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!

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--New York Daily News WWF WrestleMania VI Supplement

Though I’ve been very much in a WrestleMania IV frenzy over the last several weeks, with more likely coming as next year marks 35 years, it remains my second favorite WrestleMania event. My first is and will always be WrestleMania VI. You’ve got Hogan-Warrior, Dusty, Macho King (my favorite version of Randy Savage), Andre’s turn (and “final” match, although we all know better), The Twin Towers colliding, the final team-up of Monsoon and Ventura and even Mary Tyler Moore. It was a star-studded affair and the first Mania that truly looks slick. No, not “The Doctor of Style.” I’m speaking of production values. The first two Mania’s greatly resemble any other WWF event of the day. WrestleMania III is visually amazing being at the Silverdome, but you can still see the WWF growing in terms of how to properly present a spectacle. IV and V are there, but the intimate atmosphere of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall doesn’t allow them to truly show off what they now know. WrestleMania VI at the cavernous Skydome in Toronto does just that.

But we’re not here today to look at why it’s my favorite event. Today we’re looking at yet another effort by the WWF to get you to watch the event back in 1990. Newspapers were still a huge deal thirty-two years ago. My family religiously purchased our Sunday paper (on Saturday night, of course) and I knew many people who had the paper delivered daily. It’s no surprise that the WWF heavily advertised anywhere from USA Today to your own local paper and even those on the more "tabloidian" end. If you picked up The New York Daily News on Friday, March 30, 1990, hopefully you saved what you’re seeing here. The WWF purchased an entire pullout supplement not only hyping the WrestleMania VI matches but also giving a bit of history on the past five events.

The articles are obviously expertly written, possibly by in-house historian Howard Finkel himself? At a glance the only visible mistakes are deeming Rick Rude as “Ravish” instead of “Ravishing" and mislabeling Jake Roberts as Rude in a photo, but we’ll forgive those. A complete rundown of April 1, 1990’s matches is included with my four favorites listed as the top four. I had nothing to do with it, though you do get the feeling that Boss Man-Akeem really was supposed to be a lot more than it ended up being due to time cuts. After all, just a year prior these two were main eventing shows around the country and even NBC’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.. The Boss Man himself was also about to begin a major babyface singles run. At least here, in the NY Daily News of all places, it gets a boost being listed fourth.

Plenty of ads fill our supplement, both WWF and local in nature. Need a VCR to record the big event? Look no further than Cameo Camera & Video conveniently located in Brooklyn! Don’t want to miss a call during Hulk-Warrior? Try The Beeper Connection! And it may not be Sy Sperling and The Hair Club For Men, but Hair Replacement Systems will get you growing in three locations including Yonkers! The Hulk Hogan vitamins certainly would’ve had you growing hair…somewhere! Anyone else remember the embossed box? Regardless, “This Call’s For You!” on the WWF Hotline. No, that’s not 1-900-909-9900. That’s some other number. It’s 1-900-909-WWF6. I would totally pay whatever charges today if I could hear an exclusive Dusty and Sapphire promo. If you think I’m joking you’re on the wrong blog.

In all seriousness, this thing is a great hype job. It discusses the Fan Festival events that began in Atlantic City and will continue in Toronto. It gives some good background on the The Ultimate Challenge and there’s even a fun little article on the WWF Fan Club. Apparently there were promotions associated with the club such as “Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s 2x4,” “A Day In The Life Of The Million Dollar Man,” “The Ultimate Weekend” (where the winner is said to have been rewarded with merchandise and live event tickets) and even “What’s In Jake The Snake Roberts’ Bag?” Hmmm. Knowing what we know now I’m hoping that no kids were the winners of the latter.

Little things like this really did a lot to spread the word of WrestleMania. They don’t need to do it today due to the oft-discussed name value that the event now holds. With newspapers all but gone, something like this likely wouldn’t even reach that many people. That being said, this is a yellowing time capsule of both wrestling and culture itself. In any event, I’m fired up. I think I’ll settle in and watch The Ultimate Challenge now. The hype obviously worked on me, I think I’m up to viewing #100, at least…

Wrestling MarketWatch: WWF Wrestling Superstars '89

The legendary final series. The "black cards." Or, as they were deemed on the cardbacks, "Wrestling Superstars '89." They were the last hurrah of the legendary WWF Wrestling Superstars line by LJN. "Those big, rubber wrestlers" as they have been referred to so many times. The last series, distributed by Grand Toys of Canada, made it here and there but certainly not everywhere. I can recall seeing some of them at a Circus World store at Ross Park Mall outside of Pittsburgh. Others were only able to obtain them through "The Wrestling Ring" mail order store that famously advertised in the wrestling magazines of the era.

The limited distribution has caused their value to only rise over the years. The astronomical prices for carded examples are well-documented, but how about loose versions? This time in MarketWatch we look at recent selling prices for five of the figures in out-of-the-package status.

*As it was just as his rise to the top began, many fans recall searching far and wide for the first action figure of The Ultimate Warrior back in 1989. Just as all versions have since, this first Warrior figure reflects the color and intensity of the character. What kid wouldn't want this one? Best of all, it's in a pose that could easily recreate slams, clotheslines, and body tackles just as the Warrior was known for. The future WWF World Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion recently sold for $250.

*Though they were frequently on the opposite sides of the ring, the Warrior and rival Ravishing Rick Rude also saw very different debuts in the figure world. While both saw their first figures in this series and were highly detailed, the comparisons end there. As mentioned above, the Warrior's figure was easy to play with thanks to the pose. Rude's figure, due to the way it was sculpted, was more of a statue. With his hands at his hips, Rude just stood there. The addition of the tattoo, however, is very cool. Rude's lack of playability may still affect his pricing, as it recently sold for between $60-$100.

*Another great ring villain debuted as a figure here, that being the Polynesian superstar Haku. Prototype pictures, as well as the included poster, indicate that this was originally planned as a figure of King Haku. The crown and royal-themed trunks were dropped before production. It would be almost two decades before Haku received another figure, at which time he became part of the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line as both King Haku and Meng. This original Haku has always been one of my favorites and was sculpted to appear as if he was about to drop one of his legendary headbutts. You may have to drop more than that to own him, as the former king recently sold for $230.

*Just as Ax was released around a year earlier as the only LJN produced member of Demolition, The Warlord follows here without Powers of Pain partner The Barbarian. LJN also seemed to predict the future as they inexplicably put The Warlord in short trunks which he would not begin actually wearing for a few more years. The paint on the figure is fantastic and makes you wonder what an LJN version of The Barbarian would have looked like. Both The Barbarian and Smash along with Brother Love, Bad News Brown, and The Bushwhackers were planned per cardbacks. The Warlord recently sold for between $100-$200.

*Then a new enemy for Hulk Hogan, most famously in a cage on Saturday Night's Main Event, the Big Boss Man is a true gem of the entire LJN line. He carries a big stick and towers over many of the other figures. His sunglasses are on, but he can definitely mix it up with the best of them. The blue of the shirt is very vibrant and the paint detail truly stands out. Although One Man Gang had been produced, it's a shame that an LJN version of Akeem did not happen to create The Twin Towers. The Slickster is there to manage, however, stylish hat and all. The Boss Man recently sold for $250.

Rounded out by Andre the Giant wearing his one-strap black singlet, the final series of LJN was a great way to go out. Later in 1989 the Hasbro WWF action figures would begin being designed thus launching a new generation for wrestling toys. Still, it's a shame that both couldn't have continued in some way. After all, they were completely different scales.

Some would not even deem the LJN Wrestling Superstars as action figures. I certainly would. Any kid of the '80s could tell you that these were figures that saw plenty of action. Most, even missing some paint, have survived as mementos of a great era and some great childhood play times.

Household Wrestling Items That You Never Realized You Needed...

If you've followed this blog for any amount of time, you already know that we celebrate all forms of wrestling memorabilia. The weird. The wacky. The wonderful. It's all covered. But how about...household items? Sure they've popped up here and there over the near decade since the blogs inception, but they've never really had the spotlight. Need to host a wrestling themed luncheon? These items may just please the most difficult of guests...

*Breakfast in bed? Frozen dinner in front of the television? The entire Brady Bunch is sick again? Never fear, the WWF Superstars lunch tray is here. Big Boss Man. The Ultimate Warrior. Hulk Hogan. The Texas Tornado. All four are ready, willing, and able to provide that extra needed flavor, and maybe even some vitamins, to your meal. Can you imagine bringing Virgil some Olive Garden takeout (extra meat sauce) on this tray while he regales you with highly-fictionalized stories of the four featured superstars? I can't.

*Maybe you don't want to eat your lunch at home, but you still need some early '90s WWF Superstar power with your cuisine. That''s why we have WWF Superstars lunch bags! The Boss Man, The Warrior, and The Hulkster are all back from their lunch tray antics to bring you action on the go. Joining them are none other than Jake "The Snake" Roberts and Damien! These aren't the boring, plain, brown bags that used to float around WWF locker rooms near Allentown! These bags are full of ingestable items sure to make you bigger and stronger! Oh, wait...

*Certainly you need something to wash all of these power packed meals down with. And that something, whether it be milk, juice, or whatever you want has to be contained. There have been plenty of wrestling related cups, mugs, and suck cups (thanks, Dusty!) over the years, but for this outing we went with a glass featuring Ax and Smash. Yes, Demolition themselves. There were a few different series of glasses featuring WWF superstars produced over the years, but who are more exciting to drink from than my personal favorite tag team? Before you take a sip, a word of warning: you better say your act of contrition.

*Watch it! Don't you dare put that glass down on the end table without a coaster. But not just any coaster, mind you! This is a Mid-South Wrestling coaster! Used as a promotional item sometimes even given away by owner and WWE Hall of Famer himself, Cowboy Bill Watts, these coasters actually say "Mid-South Sports." Also illustrated are the address and phone number of the promotion. Who's using this to pick up the ice sweat from their drinking glass? Not me! Especially when it's autographed by Watts himself!

*So the host has kicked you out of the house, without your drink, for refusing to use a coaster. How else are you going to beat the heat? With an FMW hand fan, silly! Frontier Martial Arts Wrestling may have been founded by the legendary and infamous Atsushi Onita, but the high-flying Hayabusa is arguably its best remembered star. As with many Japanese promotions, some interesting and unique memorabilia came out of FMW, including this fan. Just sit back, wave the fan, and think about such relaxing concepts as exploding ring barbed wire steel cage matches!

And there you have a sampling of wrestling memorabilia that you can still put to good use around the house. Why sit around just staring at these great items when they can aid in special occasions, holidays, and pleasant family time? Utilize these tips wisely. After all, you're getting them for free. Martha Stewart would've charged you $25 for this information in book form...

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Put that cigarette out!

Mattel WWE Year-In-Review: Survivor Series Style!

2016 may have been Mattel's best year for the WWE line yet. Looking back at just this blog over the past eleven months, even I can't believe how much space has been devoted to the figures. A plethora of names new and old, unique and common, have been produced by the company this year. WWE and NXT stars, Hall of Famers and Legends, and even some off-the-wall and offbeat characters have "made the list" for Mattel, and it's hard to imagine just which one will be "Figure of the Year." For a fun change on this, my favorite holiday, we'll take a look at some of those finalists. But it isn't a normal rundown. Instead, we're grouping the thirty top figures into six Survivor Series teams. Who will be the sole survivor?

REGAL'S ROOKIES 

VS 

THE NXT DEMONS

Ok, so Regal's rookies aren't really rookies, but it sounded good. A late addition in 2016, the Lord Steven Regal figure is an awesome new WCW entry to the ever-growing Mattel roster. Regal leads his team of 2016 figures that includes Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, and The Vaudevillains. Opposing this fivesome is The NXT Demons led by "The Demon King" himself, Finn Balor. The NXT alumni that join him are Apollo Crews, Braun Strowman, Baron Corbin, and Kalisto. 

BAYLEY'S BEAUTIES 

VS 

THE GIMMICK GANG

A Neidhart on each team! Bayley's Beauties have it all. Looks, in-ring skills, and alliteration. The Hugger is joined by Becky Lynch, "The Narcissist" Lex Luger, Nattie Neidhart, and Tyler Breeze. "Prince Pretty" seems more interested in getting a group selfie than in winning this thing. The Gimmick Gang is captained by The Bunny and includes Tugboat, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and The Bushwhackers. 

THE BOSSES 

VS 

TEAM EXTREME

In the main event we see a team that's comprised of people nicknamed "The Boss," a Bossman, someone who was a boss to many, and a Stinger. We've got team captain Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A., Big Boss Man, Sting, and Sasha Banks. They're opposed by Team Extreme, and although Lita is aboard this isn't that Team Xtreme. These are alumni of ECW. Lita is joined by team captain Terry Funk, Bam Bam Bigelow, and The Dudley Boyz. 

See what I mean? Mattel certainly had an impressive lineup this year, and this is only thirty of those figures. My deepest apologies to "SummerSlam 1989" Hacksaw Jim Duggan as well as Enzo and Cass. There just wasn't room. The "sole survivor" will actually be the "Best Figure" winner in the 2016 J\/\/ Awards at the end of the year. A few of the late entries here may even be featured in a blog entry before that as well. Stay tuned!

And although you've already finished the big meal by the time that this hits the Net, it is with my best thoughts that I wish you and yours a...

Hard Times Abound For WWE In 2016

No, the title of this post does not refer to the seemingly-endless series of injuries plaguing WWE. These "hard times" are the kind that you might run into if you ever took a trip down to Cobb County, Georgia. Perhaps you didn't read the signs or respect the law and order? Regardless, I think that you'll hearken back to one of the greatest characters in WWE history, The Big Boss Man. At 6'7 and over 300 pounds, the Boss Man had the audience in the palm of his hand no matter which "side" he was currently on. It didn't hurt that he is also undoubtedly one of the most underrated stars in wrestling history. For a man his size, he could do it all.

I passed up on the first Big Boss Man figure to hit the Mattel WWE line several years ago. It was released at a time when I wasn't quite sold on the Mattel product and I was really only collecting "new" characters. The figure has since skyrocketed in demand (and secondary market value). Now many collectors, including myself, are getting a second chance thanks to a brand new series exclusive to Toys "R" Us. It's the "WWE Network Spotlight" series. Essentially, the line will likely be an all-"Flashback" series similar to the Target exclusive WWE Hall of Fame set. Thus far a 1990's Hunter Hearst Helmsley is also in the series, with a Shawn Michaels to follow.

The figure itself looks to be a direct re-release of the first Mattel Boss Man, sans the ball and chain. The figure still includes sunglasses, handcuffs, and the trademark nightstick. The back of the packaging says that the look of the Boss Man is supposed to represent his Saturday Night's Main Event appearance on May 27, 1989. This was, of course, the night where the prison guard famously suplexed Hulk Hogan from the corner of the steel cage. In actuality, the figure could represent the Boss Man throughout his initial WWF run. He appears a bit hefty (he was bigger in his first two years with the company), but the Boss Man was always "big."

Most figures of Ray "Big Boss Man" Traylor have captured a good likeness and this one is no different. Something about the stance of this figure really seems to scream "Hard Times." I hear his famous theme song just looking at it. The only issue I have is that in the lot that I encountered, all seemed to have paint issues on the uniform. The one that I ultimately chose only had a line on his strap that can easily be fixed, but others had issues with the yellow stripe down the leg. For collectors who keep every figure carded, this can be a killer.

Like all Elite figures, there are many points of articulation enabling top poseability. For someone like the Boss Man, this is essential. Part of his greatness was being one of the most agile "big man" wrestlers to ever grace the squared circle. Sure, he could pound you into submission with a Southern-style beating, but he could also move around with the best of them. His bumping was second-to-none as well. Check out his beatdown at WrestleMania VI from Ted DiBiase or his elimination from the 1992 Royal Rumble for great examples of this.

The Big Boss Man is one of the very few of my favorites from childhood that I didn't have the chance to meet. By all accounts, he was a heckuva guy. My friend David Isley often tells stories of Mr. Traylor from their days working the Jim Crockett Promotions shows at TBS Studios. Terri Runnels, an "Attitude-Era" travel companion of the Boss Man, has also publicly shared her memories. At the 2016 WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, I hope to hear even more about the legendary gentle giant of the ring.

This is a fun figure. As much as I love the new packaging, it looks even better posed. It's the kind of figure that anyone would want on their shelf. I'd even go as far as to call it a conversation piece. Put this on your desk at work and watch the amazement come flowing in. "I LOVED the Big Boss Man!" After all, he is one of the best remembered and beloved stars of the era. Couple him with the Mattel Akeem figure from a few years ago and the tag team of the Twin Towers is back. All we need is The Slickster...

Since we've done WrestleMania stories just about every year since the inception of the blog, I decided to give it a break this year. Over the past several weeks we've looked at several new Hall of Fame inductees and, in what is becoming an annual deal, I have my thoughts on the big event itself at my other blog, Josh Culture. Whether you're in Dallas this weekend or following the fun on WWE Network, enjoy the spectacle that is WrestleMania!

30 Years of "Those Big, Rubber Wrestlers"

You see might see the description in a badly listed eBay auction or even used during a nostalgic wrestling conversation.  They were the WWF Wrestling Superstars by LJN, but to many, they were "those big, rubber wrestlers."  It would have been very hard to be a wrestling fan and not encounter those "big, rubber" wrestling figures at some point in the past thirty years.  They depicted Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper, The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and dozens of other WWF Superstars in a larger-than-life way that has never quite been duplicated.  They've shown up in film, on television, and in print.  They aren't action figures in the traditional sense, yet to not include them in the genre would be blasphemy.  You, your neighbor, your cousin, and your classmates had at least one, and even with paint and rubber wear all of these years later, it's still a relic to be cherished.

The LJN WWF figure line began in 1984.  While it was not the first wrestling figure line (that distinction falls to a series produced by Popy in Japan), it was the first in America, beating out Remco's AWA collection by months.  Some, including a few of the wrestlers themselves, refer to the products as dolls.  There will never be a definitive answer to the old "It's not a doll, it's an action figure" argument, but these replica wrestlers weren't playing dress-up, they were seeing action in and out of the ring.

What I most love about the LJN line was the inclusion of non-wrestler figures.  Sure, it's amazing to be able to have dream matches like Hulk Hogan against Bruno Sammartino and Ricky Steamboat versus Dynamite Kid, but figures of managers, announcers, and referees only add to the depth of play.  It's no wonder that so many loose examples these days have so much paint wear; these wrestlers WRESTLED!

"Twist Em, Turn Em" was one of LJN's selling point catchphrases for the line, and it was true.  While the figures were not articulated, with the exception of a few pointlessly posed examples (Paul Orndorff, Rick Rude) the design of the toys made them extremely playable.  The Hulkster could slam any other figure while Randy Savage was perfectly poised for a patented flying elbow drop.  God-like figures for God-like superstars.

The figures had a pumped-up look which was very lifelike for the wrestlers of the day.  Unlike today when bulging muscles look out of place on wrestling figures, the wrestlers themselves didn't look like the guy down the street.  There was much more individuality, which in turn made many more stars stand out.

Like companies today, LJN wasn't satisfied with just one standard line.  Attempts to branch out were made, but none lasted as long as the 8-inch original figures.  A lower cost line of Bendies were introduced about a year into the life of the license.  Wires inside of these smaller figures helped hold their poses.  Aside from the wrestlers, a ring/cage and two managers were produced, but the line did not sustain.  Prototype pictures of further releases have surfaced since, proving that LJN had high hopes.

In 1987, a half dozen figures were released as Stretch Wrestlers.  These figures were a takeoff on the decades-old Stretch Armstrong figure concept, where a cornstarch mix inside of a pliable "skin" allows the figure to be stretched into all kinds of contortions.  Sadly, the design of all of these kinds of figures does not lend itself to good condition over time.  Many that remain are in poor condition or are too brittle to really even touch.

Thirty years.  While much of the paint and shine of these figures is gone, the memories remain.  I can still recall going into the.long gone but beloved Hills Department Store and seeing the large LJN merchandising footprint in the toy aisles.  Stretch Wrestlers stacked to the ceiling.  Individual figures like Hillbilly Jim, Miss Elizabeth, and Mean Gene Okerlund (or "the farmer," "the girl," and "the announcer" as I naively named them) filling the pegs.  The feeling that this unusual yet compelling sport was at the height of its popularity, and that the characters produced from it were genuine celebrities.  Household names forever immortalized as "those big, rubber wrestlers."

Hockey Is Here...WWF Style!

 As all fans know by now, NHL hockey is back!  The lockout which caused fans to miss a half season worth of action, not to mention the always entertaining Winter Classic, is finally over.  Had it not, the superstars of the 1991 WWF could have easily come to your rescue, sticks in hand, ready for the rink!  And how does the former toy company Remco fit into all of this?

Remco is best known among wrestling fans for their mid-1980's line of AWA action figures.  Famous for a wide variety of characters and their primitive yet charming design, the AWA line is highly collectible to this day.  Although Curt Hennig and Rick Martel were both among the wrestlers featured in the line, both wrestlers as well as ten others would be produced by Remco in 1991.  This time for the WWF.

Before the Monday Night Wars/Attitude Era, there were two "boom" periods of WWF merchandise where the company and its characters were seemingly everywhere.  Those times were between 1985 and 1987 and 1990 and 1992.  Both periods were highlighted with popular action figure lines (LJN and Hasbro respectively) and everything from lunch boxes to pencils to bedsheets were produced.  One could argue that the first boom of merchandise is remembered in a better light due to the association with the Rock 'n Wrestling era, but many fans still fondly recall the second largely featuring the neon styles of the Ultimate Warrior and company.  It is the latter era that brought us Remco's WWF Superstars Shoot-Out tabletop hockey game.

Although there were other tabletop hockey games on the market at the time (including a Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles version also manufactured by Remco and using very similar box art), there was no better toy for a fan of both the WWF and the NHL.  The game was mainly available in 1991 and 1992 with the design planned sometime in late 1990, based upon the characters and gimmicks.

One team consists of Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Big Boss Man, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and Tugboat while their opponents are Sgt. Slaughter, "Macho King" Randy Savage, Ted DiBiase, Mr. Perfect, The Model, and Earthquake.  The figures of each are highly detailed and roughly two and a half inches tall.  Their sticks are individualized based upon each wrestler's gimmick.  Some of the sticks, such as Duggan's 2x4, Macho King's scepter, and Hogan's barbell would be the envy of any real hockey player while others such as Warrior's neon tassles, Tugboat's tow rope, and Damien are "stiffened" out to provide an adequate tool.

The 36" by 17" rink really makes it one of the biggest wrestling toys of the time.  The control mechanism is the same as most tabletop hockey games and all of the materials used to make the rink itself seem to have stood the test of time.  The same cannot be said for the many stickers included with the game.  The most often missing are stickers that were applied to the sticks of DiBiase, Perfect, and Earthquake.  The two pucks included also had stickers, those being of the WWF winged eagle championship design.

The game also has the distinction of including the only figure of Tugboat.  While Fred Ottman has appeared in figure form as both Typhoon and Shockmaster, this goalie figure of Tugboat is still the only ever released of the gimmick.  The Tugster was scheduled for release in the Hasbro figure line but was switched to Typhoon following television storylines.  Thankfully for us, Remco kept the original design.

I can recall the puck occasionally getting stuck under a stick and holding up play, but ultimately this toy was a blast.  I can only imagine how popular an item like this would be with today's stars, but I doubt that it would have the quality craftsmanship that went into this between the sturdy construction and character detail.

Examples do show up for sale, but a complete set would be fairly hard to build.  The aforementioned DiBiase, Perfect, and Earthquake stickers are often missing and I can recall the rink stickers occasionally being scuffed up by a particularly rough pass.

A classic era, a bevy of all-time greats, and one of the most entertaining toy concepts of the last century all bundled into one great piece of wrestling memorabilia.  Sounds like the ultimate wrestling hat trick to me!