The Vintage Cardboard of WWE Returns

 Before the month of August ends, we have to take a look at what has become an annual tradition in the past few years: the release of the new WWF Heritage trading cards from Topps. This has also become the only set that I actively purchase more than one or two packs of. I love the style, the time that they pay homage to, and the fact that these genuinely look like cards. They aren't overly-coated with gloss and feel thinner than a dime. These are CARDS.

This year Topps has chosen their 1989 baseball card design to transfer to WWE. I have fond memories of the former set, and I probably still have the entire run in storage. I actually even have the card of Pittsburgh Pirate Mike LaValliere autographed. It's a simple but classic and cool looking design. The packaging of both the box and the packs has changed little aside from color over the past four years or so. 

After a long tradition of every hobby box yielding a full base set, this sadly changed years back. I feel that you should always get the main 110 cards, but what do I know? Each hobby box does guarantee two "hits," including one autograph. Subsets include Big Legends, Rookies, Tag Teams & Stables, and Future Stars. There are also non-Heritage style inserts, depending on where you purchase your packs, dedicated to Ric Flair, Randy Savage, and Shawn Michaels. As usual, I don't cover these as I don't consider them part of the set though the Macho Man cards are vibrant.

As always, my mind goes to the legends. The "Big Legends" subset is based on the look of Topps 1989 "Big Baseball" design. Though the original cards were larger than the standard release baseball, these wrestling versions are not. There are two shots on each card, and I like that many showcase two different periods in the career of the legend. I enjoyed seeing Sid Vicious, Alundra Blayze, Larry Zbyszko, Brutus Beefcake, and others who aren't represented enough. Harley Race's card features both "King" and "before-the-crown" shots which is probably a card first. It's also nice to see our recently lost legends such as Bruno Sammartino, Nikolai Volkoff, and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.

Between Raw, Smackdown, and NXT, the roster is bloated but it certainly makes for a variety of names to be included. I'm sure that some of these stars will see their only trading card released here. What better way than in a Heritage set? It's fun to see names like Eric Young, Kassius Ohno, Velveteen Dream, Sarah Logan, and Kairi Sane represented on classic cardboard. And, as long as they've been with the company at this point, it's still great to have WWE merchandise for men like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and Bobby Roode. It wasn't that many years ago that none of them were ever expected to show up in a WWE ring.

My pulls? An autographed Bobby Roode "Rookies" card and a Sasha Banks "Survivor Series" mat relic. For the autograph we have someone that I enjoy on a subset card with a silver colored border to boot. On the flip side we have one of my very least favorite current roster stars with a relic style that I am beyond tired of. I know that I can't be the only one. Even some of the "manufactured relics" like belt medallions are less stale than the mat pieces. At least it has a better design than those of a few years ago where the relics featured an oval-shaped photo surrounded by white.

It isn't my favorite Heritage set to date, but it isn't the worst. For me personally, any card in the retro style is going to trump the plastic-y feel of modern cards. One does wonder which style will be resurrected next. I wouldn't mind a trip back to the '60s and some of those designs. The 1990 Topps baseball style would be pretty cool, too. As long as they're classic, matte cardboard and retain the look and feel, I'm on board.

Trading cards are an often overlooked area of wrestling collecting, but they're a ton of fun. Speaking of fun, next week kicks off another "Mattel Month" here on the blog with four weeks of Mattel WWE figure reviews featuring 2018 releases. I "figure" it will be a blast...

A Roode Awakening

He's "glorious" and he's your new WWE United States Champion. Even with most TNA/Impact Wrestling standouts seemingly finding their way to WWE, did anyone predict that they would thrive as they have? The company has not always been extremely open to those who've made their name elsewhere. But thrive they have, and Bobby Roode has been no exception. Bursting onto the scene via NXT, Roode debuted with a spectacular theme song (said to have been considered for Shinsuke Nakamura) which evolved into a great, grand, and yes, glorious nickname. As with any superstar, the in-ring talent must match the showmanship. Thus far, Roode has proven to have both.

Many of us have been Bobby Roode fans since his days as part of Team Canada and Beer Money. The latter team often heard chatter that a WWE run could be in their future. Roode's partner in the team, "Cowboy" James Storm, did have a cup of coffee in NXT, but has yet to see the full WWE experience. It would be fun to see the two former partners collide in the major spotlight of WWE, especially with Roode's current persona.

The buzz surrounding Roode did not begin with NXT or SmackDown Live. I can still remember the atmosphere at the 2011 Bound For Glory fanfest. It was Roode's largest hyped run for the TNA Heavyweight Championship, challenging Kurt Angle. Though Roode would not take the title on that particular occasion, it was the point where many began to view him as a bonafide singles star. Roode did go on to be a two-time TNA Heavyweight Chanpion as well as the longest reigning to date.

Due to his TNA stardom, Roode also saw a nice chunk of merchandise during his long tenure with the company. Action figures representing his time with both Team Canada and Beer Money were produced as were trading cards, t-shirts, promotional photos, and other assorted items. Roode even made one of the last covers of "The Wrestler" magazine in a great shot including the TNA Heavyweight Championship belt over his shoulder.

Roode has already debuted in the Mattel NXT figure line which is exclusive to Target. The "Basic" version will be followed by an "Elite" in a subsequent NXT-Target release. That figure will include the new NXT Championship. I've always envisioned a "Glorious" Defining Moments figure release for Roode, complete with robe. There is definitely still room and time for it to happen.

At age 40, Roode has little to prove in professional wrestling yet he has so much more to do. He fits into WWE so well, yet carries on the feeling of being an outsider, similar to Rob Van Dam when he first arrived in the company. It's another unique situation brought about by WWE allowing non-homegrown talents to thrive.

It's a glorious thing...

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.

A Bit More Wrestling Tradition Slips Away...

At this time of year it is tradition and memories that often bring the most comfort.  Reminders in the form of family and friends, food on the table, and a general sense of security is what we should all really be thankful for.  For us lucky enough to be fans of pro wrestling, we often hold onto similar pillars of the past as an assurance that all is well in the world of our favorite pastime.  Last week, that comfortable world was jarred just a little bit.

When news broke of two legendary wrestling magazines, Inside Wrestling and The Wrestler, being discontinued, I was saddened but not shocked.  The world of print media has been jumping to digital form for a number of years now.  It was a testament to both the editorial force behind the magazines as well as their loyal readers that the titles remained as long as they did. 

I can't count the times I've seen and heard fans recall their first look at a classic issue of one of these titles.  One look at a cover like the November 1970 issue of The Wrestler could cause it to be a seared into a fan's brain forever, regardless of age!  The cover, featuring an intensely bloody Bobby Heenan, was a great example of the old wrestling adage that "red equals green."  The crimson mask shown on "The Brain" certainly made the issue one of the favorites of fans worldwide.

The violent side of wrestling wasn't the only type of memorable cover.  Many times it was a case of grandeur.  When a cover featured a champion boastfully holding or wearing their championship belt, that proud feeling could transfer right over to the fan buying the issue.  No matter the snide looks of the convenience store clerk condescendingly grabbing your money, you were purchasing a magazine that featured the best in the squared circle.  A championship belt wasn't always even necessary, such as when the cover featured Bill Apter's favorite wrestler, the colorful Mil Mascaras.

A portrait, bloody or otherwise, wasn't necessarily the calling card of these magazine covers, either.  Sometimes it was an iconic moment celebrating the glory and athletics of wrestling.  The photographers used by these magazines were obviously chosen wisely.  It's a chore to find a non-memorable cover of these titles.

Of course, the cover only tells half the story.  Inside both magazines was a treasure trove of photos as well as stories that often rivaled those being told on the wrestling television programming.  Covering stars from all over the country, it was through these magazines that fans got a taste of what was going on outside of their own area.  When wrestling went national, it was a way for fans like me to discover promotions such as ECW and Smoky Mountain Wrestling.  Although I may not have seen the actual footage until the past decade, I was aware of and following the Eastern Championship Wrestling battles of Tito Santana, Jimmy Snuka, and Johnny Hotbody well before the promotion went Extreme.  And let us not forget that Taz himself made it into the pages of Inside Wrestling before he went Extreme, as well!

A few years ago both titles were merged into one magazine.  The double-sided issues each had their own equal amount of content and continued the tradition of great covers.  It was in this era of the magazine that I am proud to say that I was a small part of with a story about "The One Man Rock Band" Heath Slater earlier this year.  While not a journalistic superstar of wrestling like the fabled Matt Brock or Liz Hunter, it was and is a childhood dream fulfilled to be involved with the Stanley Weston family of wrestling magazines.

On the upside, we still have the flagship wrestling magazine, Pro Wrestling Illustrated, to enjoy.  The tradition of wrestling coverage, both written and photographic, thrives in those pages. There will always be a place in my collection for what I will continue to deem "straight-off-the-shelf wrestling collectibles."  Between all of the great issues of the past covering the entire spectrum of Weston magazines and what's still to come with PWI, I think we have a lot of enjoying left to do and many more memories to be made.