The Ultimate Hasbro "Dream" Becomes A Reality...

In January 2015 this blog kicked off the year with a full month of coverage commemorating the 25th anniversary of the Hasbro WWF toy line. At the end of the last entry, I brought up a frequent topic among collectors: why couldn't the Hasbro "style" return someday? Two years later and the question has been answered. It can and it has. The Hasbro company itself may not be at the helm, but the style and feeling is back. Those mighty mites of plastic wrestling goodness can once again be found on store pegs. Who, what, where, when, and why? Follow me.

Mattel has created a figure series that is patterned as closely as possible after the legendary Hasbro line. Exclusive to Wal Mart, the line doesn't seem to have an official name, although the shipping cases call them "WWE Retro Figures." As should be expected, the response thus far has been overwhelming. The initial released lineup contains John Cena, Roman Reigns, Brock Lesnar, and Kevin Owens. The Undertaker and The Ultimate Warrior are supposed to join the lineup, as well. They are featured on the back of the packaging and photos of carded examples have surfaced, but as of press time they have yet to arrive in stores. It is rumored that they will arrive soon, but it is not yet known if they will be distributed on their own or if they will join cases of the first four.

The figures themselves blend right in with the actual Hasbro WWF figures. The action maneuvers of the new figures are closely based on those from the past. The somewhat cartoonish looks are spot on and blend the look of the modern WWE Superstar with that of those from yesteryear. The figures are packaged on cardbacks, complete with bubbles, that are of the exact Hasbro size. The cardboard used is just a tad thinner. Everything matching the originals is present, with a modern touch, aside from the Hasbro logo and the facsimile signatures. The photos used were obviously chosen purposely, as they reflect the style of shot used a quarter of a century ago. The backs of the cards resemble the originals far less, and the lack of a "Clip n Save" file card does stick out, but none of this detracts with all of the other retro goodness.

Looking at the figures themselves, we begin with John Cena. The megastar was an absolute no-brainer to be included in the first lineup. Cena, man and character alike, was made to be a Hasbro figure. With the exception of the name of the manufacturer, here we are. Cena's hat is not removable (as should be the case) and his action feature is the only one of these four figures that is not directly copied from the original line. His torso pulls to the side to perform an "Attitude Adjustment" style move.

Next up is Brock Lesnar. No, this isn't the Hasbro Ludvig Borga figure, although that's immediately what pops to mind when seeing it. He has the classic spring-action slam move that many figures including Borga, Sid Justice, Demolition Ax, The Warlord, and others had with Hasbro. The tattoos are very detailed although I don't completely see Lesnar in the face. This is okay, as many of the Hasbro figures had broader likenesses. I don't know if I'd go as far as to label them "caricatures," but it wouldn't be an unfair description.

Roman Reigns joins the fray with the classic "pullback" arm punch that was originally included with the likes of Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Tito Santana, Virgil, and Billy Gunn. It's a feature that works to highlight the "Superman Punch" of Reigns. I'm definitely not booing this figure out of the building, as it's another likeness that totally works with the Hasbro style. The facial likeness here is a perfect blend of reality and "Hasbro" style.

Finally we have my personal pick of the line, Kevin Owens. KO has a "pullback" torso feature that was originally given to Andre the Giant, Akeem, and Dusty Rhodes. It's interesting that, in my opinion, the best and most realistic Kevin Owens figure to date is in this style. In full disclosure, I picked up three of this particular figure. For all four I bought a set to open and another to keep carded, but I had to have a KO for my office as well. He's just that cool looking. I will note that one of the Owens figures that I opened had a rather loose torso. It doesn't seem to be broken and still performs the feature, but the difference between the two is very noticeable.

With all of the praise out of the way, I will admit that the line points out something that is really wrong with the current WWE: the colors are glaringly dull. Without a shirt, even Cena is rather colorless. Looking through the roster, setting aside The New Day, most of the stars wear black and other dark shades. This is perhaps the only thing missing from the original Hasbro line, produced at a time when the company was full of color.

Where do we go from here? Honestly, we don't have those answers. With the response so far, Mattel would be crazy to let the line die after six figures. In my opinion they would also be crazy to let it continue as a store exclusive series. These figures should be available everywhere like so many of the "spin-off" lines that have come from the manufacturer. Are they afraid that these will become more popular? That wouldn't be the case. Collectors will always want a completely detailed and realistic figure. There's no reason why this line could not continue right alongside. Perhaps this is a test to see how well the line would do with a larger release down the line. I certainly hope so.

As long as Mattel keeps the spirit of the originals and collectors happy (i.e. making sure that all figures are accessible without too many hard-to-get pieces of the puzzle), a line rivaling the size of the original could go for years including dozens of Superstars and Legends. As shocking as it may be to longtime readers who know that I basically have no use for further figures of The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin, I would love for them to show up here. Diesel would be a top request for many collectors due to his missing the original line. The possibilities are endless!

Rarely does a toy line rise from the ashes. We have a rare opportunity here as collectors. Embrace it and support it so that it continues as long as possible.

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--2001 WrestleAmerica Guide To Professional Wrestling

What in the world happened where 2001 is suddenly fifteen years ago? It's true. It feels like yesterday. Some of you reading this may barely remember 2001 if you're young enough. It was a notable year in many respects. For me personally, the year had been ingrained in my head since 1987 when I was in pre-school. That is where I first remember hearing that my group would be the "high school graduating class of 2001." Who knew that the year would end up housing one of the most infamous days in world history? No, I'm not referring to the day that Shane McMahon showed up on Nitro, although that is the direction in which we're heading. We're about to dive into the WrestleAmerica 2001 Annual that features "Your Guide To Professional Wrestling."

If you had any interest at all in wrestling in 2001, you needed this magazine. Sure, the Internet had plenty of info, but here were 125 American wrestling promotions bundled in one place with a generous profile included for each. Sure, most were small independent promotions that shared similar rosters and "name" wrestlers doing one-shots, but this was wrestling fifteen years ago. In many respects, it's the same today. The cover may say "Unraveling WWF/WCW/ECW," but in reality they were all one at this point. And who does that cover feature? Shane and Stephanie McMahon, the stars of Smackdown and Raw. In 2001. And 2016.

It's a lot of fun to look through the pages just to see who "made it" and who didn't. In 2001 if you were talking independent wrestling and proverbial "Internet darlings," you had to be talking Reckless Youth. Nicknamed "The King of the Indies," Reckless Youth had quite the following and seemed destined to be a name that went down in wrestling history. Despite much press and a stint in WWE Developmental, Youth is now long out of professional wrestling. He is featured in several promotion profiles in the magazine along with names like Samoa Joe, Alexis Laree, Low-Ki, Michael Shane, Colt Cabana, and Phoenix who all would go on to some degrees of fame.

There are also legends like Jerry Lawler, Brian Blair, Honky Tonk Man, Jimmy Snuka, and Jacques Rougeau who were still plying their trade on the indy scene. In the case of those cousins from Tennessee, they're still at in 2016! Lastly, there are those who look like they stumbled out of the nearest bar to play "champion" in their nearest indy on weekends. I won't name any names, as they all deserve respect for at least getting into the ring at some level. And how about this Prince Justice guy shown as the champion of NWA Wildside? Guys like him often disappeared into a veritable abyss, never to be seen again.

The magazine also features "The Indy 30: The Top Prospects In Wrestling." Shall I list them? Air Paris, Scoot Andrews, Chad Collyer, Nova, Qenaan Creed, Christopher Daniels, The Island Boys (later Umaga and Rosey), Billy Fives, Russ and Charlie Haas, Tony Kozina, Randy Orton, Michael Modest, Donovan Morgan, Onyx, Brock Lesnar, Nick Dinsmore, Hotstuff Hernandez, Horseshu (later Luther Reigns), Adam Pearce, The Prototype, Jason Rumble, Mike and Todd Shane, Damien Steele, Trent Acid, Shelton Benjamin, Rico Constantino, Minoru Fujita, Dalip Singh (later The Great Khali), Lance Cade, and Jayson Reign. I guess teams count as one. What an interesting list full of highs, lows, fame, and tragedy looking back on it all these years later.

We end with a Book of Lists. "Wrestling's 10 Most Powerful People" is really the only one interesting enough to explore. We have Vince McMahon, Linda McMahon, Antonio Inoki, Stephanie McMahon, Shane McMahon, Motoko Baba, Jim Ross, Triple H, Steve Austin, and Paul Heyman. In 2016, the McMahon's are still in power, though Linda has taken a step back. Inoki, long out of New Japan Pro Wrestling, barely makes a ripple. Motoko, widow of Giant Baba, doesn't seem to be involved in much anymore, at least to the extent of puroresu that comes to my attention. Ross, Austin, and Heyman all have their own ventures but their voices are still heard loudly either in or regarding the business. As for Triple H? Some would say that he is more powerful than Vince, others would disagree. If you look at the changes in WWE over the past several years you could make a pretty good argument that in 2016, HHH tops this list.

There's too much fun stuff in this issue to show it all here. It isn't a rare magazine by any means and can be found for under $20. It's definitely a time capsule of a time when the business, and the world, was changing. Will we do this again in 2031? There may not be a magazine to show us exactly where the business was, but I fully believe that there will still be a wrestling business to showcase. I'll see you there.

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!"

Holla Holla Holla!

Teddy Long aka Theodore R. Long aka "Peanuthead" has had quite a career.  From referee in Jim Crockett Promotions to manager to announcer then back to referee to manager and finally "General Manager," the resume of Mr. Long is quite impressive.  Now, he has joined the ranks of the popular Build-A-Figure series in Mattel's WWE action figure line.

An idea borrowed from action figure lines of other genres, Mattel began the WWE version around one year ago.  The concept is simple.  Mattel produces a series of four figures that are exclusive to Toys R Us.  Each of the figures come with specific parts of a fifth figure.  When all of the figures are collected, the parts combine to produce a brand new character to the line.  Thus far Mattel has used this route to release figures of non-wrestlers.  The company feels that these characters wouldn't sell well on their own, but still want to appease collectors that desire them.

Michael Cole, Ricardo Rodriguez, and John Laurinaitis were the first three figures to be released this way.  Those sets were comprised of four Elite style figures which are usually around $20 a piece.  This time Mattel has taken pity on our wallets and released the pieces of Teddy with four basic style figures thus being at a slightly lower price point.  Previous Toys R Us exclusive basic sets have included pieces of the interview set and announcers table to build but not a figure.

The four figures to collect this time are Brock Lesnar, Dolph Ziggler, Alberto Del Rio, and Randy Orton.  For those of you who have yet to pick up a Mattel-produced Lesnar, this is the perfect opportunity.  This appears to be the exact same figure that has been released about two or three times already this year.  If you're like me and held off buying any of those, it's a great time to go for the gold.  For those of you who, also like me, vowed to never pick up one of the boring, emaciated Randy Orton figures, this is the time to do that as well.

Mr. Long himself is a very nice figure.  Although this one held a bit less excitement for me since the previous three characters were never produced anywhere as a figure before, the great likeness makes up for it.  The height is perfect as is the long suit jacket.  Similar to the Long figures produced by Jakks, the removable eyeglasses don't do much for me.  They aren't bad, I just think that the face looks a lot better without them.

It isn't always the easiest thing to buy four figures just to get one that you really want, but so far it's worked.  For someone like me who usually holds off on most character repaints until something like this comes along, I'm fine with it every so often.  It's better than repeating Hasbro's blunder and not getting any non-wrestler figures released at all.

The next Build-A-Figure entry is said to be Paul Heyman.  I cannot think of a better option.  If Lesnar and Punk hadn't been in two of the previous sets, I would suggest that they be two of the four figures in the set.  Characters closely associated with the figure being built in the set isn't something that seems to be in Mattel's plans but would a no-brainer to me.  My votes for future Build-A-Figures?  How about Mike Chioda, Tony Chimel, Brad Maddox, and Zeb Colter?

Mattel has their work cut out for them, although I must say that I'm 100% more behind this line than I was just a few years ago.  There are still issues, especially regarding distribution and Legends.  While classic characters like Miss Elizabeth and Honky Tonk Man are being produced, the depth of legends that Jakks went into isn't going to be repeated by Mattel, bottom line.  Female figures are still being released in far fewer numbers as are "First Time In The Line" stars such as Antonio Cesaro and Ryback.  With multiple releases of both men in the coming months, two of WWE's biggest new stars will make their way into your hands without paying premium prices.

You betta believe that, playa!

The Road To WrestleMania XXIX Begins...Here!

The Royal Rumble?  That's a few weeks away!  With all of the 'Mania match and Hall of Fame speculation, advanced ticket sales, and general scuttlebutt (especially here in the northeast), The Road to WrestleMania begins here and now! 

Although WrestleMania has had a large share of celebrities, glitz, and glamour since its inception in 1985, the prime importance should always be the matches.  It is said that many of those matches are still decided upon well in advance of the event.  Such planning goes a long way in building the anticipation and the stories themselves.  This year, WWE has several intriguing superstars and situations to position for "the grandaddy of 'em all."

Off the top, the one that interests me the least is the inclusion of The Rock.  Although I was an "early adopter" of Rocky fandom dating back to his Nation of Domination days, placing him at the center of attention isn't where I would go.  Needless to say, I'm likely in the minority on this one.  Many are looking forward to seeing just where Dwayne Johnson takes The Rock from upcoming episodes of Raw, to the Rumble, and further into the big event.  Will CM Punk's long standing WWE Championship reign come to an end thanks to the part-time wrestler, full-time actor?  Will John Cena get his win back?  Or how about that other guy?  The one that has about one match a year?  The Undertaker.  How would "The Streak" fare against "The Great One?"

If we have to witness another 'Mania with The Rock, my choice would be a one-night-only return from a retired superstar in a match that, due to personal politics, never occurred.  It is said that Shawn Michaels and The Rock have cleared up their differences, making it the perfect time, and the perfect event, to have a never-before-seen blockbuster.

My gut feeling is that a non-wrestler will actually have the biggest impact in the coming months.  Not only is the site of Mania, the NYC/NJ area, his home, but he is involved with several major players.  The man?  Paul Heyman.  Between his current involvement with Punk, unanswered questions regarding Brock Lesnar, and any number of possibilities with The Shield, it's anyone's guess as to who will be in a "dangerous" alliance with Heyman come WrestleMania.

Speculation is not only key regarding "Super Sunday," but the night before as well.  It's once again time for the often-controversial WWE Hall of Fame induction announcements.  Being held this year at the most famous arena in the world, Madison Square Garden, "who's in?" is being discussed and debated on a seemingly hourly basis among fans.  I've never bought into the "controversy" regarding the Hall of Fame.  It is an entertaining night to honor talent from the past and give many of them one last time to shine. 

It would be the fitting that the man many feel that the Hall of Fame is incomplete without, Bruno Sammartino, be inducted at MSG.  Sammartino has wanted nothing to do with the company for two decades for various reasons.  It has been said that Triple H has been in touch with Sammartino regarding an induction, although my feeling is that The Living Legend should be inducted regardless of his involvement.  Being the fan that I am of Mr. Sammartino, he just simply needs to be in.

A heavily rumored name that is very much in the realm of possibility is Mick Foley.  The man who brought Cactus Jack, Dude Love, and Mankind to the wrestling world is deserving and also has his own ties to MSG and the NYC area, himself being a native.  Being back in the WWE's good graces doesn't hurt the cause, either.

Some choices that I would like to see?  Bob Backlund is said to have previously declined feeling that his career is not yet over.  The Fabulous Freebirds should have been in long before Michael Hayes was the sole original Freebird left to accept.  Demolition was rumored last year and it would be refreshing to see Mr. Eadie and Mr. Darsow appear under the WWE banner.  Leilani Kai would be a welcome addition not only being a former holder of both the singles and tag team women's titles but also an alumni of WrestleMania I and X held at MSG.

And yes...we cannot forget the controversial "Celebrity Wing."  Last year, a celebrity who had perhaps the biggest impact on the growth of the WWF/WWE made her first appearance in a wrestling ring in over twenty-five years.  That lady is Cyndi Lauper.  Her contributions to the company have been long overlooked.  Being a hometown girl in the arena she appeared with WWF the most in, it's a no-brainer.

I often look down upon the current scene both privately and publicly, but I'd be a liar if I said that I wasn't excited for the next few months.  I have a feeling that many memories will be made surrounding WrestleMania, and I don't see how next year's 30th year of the event will be able to top the excitement of XXIX.  I think we all need to show the world that the northeast is the home of WrestleMania.  Can we do it...?

A Rock, A Brock, A Lord, & An Indian Chief

It sounds like the beginning of a joke, but it's actually a one sentence summary of the week that was in pro wrestling. Every once in awhile I chime in on current headlines that pique my interest, and with a week like this I don't know how I can help it!

By now the world knows that The Rock won his year-long built match against John Cena at WrestleMania XXVIII. Early numbers indicate that The Rock may very well have lured back lost fans for the show. That doesn't indicate that those fans will stick around to become members of the WWE Universe.

Was The Rock winning the right decision? Sure, The Rock was in his "hometown" of Miami, but I don't think that I'll ever understand the logic of jobbing your bread and butter out to a less-than-part time wrestler. Being the admitted Cena fan that I am, I'm starting to feel frustrated for the guy. The "fans" that feel they're too good to cheer for him are tainting his glory years. They're the same "fans" who would trample grandma to get his autograph. That, coupled with the WrestleMania loss, has me asking, "Where does John Cena go from here?"

That question is apparently answered by the next news item: Brock Lesnar. I doubt there were many fans watching on Monday Night that hadn't heard a bit about Lesnar returning to his wrestling roots. Despite that, how many fans...err...members of the "WWE Universe" actually know who Brock Lesnar is? Do WWE Universe members watch MMA as well? If they don't, perhaps my flying saucer should pop in on the Universe through some wormhole, because I don't watch it either. That said, I do keep very light tabs on that industry and I was around for Brock's original run from beginning to end. I'm talking WWF dark match beginning, here.

When he first debuted and, along with Paul Heyman, ran roughshod over the company's finest, I was a fan. Great wrestling background, believable, and entertaining. Various factors soured me and in turn made me rather indifferent for Lesnar's return. Maybe it was the fact that his wife is someone I could never stand. Maybe it was his botched WrestleMania moment. Maybe it was the fact that they REALLY should have kept him with Heyman as long as possible because that voice just doesn't match the look.

No. Although all valid points on my end, it was something else. It was after being pushed to the moon and basically having the entire (willing) roster thrown at his feet, the man had the audacity to whine about the schedule and leave. As many of you know or could have figured out, if there's someone in the business that I don't really care for, I usually leave them off of these pages out of respect. Mr. Lesnar didn't respect the business, so therefore I really don't have much respect for him.

My other negative reaction is actually generated by the company itself. In taking Lesnar back, they're accepting hand-me-downs from UFC. WWE is often criticized for not making enough new stars. I'll stick up for them in this case--they've being doing a great job of that as of late. Why not stick with those guys? Why spend ungodly amounts of money on damaged goods from MMA and shove them in the main event spotlight for a year? Honestly, it makes me sicker than the thought of Santino winning a Royal Rumble.

The reaction on Monday night should have indicated that the WWE Universe will accept Lesnar back, but it really doesn't. Monday Night's crowd was very different from most WWE Universe gatherings and should not be used as a measuring stick. Many respected wrestling analysts are wondering if he'll even stick true to his entire one-year agreement with WWE. Time will tell on all accounts. I think WWE should have taken heed to the credo that "Those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it." Brock's first wrestling run? Ran away. His football "career?" Failure. MMA? Quitter. I hope they aren't thinking of booking any 'Mania main events anytime soon.

One man who I do hope makes it to the main event scene is another former WWFer who made his return this past Monday Night. Matt Bloom, formerly known as Prince Albert and A-Train, returned as Lord Tensai. Instead of outright reminding viewers of his former aliases, WWE is simply saying that Tensai was a former WWE superstar who went to Japan and became even more menacing. That, along with a stellar squash match on Monday night, is a great sign to start.

The presentation isn't actually all just a gimmick. While many fans (myself included) enjoyed his original run with the company, Bloom did indeed go to Japan and improve his in-ring skills greatly. As Giant Bernard, Bloom dominated New Japan Pro Wrestling and was a member of several tag team championship teams. I always felt that TNA could have had a great star in Bloom, but his appearances for that company were limited to their Global Impact shows.

As Lord Tensai it appears that the former A-Train was scheduled to be in several high profile programs upon his return. While it still appears that a push is in order, I fear that the return of Lesnar may overshadow this. Since Lesnar's appearances are limited even if he does contractually fulfill them all, perhaps Lord Tensai will still become a name that we recall when thinking of legendary wrestling "big men" down the line.

Speaking of legendary, we have lost yet another member of the "greatest generation" of wrestlers. Joe Scarpa, known to millions the world over as Chief Jay Strongbow, has passed away at the age of 83.

I often speak of the group of six or seven names that will be brought up in conversation by even the most casual viewer of 1980's and 1990's wrestling. If you go back to the 1970s, especially in the northeast, Strongbow makes that version of the list.

Chief Jay Strongbow was the guy who never made it to the world title, but honestly didn't have to. His popularity was right where it needed to be. In the fans eyes, you had to get past Strongbow to get to Bruno Sammartino or Pedro Morales. Getting past the war dance wasn't all that easy.

Like several other Native American entertainers such as Iron-Eyes Cody ("the Indian with the tear"), Joe Scarpa was actually of Italian descent and had a very successful wrestling career under his given name in the 1960's. It was as Strongbow that Scarpa carved out his place in not only wrestling history, but true Americana.

It's been a roller coaster week for pro wrestling. Whether the news excites you, upsets you, incites you, or makes you a bit nostalgia for times past, I think we can all agree that the spring of 2012 is one that will be long remembered in pro wrestling, for better or worse.