1...2...3...You've Built Danny Davis

Just when you think there's a character who will never see another figure release the companies go and pull a surprise. When Jakks released "Dangerous" Danny Davis in the WWE Classic Superstars line over a decade ago, collectors considered themselves lucky. Even though Davis was more than just a referee, the "non-wrestler" characters have always been few and far between when it comes to figure releases. Making it more surprising is that in Mattel's decade with the WWE license there have been virtually no referee figures aside from wrestlers clad in "guest referee" attire. Thanks to the "Build-A-Figure" concept, things have finally changed.

Re-dubbed "Build-A-Referee" and released as a WrestleMania subset, the latest "Build-A-Figure" series returns with Danny Davis as the fifth figure in a set of four Elite releases. The main release figures are four popular wrestlers clad in memorable attire as seen over the years at WrestleMania. In this latest BAF set we've got Mick Foley, Kofi Kingston, "Woken" Matt Hardy, and Booker T. The packaging is based upon the pirate theme of WrestleMania XXXVI to be held in Tampa, Florida.

I dislike when opening figures is a chore. With the tough plastic used for the trays holding the figures into place, I don't see why bands, ties, and other annoying pieces are necessary. It's a small annoyance, but this set just seems to have extra bondage holding the figures in. The additional hands, though a nice touch on modern Mattel Elite releases, are often difficult to remove as well. I guess the alternatives are possible messes for carded collectors, with accessories coming loose in the box.

All four wrestlers are popular choices, and at least three are in easily recognizable attires. While I wouldn't include Matt Hardy's design as WrestleMania-specific as the others, I do believe that this is the first figure release of "Woken" Matt with the full entrance gear. Kofi and Booker reflect their respective runs at world championships, while Foley mirrors his hardcore battle with Edge that culminated in a memorable incident involving a flaming table.

My favorite figure here, as is usually the case with the BAF sets, is the figure that we're building itself. Mattel's version of Davis is a huge upgrade over the aforementioned Jakks version. While the latter was better for carded/autograph collectors (something that Build-A-Figures are never good for), the facial sculpt on that one was a mere passing resemblance. This version is perfect and captures the cocky attitude of the referee as he was beginning to show that his true colors weren't exactly black and white.

What's most interesting about this BAF set is that it's the first time in the history of Mattel utilizing the concept that you truly do not have to buy all four figures to complete the fifth. The only "pieces" of Davis that are included with Kofi are an extra set of open hands. Sure, Davis can "count" with these, but another set of hands are included with the arms (packaged with Booker) and the open hands have been released with other figures. An interesting decision and one that makes you question Mattel's planning. With all of their bad decisions as far as distribution over the past several years, maybe this shouldn't have come as a surprise.

While there isn't a truly bad figure in the bunch (though Foley's facial likeness leaves a bit to be desired), none of these would've been necessary purchases for me had it not been for Davis. Each of them have some appeal, but nothing crucial to be picked up aside from being on sale or clearance. As with most Mattel WWE product, the jury is still out if these figures will remain at retail price or if one or all will suddenly rise in demand. When a BAF is at stake, you generally don't want to take chances...or be counted out.

The Four Horsemen Get Their Leader

This is one entry that I've been waiting to write for a long time. Too long. When the Jakks Classic Superstars line ended, I had pretty much given up hope that a JJ Dillon action figure would ever see the light of day. While there really wasn't an ideal time for it to happen during his career, that line gave hope to so many legends who never saw an action figure. When that door closed, it appeared that the plastic miniature Four Horsemen would never see their leader. Per Dillon himself, it was Vince McMahon who did not want a figure of his former behind-the-scenes cohort released. Somewhere along the lines that changed as in 2018 we finally have James J. Dillon to add to our collections.

JJ is the latest Build-A-Figure, an unsurprising but satisfying way for Mattel to release the legend. In the second "Basic" style WWE Flashback series exclusive to Wal Mart, we get JJ and four figures that coincide with a World Championship Wrestling theme. To build Dillon you have to buy Ric Flair, Lex Luger, Sting, and Booker T. While it would have been cool to have all Horsemen members from the Dillon era of the group rounding out the set, it's still a suitable lineup. We can't forget that JJ was back with the company when Booker T and this particular representation of Sting were current.

This is the first Mattel Ric Flair figure to feature The Nature Boy, in his prime, in his suit. All of the Horsemen in suits would have been ideal here, but I cannot see Mattel ever doing that. Included are sunglasses that fit into holes embedded into his flowing locks. I could have imagined this figure being done as a Build-A-Figure on its own, but I'm glad it's the "star" here instead, in my opinion. Luger is the other Horsemen from the Dillon era to be featured here. This is the first time that Mattel has brought us a plain black trunks figure of "Flexy Lexy," and it does the job well.

Although Sting was briefly a Horsemen, it was after JJ had departed for the WWF. This Sting is also well after his time in the elite faction as far as design. This is the second Sting figure to reflect his time right before he completely changed to the "Crow" look that many fans still covet today. The orange and black are striking and conjure up thoughts of Halloween Havoc, though I'm not sure that he wore this particular style there. Booker T is a very nice figure, though fairly close to the Harlem Heat "Elite" figure released not long ago. Putting him into the black tights would've been something different, but as usual with a set this fun, I'm not complaining.

How does JJ measure up to all the years of anticipation? As my father used to say, "The wait was worth the while." To begin, the facial likeness is absolutely incredible. You can almost hear him cutting a promo on WTBS while looking at it. It's that good. And yes, it does look a lot like the Jakks Buddy Jack Roberts facial sculpt. I'm not the only one who has speculated over the years that that particular facial design was originally intended as Dillon, though I've never seen it confirmed. It definitely looks like JJ and nothing like Buddy Roberts, but that's neither here nor there now that we do have Dillon.

The body used is standard for many of these Build-A-Figures and, like with the Mean Gene Okerlund figure which was originally released as such, I've had issues with the left arm staying attached. Tinted glasses are also included, though he works without them as well since he didn't constantly wear them back then. Could we have asked for more with this figure? I really don't think so.

For us fans of the legends, we finally have JJ. He'll fit in with the Mattel releases of the Horsemen or even Jakks figures such as the pre-ring Horsemen, Ron Bass, Abdullah the Butcher, or anyone else that he managed. Who else is going to have the upcoming Dusty Rhodes Elite figure drop the Bionic Elbow onto JJ? That leads me to think that someone will be obtaining an extra JJ head to make a custom ring gear version. In any case, this is one that I cannot fathom being re-released. Go out and buy the set now. It's worth it to complete the Horsemen and celebrate not only a tremendous talent, but a great guy as well.

Have I mentioned over the years that he also authored my favorite wrestling book...?

Harlem Heat's Comin' For You...

Mattel is really starting to beef up their World Championship Wrestling figure presence. Not only have we seen the release of a classic WCW style ring, but we have also received figures of Sting, Lord Steven Regal, "Macho Man" Randy Savage, and others representing their time in the Atlanta-based wrestling company. Now we get the release of a tag team that is best known for their work in WCW. Everyone would agree that two of the best tag team wrestlers of the 1990's were the brothers known as Booker T and Stevie Ray. Thanks to the latter recently signing a WWE Legends contract, Harlem Heat has finally joined the Mattel line.

"The Heat" joins us in Mattel WWE Elite Series 46. Beginning with this series, the company introduces a new gimmick that is actually somewhat reflective of the early days of the line. Yes, plastic figure stands are back. These stands are actually three pieces and include a cardboard piece of "diorama" that slides into the back. When all of the figures in the series are collected, the cardboard forms one picture. The stands can be used without the cardboard photo and this is honestly the route that I see most collectors going down. For one thing, the photo background is of an arena and part of the ring. It's very bland and boring. Secondly, after just a few hours of the cardboard being placed into the holder, mine started to bend backward.

Onto the figures themselves, the first thing that popped into my mind is just how far Mattel has gone with the production. The facial likenesses for Booker and Stevie are extraordinary. The hair, the eyes, and even the nasal strips are all perfect. Mattel still has its off moments, but the days of the early few series where it was lucky to find one good likeness in the bunch are long gone. For his first figure in over fifteen years, I'm happy that Stevie Ray received a great treatment. This is the first "Harlem Heat" styled figure for Booker T in equally as long of a time.

The team had many different gear colors over the years, but the red used here really pops. I could easily see a "basic" tag set coming in the future since these great facial likenesses are already done. That set should be done in black, which I will explain in a minute. The flame detail is great, and although I've had recently issues with paint detail in other newer series, I didn't encounter that here. The chest pieces are separate and not painted on which is another great touch. I do think that both figures may be just a tad too tall, although they are tall men to begin with.

Mattel didn't scrimp on accessories either. While they easily could have called it a day with the red doo rags and sunglasses, the company also included the black flame caps that Harlem Heat alternatively wore. If a basic tag team set is produced in the future, this is why I'd like to see those figures in the black gear as we'll already have the accessories ready to go. None of the headgear included here looks 100% perfect, but it's good enough for the purpose. The sunglasses stay on both figures good enough for display, but could still be easily lost.

For my first Mattel WWE purchase of 2017, I'm extremely pleased. I've been a fan of both gentleman for years both in and out of the ring, and I'm happy to see the Harlem Heat legacy live on. Combined with the recent Mattel Nasty Boys releases, we are just one figure away from recreating the WCW Uncensored "Concession Stand Brawl." Do I even have to tell you just who the figure would be? Sista Sherri. Mattel has yet to explore the possibilities of adding Sherri Martel to the line. Her stint as Harlem Heat's manager would be a great place to start.

How about that for a kick-off to my 2017 Mattel wishlist?

My Favorite Events--WWE Hall Of Fame 2013

Favorite wrestling events don't necessarily need to include actual matches.  Honoring this great business and its stars can be equally as thrilling and memorable.  While there are many nights like this on a calendar year thanks to various wrestling institutions, the one that gets more attention than any other is the annual WWE Hall of Fame ceremony.  Since 2004, the event has been held on the night before the biggest annual show for the company, WrestleMania.

2013 saw my first pilgrimage to WrestleMania, which of course meant that I would be attending the Hall of Fame.  Initial rumors claimed that a certain 90's supergroup would be inducted that year, not particularly thrilling me.  Not long after, rumors of Bruno Sammartino finally burying his 25-year-long grudge with WWE also began to surface, including word that "The Living Legend" would finally take his place in the Hall of Fame.

As we all know by now, Sammartino did indeed join Bob Backlund, Booker T, Trish Stratus, Mick Foley, and Celebrity Wing Inductee Donald Trump in filling out the Class of 2013.  Held in a Hall of Fame level venue like Madison Square Garden, the atmosphere only enhanced what would have been a magical night no matter the location.

Unlike some years where the speeches tend to lag, almost every inductee had something memorable planned as part of their special moment.  Mick Foley had the first finishing move and pinfall to take place at a WWE Hall of Fame ceremony when he dropped his elbow onto Chris Jericho, lying prone on stage, while CM Punk counted the pin.  Trish Stratus brought several props to her induction as well as the announcement of her pregnancy.  Booker T capped off a tremendous speech with his famous Spinaroonie, while Bob Backlund was simply...Bob Backlund.

Bruno Sammartino was positioned as the "main event" of the evening, as was appropriate.  Tickets to the ceremony did not sell out until after the Sammartino announcement, thus cementing the night as "The Living Legend's" 188th such accomplishment in Madison Square Garden.  I know that I am not the only fan who could never have imagined attending a Sammartino-headlined MSG show, but it happened.

In his speech, Foley pointed out that it would be hard to ever top the 2013 Hall of Fame class.  He was right.  It could be argued that any of the wrestlers inducted in 2013 had the potential to "headline" a Hall of Fame class.  All five were world champions and each left a lasting imprint on the business.  All were also alive to participate, which in the world of wrestling sadly isn't always the case.

The event was also the first of its kind to actually see a bit of merchandising.  While a program is produced for every Hall of Fame ceremony and shirts have been marketed for the past few years, 2013 saw a bit more.  Mattel designed their Bruno Sammartino figure as a homage to the event, complete with accessories of the podium and a WWE Hall of Fame plaque.  In their Best of 2013 set, Topps included trading cards with photos from the event.  A few of their autographed insert cards used these photos as well.

Aside from possibly changing the celebrity inductee (I enjoy The Donald, but Cyndi Lauper would have fit even better), I don't think that we could have gotten a better Hall of Fame in The Garden.  Since most of my favorite events took place before I was old enough to make an effort to attend them, the 2013 WWE Hall of Fame was the perfect storm.  Stars from the past shining one more time in the mecca of pro wrestling, a landmark that will soon be history itself.  "Standin' In The Hall Of Fame," indeed.

WrestleMania XXIX: The Figures

 If you're a fan of Mattel's WWE product or even just slightly interested, the next two months here on the blog will be a real treat for you.  A surge of items are already hitting shelves, many of which just happen to find their release during the holiday shopping season.  The figures here today are, for the most part, being released in conjunction with the hysteria.  Although Mattel releases exclusive WWE items for several retailers, Toys "R" Us often has the most interesting of the bunch.

Though I never intended to get them all, I've become quite a fan of Mattel's Build-A-Figure collections.  Always exclusive to Toys "R" Us, so far we have seen Michael Cole, Ricardo Rodriguez, John Laurinaitis, and Teddy Long released in this manner.  The concept is simple: a set of four figures is released each containing portions of a fifth figure.  When all four figures are opened, you are able to build the fifth.  The fifth figures have, so far, been stars who were non-wrestling personalities in the company.  These are usually characters that Mattel feels will not sell well on their own, although a Rodriguez single release figure is forthcoming.

This holiday season we are treated to two Build-A-Figure sets released simultaneously.  Both sets are completely made up of superstars in the attires that they wore at WrestleMania XXIX.  Booker T, dressed as either GM or Hall of Famer (take your pick) is included in a series of Basic figures while Paul Heyman is in an Elite collection.  The Elite figures are, as usual, at a higher price point and include more accessories.  Seeing as that these figures do include the Build-A-Figure pieces, they are priced higher than their normal Basic and Elite counterparts.  Thankfully, many Toys "R" Us stores received these figures as a "Buy 1 Get 1 40% Off" sale was occurring.  That, coupled with my well-documented love of WrestleMania XXIX, I couldn't find a reason to pass the sets up.

It should be said that many collectors are sometimes less than happy with the figures chosen to be in these sets.  Obviously a new character isn't going to be debuted among the four figures needed to build the fifth (Fandango would've been ideal here), as the selling point is already in the Build-A-Figure.  Personally, I refrain from buying any figure repaints (and sometimes even figures that Jakks produced en masse) so that when these sets are released I'm not totally disappointed in the lineups.

Sheamus, Alberto Del Rio, The Rock, and The Undertaker are in the Basic set that builds Booker T.  I've always been a fan of figures wearing their countries colors, so this is actually a welcome Del Rio repaint.  There also have not been too many releases of The Undertaker with his mohawk.  His WrestleMania attire complete with "RIP PB" (Paul Bearer) design is a nice touch.  These figures do not include accessories other than the pieces of Booker.

Can you dig it?  Booker T is impressive.  He's accurately a taller figure and seems to have the same legs as the Laurinaitis figure.  Booker's glasses seem a bit "cloudy" in the lenses but are removable.  They fit nice and snug into his hair.  Perhaps the only thing missing is a hand in his trademark "Five Time" pose, but nonetheless this figure is ready to perform a Spinaroonie...perhaps next to the Hall of Fame podium that is included with the upcoming Bruno Sammartino figure.

The Paul Heyman set gets a few extra points because of the Elite accessories included.  Although it was previously included with an Elite figure of The Rock, this set features the new WWE Championship Belt with John Cena.  It's a very nice accessory and perfectly compliments the metallic-painted WWE Tag Team Championship Belts that are included with Daniel Bryan.  It's interesting that the "Heyman guys" of the set are both the best and the worst.  Punk is rather bland but does include a perfect replica of the urn.  Lesnar is the sleeper of all of these.  I'm not the biggest Lesnar fan and was originally disappointed that I would have to purchase another (a Basic Lesnar was in the Teddy Long Build-A-Figure set), but upon closer examination it became my favorite among these sets.  The amazingly detailed and lifelike figure includes Lesnar's skull cap and the steel ring steps that became almost the third star of his match against Triple H at WrestleMania.  These steps fit onto the various rings that Mattel has released and even have the side "handles" used by the stars in brawls.

Heyman scores a few less points with me than Booker, but not too much.  It's a great figure of the "Walrus" complete with "mad scientist" scowl and ever-receding hairline.  A microphone would've been a fun accessory considering that the figures hand could hold one and it's the item that allows him to be one of the main reasons to watch Monday Night Raw.  In the spirit of WrestleMania, the urn can be positioned in Heyman's arms.  It should be noted that, like Rodriguez, Heyman will also be released outside of the Build-A-Figure series in the future.

There's also what could be described as an "unofficial official" bonus figure to this set.  Many who purchased these series were treated to the Toys "R" Us holiday exclusive Elite Triple H figure for free.  Though it can be purchased separately, this figure is free to consumers who spent over $30 on Mattel WWE items.  Seeing as that the figure is also based upon WrestleMania XXIX, it fits right in with the ten other figures shown here.  It is one of the very first figures of Helmsley to feature his new shorter hair style, and includes a cloth t-shirt and the same sturdy sledgehammer that was packaged with last year's exclusive of The Undertaker.  Jakks was never able to produce a proper looking sledge hammer thanks to the company using very bendable plastic on the accessory.  Mattel gets it right, and it looks perfect when placed into the hands of "The Game."

The Build-A-Figure collection continues to grow.  Although I'm not particularly happy that Rodriguez and Heyman will now be placed into regular lines, I doubt that we'll ever see Cole, Long, and Laurinaitis redone.  Recent announcements from Mattel suggest that we will be seeing Build-A-Figures of both Paul Bearer and Jim Ross.  Both will be welcome additions to the lineup.  My beloved WrestleMania XXIX will also live on in 2014, as my most long-awaited figure of the year, Zeb Colter, will be released under that banner in an upcoming WrestleMania Heritage series.  Welcome to a "Very Mattel Holiday Season!"

1985 Meets 2012 Via WWE and Topps

I love these cards.  I'm not even waiting until the final paragraph or two to give my opinion and verdict.  In fact, I'm imploring you right now to go out and buy as many packs, boxes, etc. of this set as you can.  Not only will you get a great set of cards, but high sales always help the possibility of future similar products.

I've made it no secret that I have wanted a new Topps WWE Heritage set for awhile now.  Although a few regular WWE series have had Heritage subsets of solely legends, I wanted a complete set full of both current and past stars utilizing designs commemorating the trading cards of yore.  This past summer we learned that not only would this happen, but it would actually pay homage to a classic wrestling trading card set design, that being the 1985 Topps WWF series.

From 2005 to 2008, Topps produced four Heritage sets featuring both then-current and past WWE Superstars.  Based on past Topps sports card designs, the sets were beloved by collectors for their retro look.  Autograph collectors coveted the cards for their non-glossy finish thus making them easier to sign.  The second WWE Heritage series, released in 2006, ended up being my personal favorite.  The cards featured a large studio shot and a smaller action shot with great color and that classic cardboard feel.  Well, it was my personal favorite set...until now.

Four years since their last similar offering, Topps has finally given us another full WWE Heritage set.  Although the cards are advertised as being based off of the Topps 1985 WWF design, the "Legends" portion of the set is actually based upon the 1986 O-Pee-Chee produced Series 2.  This set, which was exclusive to Canada, featured names like Siva Afi, Jimmy Hart and Leilani Kai as well as shots from WrestleMania 2.  The difference is that the 1985 set featured red lettering on a yellow starburst while the second series flipped that color design.

The box and packs, in lieu of TNA-contracted Hulk Hogan, star the one and only Andre the Giant.  Andre even gets his own ten-card subset which highlights his career once he became exclusive to the WWF.  Previously unpublished shots from WrestleMania III and the 1987 Survivor Series shine in this subset, which is also based on designs from action cards in the '85 and '86 sets.

As is usually the case in modern card sets, subsets abound here and provide an extra, yet often frustrating, incentive for collectors.  In the 2012 Heritage line we have subsets based on the '85 and '86 looks with "Superstars Speak," famous families and tag teams, finishing moves, and those great stickers.  The backs of the stickers create two different "puzzle photos," just as was famously included in many sport and non-sport card collections of the 1980's.  A new subset has cards featuring sketches by Jerry "The King" Lawler (very few lucky fans will pull an actual hand-sketched card) as well as a new "Allen & Ginter" set made up of smaller cards designed to resemble tobacco cards of a century ago.

The base set itself is the real gold here.  The 110 cards feature a nice balance of current stars and legends as well as a small group of more recent "legends" such as Steve Austin, Trish Stratus, and Batista who are lumped in at the end of the current lineup.  Different colored border cards are once again included as parallels with black seemingly the most common and gold being the hardest to obtain.  Parallels are one of two current card trends (the other will be mentioned ahead) that don't necessarily appeal to me, although certain cards do look nicer with alternate borders.

Curiously, such regularly featured acts like Vickie Guerrero, Heath Slater, and Michael Cole are not included in the base set while Aksana, Cameron, and Naomi are out in full force.  More curiously is how legends who are obviously not contracted for cards are handled when popping up in photos used.  While Slick shows up in an Andre the Giant subset card, Mr. Fuji is blurred from a Yokozuna "Superstars Speak" card in which Fuji's "quote" is used on the back.  Neither man is signed to be used for the cards.  There is also an error card in the finishing moves subset.  Ted DiBiase's "Dream Street" card is mistakenly labeled 86 instead of 37.  Don't fall for unscrupulous dealers trying to get more for this particular card.

Autographs and relics you ask?  A wide variety of autographs are out there and differ between packs obtained through hobby shops and those available at nationwide retailers.  Purchasing a full hobby box, collectors are once again promised one relic and one autograph OR WrestleMania relic card.  Relics generally do not appeal to me, and these WrestleMania relic cards (featuring 2010's WrestleMania XVII) are a slap in the face to collectors purchasing boxes.  For as much money as is spent on the product, an autograph should be guaranteed one per box.  Relics are becoming just what the name says--a relic.  They're overdone, especially the "mat" relic cards.

This is the set that I have been waiting years for and the wait was worth the while.  I would love to see a Heritage set done once per year, although the question is where they could go as far as design.  Topps did not have the WWF/WWE license for nearly twenty years.  There are certainly more non-wrestling classic designs to be explored, although I would settle for looks similar to non-Topps wrestling card product if it could be pulled off.  A new crop of legends would be nice too, although that is an issue out of the hands of Topps.

Blaster boxes (including a relic card) and jumbo packs have been showing up at national chain retailers.  Single packs are just slowly starting to follow at retail.  There's no doubt in my mind that Topps will want this product in the stores soon in time for stocking stuffer ideas.  Dusty Rhodes, Eve Torres, and Howard Finkel in your stocking this year?  Could happen...if you will.