gotten around to it. It’s Andre in his suit, casual clothes, whatever you want to call it. He wore this and similar outfits in so many iconic moments such as the Piper’s Pit heel turn on Hulk Hogan, choking The Hulkster out center ring, press conferences, contract signings and even non-wrestling media appearances. In my mind it’s just as iconic as the black strap. In addition to some extra hands, Andre includes The Hulkster’s chain and cross as well as, for the first time, the “giant-sized” belt that, in storyline, was made for when Andre defeated Hogan at WrestleMania III. In early renders it seemed that we would be getting a broken chain to represent when Andre tore it from Hulk’s neck, but we ended up getting the same recycled full version. The belt is stunning and Mattel did go all out with what appears to my eyes to be two-toned plating. 

The Andre head is reused and is perfectly fine, but I’m still not sure why they’ve never again used the maskless Andre head that was released with The Giant Machine figure. To me this is still the best Andre likeness ever done in a figure yet Mattel doesn’t want to seem to use it. They also don’t seem to want to use the giant “paw” hands released with a few Andre figures and even one of the last figures of The Big Show. These are absolutely perfect “giant” hands yet have remained unused for years now.

While the regular version of Andre is in the suit most closely resembling that which he wore on the infamous aforementioned Piper’s Pit segment (“I am here for one reason…”), the chase features an almost neon color reminiscent of his appearance on the Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n Wrestling cartoon. Both versions, despite the better part choices that they could’ve recycled here, are home runs.

Stunning Steve Austin was a choice for me almost solely for the accessory. While I’m obviously going to buy most any early WCW figure release, I don’t know that I would have necessarily rushed on this one were it not for the inclusion of the NWA/WCW World Television Championship belt. This is the red strap version that is most associated with Tully Blanchard, Dusty Rhodes and Mike Rotunda among many others. The classic red strap had actually gone to black once Austin had it, but this is one Mattel mistake that I’m grateful for. It’s lacking detail, of course, as one would expect. There are no NWA letters (nor even WCW as a placeholder) and the network logos are obviously gone. Still, this is the closest that we’ll ever get in an official release. The soft goods robe is nice, too, and could probably be used for someone else if needed as it isn’t far off from a generic robe in its initial design.

The figure itself is good enough, but I’m not blown away by it. The “True FX” facial detailing seems a bit off, but that could just be on mine. It looks better in person than it does in the photography. This is pretty much the last key figure for The Dangerous Alliance and will look great paired with the upcoming Paul E. Dangerously release. We still need a more modern release for Bobby Eaton, a short-haired Rick Rude in WCW era tights as well as Madusa. Speaking of that legendary lady, why not a “Ducey” release in the Legends series? I can even think of easy chase options. With all of her involvement in WWE promotions and anniversaries it feels like her license would still be available, but who's to say?

If you’re not concerned about missing out on the Television Title, I believe that Austin and most of these will be “waitable” aside from Andre. The Giant has always had a unique desirability among figure fans and with one this special I predict that it will not be different. A long awaited design coupled with a much desired accessory in the belt? The chase is already commanding high prices and was from the beginning with certain online retailers who need not be mentioned.

100 series is quite a milestone, but a lot like my recent 1,000th post on my wrestling figure photography social media account (Instagram: @The_Figure_Arena), I don't see things like that as really being accomplishments. Just as anyone can make 1,000 Instagram posts, any company can churn out 100 series of action figures. It's the fans and collectors who made it what it is. As much as Mattel is patting themselves on the back, I turn around and salute you and I and our wallets. We made it what it is and will continue to do so. Never lose sight of that.

Wrestling MarketWatch: The Big Men!

You may not realize it today, but years ago wrestling was a big man’s business. Some promoters lived by the mantra that in order to get a push you had to be noticeable walking through an airport. A head-turner, if you will. There is some truth to that. I think too many of today’s stars look like your average joe walking down the street. But seeing as that the visual of a “big man” wrestler is a major part of the attraction, that obviously translates well into merchandising. In the latest edition of Wrestling MarketWatch we’re going to revisit some of the classic big men of wrestling and maybe even a modern one. As always, recently sold prices quoted are for unsigned examples unless otherwise noted.

*Big men weren’t always lumbering giants. Many had the athleticism of wrestlers a third of their size. Many arguments have been made that the most athletic wrestling big man of all-time was Big Van Vader. Not really hitting his stride in wrestling until a stint in Japan, it’s easy to see why the hard-fighting mastadon did so well over there. “Strong style” isn’t just a catchphrase. Vader, without a doubt, had his most successful years in the business as part of World Championship Wrestling. He honestly may have seen more merchandise there than his less-than-successful WWF run just a few years later. During his tenure at WCW the company had a comic book published by Marvel. Vader made the cover of Issue 12 which recently sold for $20.

*Another mid-‘90s bohemoth was the man known as Mabel. Originally part of the tag team “Men On A Mission,” Mabel would get to the top of the card as “King Mabel” and eventually adopt other monikers such as Viscera and Big Daddy V. He was just as frightening as Vader albeit in a different way. His consistent mass caused audiences to wow whenever the man known as Mabel took to the ring. Before sadly passing away in 2014, Nelson Frazier had quite a career that rarely saw him fully out of the spotlight. He eventually saw action figures under every gimmick name that he had, but the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars figure of King Mabel has been selling at an average of $55.

*One big man who may have been one of the WIDEST wrestlers to ever grace the ring was the late, great King Kong Bundy. The villain of WrestleMania 2, Bundy gained attention wherever he want. Looking like a classic movie brute, or even monster, Bundy eventually left the wrestling business for a small career in Hollywood. In real life, Bundy was a genuinely nice guy who seemed to enjoy his times at the many conventions that he attended over the years. He, along with Junkyard Dog, were the first two wrestling names that I ever remember knowing. At the height of “Bundymania,” King Kong Bundy appeared on the cover of WWF Magazine in September 1986. The issue recently sold for $30 which is up from $17 when the issue was last featured in MarketWatch five years ago.

*How about a little giant? Nothing about Andre the Giant was little, but some of his merchandise could fit that bill. One of the smallest versions of Andre is the Wrestling Superstars Clip-On from HB Toys. The design greatly resembles that of the first LJN Wrestling Superstars Andre figure. The original packaging for these clip-ons even has the LJN Wrestling Superstars logo and color scheme. Hulk Hogan was also done in this form. While no other characters were produced, HB Toys couldn’t go wrong with those two names. Andre himself recently sold for $17 out of the package.

*One man who has carried the tradition of wrestling big men into the modern era is Braun Strowman. A true giant in every sense of the word, Strowman is not just a “big man” but a “monster among men.” WWE surprisingly let him go during one of their talent purges of the past few years, but the immense superstar recently made it back into the company. Strowman also found his way into one of the earlier Mattel WWE Retro figure waves when the company was still including modern talent. The figure, autographed, recently sold for $100. Monster, indeed!

Quite the variety of gargantuan grapplers. I did originally intend to include three little items featuring The Twin Towers – Akeem and the Big Boss Man, however none have seemingly been sold lately! The items are three cards from the 1989 WWF Classic series. Most collectors are familiar with the 1990 release where the only cards of Akeem and the Boss Man are their single cards. The earlier 1989 set featured those as well as three cards of the twosome as The Twin Towers tag team. When the more widely available set showed up on shelves in 1990 the team had already broken up and the cards were replaced. I wouldn’t necessarily call them rare but I’m always intrigued at their going price since many fans aren’t even aware that they exist. Towers or not, this was a MarketWatch of epic proportions!

Wrestling MarketWatch: Totally '80s!

Did nostalgia for the ‘80s ever really die? I remember myself and people that I knew being nostalgic for the “decade of excess” midway through the 1990s! I guess we knew that it was never going to get any better, and it hasn’t! But enough veiled statements on the sad state of the world, we’re here to talk about when life was FUN! Wrestling in the 1980’s certainly resembles that statement with the big “boom” of the Rock ‘n Wrestling era, some epic in-ring action and more stars than you could fill a sky with. Considering the amount of merchandise that was done for wrestling in the ‘80s, a MarketWatch entry on the topic could actually be a weekly feature. As usual we’ve whittled it down to five items at random. As always the prices listed are for unsigned examples unless otherwise noted. My own photos are used for reference which is why you’ll see a signature or two pop up. Grab your Members Only jacket, a can of New Coke and let’s get to it!

*Although there were examples earlier, it was in the ‘80s when wrestlers truly began to sing. On MTV, no less! One of the biggest singles off of 1985’s WWF The Wrestling Album was the classic number by The Junk Yard Dog, “Grab Them Cakes.” The song, co-sung by “Turn The Beat Around” songstress Vicki Sue Robinson, became the anthem for JYD once the era of licensed “real” music died off. Queen’s “Another One Bites The Dust” was out and people were grabbing cakes worldwide. The album itself had plenty of single releases, many of which have been seen over the years in this very blog. While the three 45 inch singles are best known (GTC, Land of a Thousand Dances?!!? & Don’t Go Messin’ With A Country Boy) there were other releases including both promotional and foreign. The 12 inch “Dance Mix” of everyone’s favorite song where you just go for your partner’s you-know-what recently sold for $20. 

*Though not affiliated with any major U.S. promotion in the ‘80s for any length of time, you can’t deny that the star power of Mil Mascaras carried over from the ‘70s into the 1980’s. His mask was made for merchandising and while he’s been grossly underrepresented in the action figure world (especially with modern day versions), his mysterious mug has made it onto countless other items over the years. In 1983 Bernie Lopez Enterprises and The Mil Mascaras Corporation released the aptly named “Mil Mascaras Pro Wrestling Game.” It doesn’t get more straight forward than that, does it? The game features an iconic George Napolitano shot of Mascaras in mid-air and the promise of the game allowing you to promote matches in major cities across the world. I’m not sure that anyone’s ever actually played it (I own it and haven’t…) but it certainly is fun to have. A copy just sold for a bargain price of $30.

 

*You knew we couldn’t talk ‘80s wrestling without talking LJN. The famous Wrestling Superstars figure line is what many collectors cut their teeth on. Proof? “Big Rubber Wrestlers” is one of the most searched phrases that has led to this blog over the years. That’s how they’re remembered by casual fans and it proves what an impact they had. You were hard pressed to find a kid who didn’t own at least one back then, even if he or she was not a wrestling fan. But while the carded versions seemed to be everywhere, the tag team two packs were not. Much more limited in distribution, the two packs included Hulk Hogan and Hillbilly Jim, Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff, The Hart Foundation, The British Bulldogs, The Killer Bees, The Dream Team and Strike Force. All of those figures were released individually as well, but there’s something really cool about the tag team boxes. The Hillbilly and The Hulkster recently sold for $600!

 

*The WWF wasn’t the only game in town. Jim Crockett Promotions and the NWA were producing a high-impact in-ring product born out of the classic southern style. Dusty Rhodes, Ric Flair, The Rock n Roll Express and The Midnight Express were just some of their top names that remain beloved to this day. Do I need to remind you of that? Nah, but who doesn’t love those great memories? Starrcade, “The Granddaddy of Em All” was the prime event in that wrestling world and even predated WrestleMania. While the world may not be as fun as it used to be, it is pretty nifty that, on a whim, we can go from watching WrestleMania to Starrcade with just a few clicks. If you do surf on over to a Starrcade, especially since we’re in that season, you may want to pick up some of the classic programs. The Starrcade ’87 program (Chi-Town Heat!) recently sold for $100.

 

*Let’s wrap it up by seeing stars. Superstars. Wrestling Superstars. But not by LJN. This time the 1985 stars of the World Wrestling Federation are coming to us via View-Master. As ubiquitous as LJN figures were in the ‘80s toy box, so were View-Master reels. If by some chance you’ve never owned some, you slide the thin reel into the viewer (there were plenty of viewers dating back decades and were all virtually universal) and magically you could flip through three-dimensional pictures of your favorite television, movie and cartoon characters, places around the world, wildlife and of course WWF Superstars. The Hulkster and Hillbilly are once again prominent here and are joined by Andre the Giant and Randy “Macho Man” Savage. There is a scarcer “gift set” where the reels are packaged in a window box with the viewer but the package of reels itself sells for around $20.

 

We still love the ‘80s and always will. It was magic, fun and just felt like a friendlier place. Admittedly I was but a child then, but many who were older in that day feel the same. The world has gone sour, especially in the last few years, but I recently saw a quote that brought me some comfort: “Nostalgia is one of the few rewards we get when getting old.” That’s why we have to hold onto it…