Some Legendary Returns…

What could possibly drag me out of the “indefinite hiatus” that the blog has been on? Maybe The Greatest Wrestler on God’s Green Earth? Ok, no maybe. Definitely. In the nearly six blogless months of 2024 we’ve seen a lot of great figures but something about a proper NWA Harley Race figure gave me a feeling that I haven’t felt since I was a kid. When the figure was announced I felt as I did when I’d walk into a store and see brand new Hasbros or, in an instance that we all can remember, when the “Undertake ‘Em All” figure ad hit WWF Magazine. It’s a figure that many of us have been waiting decades for and here it is along with three similarly themed friends.

In case you’ve been under a rock (and who could blame you in this world?), the new Harley Race is part of a Mattel Creations four pack called “Legends of the Territory Era.” The set also includes Superstar Billy Graham, Gorilla Monsoon and, once again, Muhammad Ali. The set shipped almost as soon as it went on sale and is still available as of press time. Kudos must be given whenever an exclusive figure (or any figure for that matter) is easily accessible to collectors. There’s no need for manufactured collectibles with a limited availability. None at all.

As most Mattel Creations WWE releases have been, the packaging is impressive. The figures reside in a double sided display inside two boxes with impressive artwork. I really appreciate the faux vintage posters used for the design on the inner box. They show that care was instilled during the creation of this. That being said, some of the verbiage used by the company later nearly nullified all of that, but we’ll discuss that in a bit. Although I’m sure you could somehow store the figures back in the trays, it’s the plastic ties that keep them standing so they may move around a bit while stored. If you’re tossing the plastic trays be sure to remove Graham’s sunglasses first. They tend to blend in to the background.

The Ali – Monsoon side is a tribute to their often-replayed confrontation that was part of the build to Ali’s Boxer vs Wrestler match against Antonio Inoki. Monsoon’s airplane spin on Ali has been replayed ad nauseum over the years so you’ve no doubt seen it. We’ve only ever had one wrestling gear version of Monsoon before and this one greatly improves on it. While it’s obvious whose parts are being recycled here, it really works. It truly looks like Monsoon standing there. It’s absolutely his shape, size and stature. No one asked for another Ali but here we are anyway. It does compliment the Monsoon well. The soft goods upper body clothes look a tad off at times but it was crucial that they were made this way for the recreation of the scene. Apparently we should be grateful for this figure. Again, we’ll discuss that in a bit. I absolutely love the watch accessory which I had overlooked in the preview pics. It fits on like the recent removable wrist bands do so you have to remove the hand for the watch to come off.

The Race – Graham duo is a tribute to the never-ending ‘70s struggle of the NWA versus the WWWF. It’s cool to think of how that was possible back then, even if the business-minded promoters could never agree to give us a definitive winner. Not even for a short while. No one could look better than the other. That being said, both sides look great here. While I already gushed over Harley, a lot of the talk has been the belts and rightfully so. This is the first time that the “domed globe” NWA Championship has been in the Mattel line (and one of few figure-sized versions anywhere) and we’ve never seen the ‘70s WWWF Championship released at all. As much as I love the former, it’s the latter that really sticks out to me here. It’s scary close to the real deal and, yes, it does have the WWWF lettering. To think that we have both of these titles in the line in 2024 is mind blowing. Coupled with the fact that we’re getting the UWF Championship later this summer makes you want to ask, “what’s going on here?” Remember when “rights” absolutely could not be worked out for these belts? I can’t speak for them all, but I highly suspect that it was finally realized that no one really WOULD hold the rights to this WWWF title. These were “trophy belts.” Some trophy maker, probably in a back alley shop in Brooklyn, cobbled this belt together with spare parts. It would be a long shot if anyone tried to sue over that “design.” I could be entirely wrong regarding rights and I’m sure that someone “official” will tell me that I am, but I’m going by the facts of how these original belts were produced.

The original Mattel Billy Graham release was perfect and this one only improves on that perfection. The new “Scott Steiner” biceps are used further hitting home Graham’s impressive physique. The shirt is the new style without the velcro so you simply remove the head and hands to slide it on and off. It fits like a glove just as it would in real life. The extra elbow articulation really helps with his poses. While you don’t get the ‘80s Billy Graham head as you did in the first release, you could pop it on here if you really wanted to. This version is to celebrate the ‘70s and its flamboyant champion who paved the way for Hogan, Ventura and even Steiner among many others.

Finally, we have Harley Race. Remember that while the Jakks Classic Superstars release was nice, he had no facial hair. The head was a simple repaint of their King Harley Race head. Facial hair could’ve easily been painted on but inexplicitly wasn’t. Here we’ve got completely molded mutton chops and an amazing head of curly hair. The figure is relatively similar to the Mattel King Harley but that works. With the wonders of modern figures you can even pop the Greatest Hits blonde Harley head onto this body for a really early version of Race, as he did have blonde hair early on. The color here is royal blue and it’s topped off with his robe that Jakks had also included. This time we get “Race” on the back which is a great detail. The belt fits nicely. I might say that the main plate is just a tad too big, but I’m not complaining. Belts are hard to get both looking great in appearance and looking appropriate when on the figure.

A lot of the “official word” on this set rubbed me the wrong way. When first announced this was said to be first in a “line,” as in we’d receive different sets down the pike. This was corrected to be a “one off.” I don’t know who to blame here. Did someone at Mattel claim this to be a line? It was the worthless goons, I mean, “influencers” who seemingly first used the word. Could they ALL have gotten it wrong? In the grand scheme of things it means nothing, but perhaps we’re kowtowing a bit too much to these folks, eh, Mattel? I know they’ve certainly never influenced me on anything. I don’t watch their videos or even follow them, I’m alerted by others when they have some interesting news since, again, that’s how Mattel and most of these toy companies feel the need to release “scoops,” as it were.

In addition to it not being a line, I was directed to where the voice of Mattel stated that it was a one off because there weren’t enough characters nor enough interest to support more. Wrong and wrong again. Off the top of my head I compiled a list of at least twenty names currently known to be “available” to Mattel who could fit into this line. What better does Mattel like than using what they already have? Especially since I’ve been told that the statement of “This set would not have seen the light of day without Ali” was made by the same official voice. That’s funny considering that this is the figure that most DIDN’T want and also the one that a lot collectors stated would be up for sale. I understand getting the most of a license but it’s already been proven that the crossover for Ali just didn’t translate with the Mattel releases. Am I happy to have him? Absolutely. Am I glad that he’s the reason, in Mattel’s mind, that we got these amazing Race, Graham and Monsoon figures? Most assuredly. But that shouldn’t have BEEN the reason. If PowerTown can give us names with much less marquee value in 2024 than these three then so can Mattel. Why would they not want to produce more versions of Dusty Rhodes, Ricky Steamboat, Bruno Sammartino and Terry Funk? Why do “The Legends of the Territory Era” have to be limited to the ‘70s? The time period lasted well into the ‘80s. Sounds like a team with limited knowledge of history to me and shortsightedness as far as consumer demand. Really, though, we have to keep in mind that toy companies aren’t in it for our collections nor our wants. They are in it to make money and, remember, it’s their job. They want to slap something together, present it to the bean counters and go home. For every loving detail like the ‘70s poster packaging we also get told that what we want doesn’t matter nor does the era that we know better than they do. Just remember that.

On the bright side, the Harley figure did make me remember something very positive. Twenty years ago this November I’d met Race for the very first time. With the help of this new figure I was able to recreate the first 8x10 that I’d ever had signed by him. It was a positive as this set, overall, is. When it was first announced I pretty much decided that I would do a one-off review for it, but then all of the issues in the last paragraph made me reconsider. After receiving the figures in-hand I knew that they had to be featured. If I may be your “influencer” for a second, go get yourself a set. Prove Mattel wrong and show that legends of all eras are what many of us want. If you’re reading this you probably feel the same. I don’t know when I’ll be back, but I do have some ideas flowing. One may elaborate on a memory you just read about. I don’t want to limit my returns to amazing figure reviews, but if you want them I’ll try to oblige.

As always in the past fifteen years, thanks for reading and I’m sure that the best is yet to come…

 

Cold November Brain

There are a few reasons why I think of Bobby “The Brain” Heenan in November. Most importantly it was indeed his birth month. The legend would turn 78 this year. But also because my favorite piece of Bobby Heenan memorabilia, shown very often on this blog, involves the month of November, as well. No, it has nothing to do with The Survivor Series. But we’ll get to that in a bit. Why not look at some other Heenan memorabilia first? 

I think that I enjoy The Brain for reasons other than most. Of course everyone loved his humor which he brought to any job that he had within the business. Being the Gorilla Monsoon guy that I am, how could I not? I’ve said before and I’ll say again that I prefer the Monsoon-Jesse Ventura team as far as commentary goes, but there were no better hosting duos than The Gorilla and The Brain. Prime Time Wrestling would not be as beloved today had it not been for those two. You can sense the bits that the two came up with on their own that no outside writer could have. My favorites usually involved the two preparing for an upcoming event such as WrestleMania or the premiere of No Holds Barred. The two were gold in the studio but I feel that they truly shined when “out and about.” 

My love of Heenan comes from, as is almost cliché, the “little things.” It’s those things that can turn a good wrestler into a great one. If you’ve read Heenan’s books you already know that his philosophy was to “wrestle like a manager and manage like a wrestler.” It shows. You can literally pick any appearance of Heenan either inside or outside of the squared circle and see this shine through. Watch him come to the ring. There’s always something going on and it isn’t generic. It’s something pertaining to whichever story is being told, and not even necessarily his. He knew that in order for him to look good he had to make everyone around him look good, too. He fidgets. He looks concerned. He’s focused. He’s gleeful. It’s always something. 

What was also rather unique to Heenan, especially in the “WWF golden era” of the ‘80s, is that he could switch between serious or cartoonish in the bat of an eyelash. If he and his charge were hatching a plan to attack another wrestler you were definitely going to see “cruel and calculating” Heenan. If Gene Okerlund chased them down for an interview after the heinous action, Heenan was prepared with a good insult. He also kept it real. When The Brooklyn Brawler took out both The Red Rooster and Gorilla Monsoon on an episode of Prime Time Wrestling, Heenan repeatedly apologized to Monsoon and claimed that the attack on him was not part of his plan. It made sense. Going forward why would Monsoon continue to find amusement in Heenan’s antics had Heenan not shown a little remorse for something so physical? Again, it was the little things. 

Speaking of little things, Bobby Heenan has had a few in the form of action figures over the years. Not only was he one of the manager figures in the LJN Wrestling Superstars line (a figure that he proudly displayed on Prime Time Wrestling), but he was also one of only two managers to make it into the bendies line also from the company. I only got into the bendies after the Hasbro WWF line was released and was absolutely thrilled that both Heenan and Captain Lou Albano could be integrated with the Hasbro figures. Jakks and Mattel really upped the ante with several Heenan figures from each manufacturer. The latest was the Mattel WWE Legends Bobby Heenan in the infamous weasel suit. Beneath it is the first accurate and widely available “wrestling gear” Heenan figure. Sadly, the figure is underrated and undersold. I don’t know if that means that we’re dead as far as future figures of “The Brain” go, but someone desperately needs to produce him in a Hasbro style before the “Retro” craze ends. We could also use several more regular sized Heenan’s as well. You and I both can think of five or six designs right off of the top of our heads. 

Heenan was no stranger to trading cards, magazine and program covers and even coloring books, either, despite being a manager who were sometimes left out of such things. I say “were” as sadly the wrestling manager seems to be gone. Every so often there are glimmers, especially with Paul Heyman still running rampant, but it has yet to truly feel the same. But The Brain made it beyond. Need someone to go on Arsenio, Regis & Kathy Lee or even The Jerry Lewis Labor Day Telethon? Heenan was your man. He even made it onto an episode or two of Hulk Hogan’s Rock n’ Wrestling, though the little merchandise sadly doesn’t reflect that. 

My favorite Heenan item as promised? The November 1970 issue of The Wrestler, of course. I had wanted the issue for years, seeing it listed as a back issue, but even then it was coveted. Finally, in a box chock full of ‘60s and ‘70s wrestling magazines that I picked up at a local convention, there it was. I was able to get The Brain to sign it and, though he was in his later stages where communication wasn’t as easy as in previous years, he positively glowed upon seeing it. A gory and slightly horrifying reminder that Heenan was indeed a wrestler and for more than just comedic weasel suit matches. Bobby was the real deal. 

Now beat it, humanoids!

The Territory Photo Albums--Pittsburgh 1969

Since its inception this blog has always had something of a Pittsburgh flavor. After all, I've made my home in Pittsburgh for my entire life. But "The Burgh" is somewhat underappreciated for its rich wrestling history. Of course we claim Bruno Sammartino as our own, but it's sometimes forgotten on a larger scale just how many big names of wrestling's past spent their time here. Bruno needed challengers, allies and plenty of other talent to fill out cards at the Civic Arena and on the immensely popular "Studio Wrestling" program.

The Pittsburgh wrestling office, like many territories, periodically released photo album publications to remind you of the great wrestling roster in your area. There were five total, all released under the banner of "Tri-State Wrestling." I've featured them on this blog before, with the 1967 edition being a previous entry in the "Territory Photo Albums" series, but today we're looking at the final one that was produced in 1969. 

While the first editon, published in 1963, has Buddy Rogers featured most prominently, Bruno has clearly become the star in his six years as champion. In fact this edition features more Bruno than anyone else. There's no doubt about it, though, he was the man. While most associate New York as his top town, you would be hard-pressed to find someone who grew up in Pittsburgh in the '60s who didn't know The Living Legend. The Italian Superman. The Champ. He was, and still is, a Pittsburgh sports icon revered alongside the likes of Roberto Clemente. 

Our cover features Bruno sharing the spotlight with Tony "Battman" Marino who we just recently lost. Marino is showing off his famous physique without the costume of The Caped Crusader covering it up. With the Batman television series being off of the air for over a year at this point, the gimmick was about to come to an end as well. Mr. Marino was a class act and is much missed. When I had this particular album signed, he even brought the original "Battman" cowl. Did I mention that the gentleman, well into his '80s at that point, had a patch of hair, on his otherwise bald head, shaved into the Batman logo? 

Inside we get Bruno right off the bat! It's actually the entire Sammartino clan. Carol, David and the twins. Despite what we know about Bruno and David's relationship later on, it's nice to see some family time shown here. This album also includes several pages dedicated to "The Bruno Sammartino Course Of Body Building." This was actually also released as its own publication around the same time as well and I would imagine that it set many a Pittsburgh youth off on the right foot as far as training is concerned. I won't go on a tangent, but there aren't any true role models left in sports today. Bruno was the role model in every sense of the term.

As mentioned above we get great glimpses of so many legends who either starred in the Pittsburgh area or at least passed through. Domenic DeNucci, Ivan Koloff, Lou Albano and Tony Altomare, Waldo Von Erich, Gorilla Monsoon and George "The Animal" Steele. We also have the Pittsburgh mainstays like Bobby "Hurricane" Hunt, Jumpin' Johnny DeFazio and Frank Holtz. The latter may actually be the final living Pittsburgh wrestling star of this era following the recent deaths of DeFazio, Marino and DeNucci.

The Tri-State albums always featured bits on non-wrestlers, too, such as Pittsburgh broadcasting legend Bill "Chilly Billy" Cardille who was our voice of wrestling, promoters (including Vincent J. McMahon in one of the early books) and the man credited with discovering Bruno, Rudy Miller. This last installment also features a full page photo featuring three young women labeled "Judo Girls." Darlene Kalb, Donna Waxter and Jordie Ludwig were local judo champions who performed exhibitions during cards at the Civic Arena. I have no idea if the three are still with us, but adding their autographs to the book would certainly be fun as would hearing their stories from the era. 

While we always hear about WWF Magazine, pay-per-view event programs and other similar publications, very little is ever written about these great photo albums. I'm both thrilled and honored to document them for posterity. For more photos of this edition, including more of the autographs that I've filled this one with, follow us on Instagram @jws_wrestling_memorabilia. 

Will You Stop? -- Remembering Gorilla

This past week marked twenty-two years since the passing of Robert Marella, better known to millions as Gorilla Monsoon. Though I may have still been publishing my newsletter back in 1999, I generally stuck to wrestling merchandise. This blog was a decade away from being created. That being said, I never had the chance to properly convey my feelings on the life and death of one of my favorite wrestling personalities of all-time. While many wrestling deaths have happened since, many with men and women passing at a younger age than Mr. Monsoon, none have hit me harder.

While my parents grew up with Gorilla the wrestler, I grew up with Gorilla the announcer. One of the voices of the World Wrestling Federation. Almost the voice of reason in the crazy, wacky world of the WWF. While Mean Gene was the pitchman who hyped you up, Gorilla reassured you. When he told you that the world was watching WrestleMania IV, you believed it. When he said that the "SRO" signs went up early for a particular event, why would you even doubt him? He was an honest voice in a world that was built upon blurring reality. And while sometimes he would stretch the truth just a bit ("This match would be a main event in any arena in the world."), he always came back around.

You might even say that Gorilla was the king of the soft sell. Of course his words were meant to get you to come to the next event or purchase that upcoming pay-per-view, but were you ever annoyed or offended by the pitch like when suffering through the announcers of today? Highly unlikely! Another key was light-hearted banter. While it seemingly has no place in today's world, just tune into one of the classic WWF MSG or Boston Garden shows where Gorilla is teamed with Lord Alfred Hayes, Ken Resnick or even Hillbilly Jim. It wasn't all about cramming every second of airtime with the latest Twitter trend. Instead Gorilla and crew would comment on the location, a fan or two, even the food at the arena. It was fun, almost the kind of commentary that you'd hear between pitches on a baseball broadcast. The kind of fun that's been missing from wrestling longer than Mr. Monsoon has been.

And of course, Gorilla had two legendary foils in the broadcast booth, those being Bobby "The Brain" Heenan and Jesse "The Body" Ventura. While Gorilla and Bobby are absolutely classic, especially on Prime Time Wrestling and the 1992 Royal Rumble, I actually preferred the Monsoon-Ventura team. Though they did do some regular television broadcasts early on, it got to the point that they were saved for special occasions. The mixture of banter and comradery between the two had a quality that, in my opinion, has never quite been duplicated. I'm also not ashamed to say that after over thirty years of repeat viewings, I've memorized nearly every line of their ten pay-per-view broadcast team-ups. I'm sure that I'm not the only one.

Sadly, most Gorilla Monsoon merchandise was released posthumously. A glaring omission from the LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars line, three Gorilla Monsoon action figures have since been produced and are rightfully sought-after. There have been some cool trading cards released, but perhaps no t-shirt that I've worn in my entire life has yielded me more comments than one produced by WWE around five years ago. You guessed it. A bright blue tee featuring a stylized portrait of Gorilla in all of his jovial, affable glory. Even Mean Gene himself took note of me wearing it once before his passing. It was truly a happening.

With the way that the industry has changed it's hard to imagine that Mr. Monsoon would have much if anything to do with the wrestling of today. It would have been nice to have seen him reunite and make appearances with other legends at conventions and other events, but I have a feeling that more family time would have been most important of all to him. He was a real guy. A real man. We're just lucky that, through professional wrestling, the world got to know him. Forget just knowing him. We loved him.

Robert Marella

"Gorilla Monsoon"

1937-1999

The WWE Hall of Fame: The Banquet Years

Sure, it's always been and always will be a subject of contention and controversy, but take it just a little less seriously and it's just plain fun. Like it or not, the WWE Hall of Fame is what the mainstream world will always recognize as the wrestling Hall of Fame. It's simply how it is. Aside from having the WWE banner, the broadcasts are award show-quality as far as production and now attract arenas full of fans. It's hard to believe now, twenty-five years after the creation of the Hall of Fame, but it wasn't always that way.

The first induction that began the Hall of Fame, Andre the Giant in 1993, was a mere announcement on WWF television. The following three years saw small ceremonies with inductions and speeches. These events were actually not much more than dinners held in hotel banquet facilities. The 1995 and 1996 ceremonies were held in conjunction with King of the Ring and Survivor Series in those years respectively.

Many of the all-time great WWE stars took their rightful places in the Hall of Fame at those early events including Buddy Rogers, Chief Jay Strongbow, Freddie Blassie, Bobo Brazil, Gorilla Monsoon, Arnold Skaaland, James Dudley, George "The Animal" Steele, Ernie Ladd, Ivan Putski, The Fabulous Moolah, Pedro Morales, The Grand Wizard, Antonino Rocca, Captain Lou Albano, Killer Kowalski, Johnny Rodz, Vincent J. McMahon, Jimmy "Superfly" Snuka, Pat Patterson, Baron Mikel Scicluna, and the Valiant Brothers.

While it's nice that many of these now-deceased stars were able to enjoy their special night, their longtime fans can only wonder what the inductions of legends like Monsoon or Albano may have been like in the current Hall of Fame format. On the other hand, some of these early stars may have preferred the more intimate atmosphere that these ceremonies held, where fan attendance seemed to be more of an exception than a rule. No ridiculous chants at these banquets, for sure.

Though often unseen, these banquets yielded three individual Hall of Fame programs. Unlike the modern WWE Hall of Fame programs, these were small, four-page affairs printed on heavy paper stock reminiscent of a school concert or wedding program. Seeing as that attendance was greatly limited at these events, these programs do not become available very often. One in my own collection even has a small food stain. Could this have dropped from the fork of a Gorilla? Will you stop?

WWE Network does feature abridged versions of these events. While we may never see the full ceremonies officially released (there may be a "fan cam" version of one, but you didn't hear that from me), at least we have these fun and somewhat rare mementos of the nights where Rogers, Superfly, Blassie, and Patterson, among others, were finally and fully recognized by the company that they largely helped to build.

"Prime" Memorabilia Memories from Prime Time Wrestling

If you are a subscriber to WWE Network, you may have noticed an influx of classic content in the past few months. No one can seem to figure out just what causes the company to suddenly go on an uploading binge for the "Vault" section, but very few are complaining either. While the company may want you to believe that "Holy Foley" and "Camp WWE" are two of its most popular shows, I rarely hear from anyone that admits to watching those. Instead, it's the vintage shows and matches that I see the most feedback on. One of those shows suddenly saw its uploads stop just around two years ago, only to pick up in the last few weeks. That show? WWF Prime Time Wrestling.

Interestingly, Prime Time Wrestling is the show that I saw the most of as a kid, especially in my years as a casual fan. I was out with family during the day on weekends, so I really didn't partake too much in the classic "Saturday morning wrestling." Instead, I most recall catching Saturday Night's Main Event (after all, it was an event) and Prime Time. And even though the show went through a variety of hosts and formats, my brightest memories revolve around the Gorilla Monsoon-Bobby Heenan version.

I still prefer Monsoon with Jesse "The Body" Ventura as a commentary team, but the two didn't do too much hosting of Prime Time beyond some early episodes. The majority of the run featured "The Gorilla" and "The Brain" providing an often hilarious look at the goings on in the World Wrestling Federation. The chemistry between the two has never been matched in wrestling, obviously aided by their real-life friendship that was completely hidden on television. Okay, maybe a few times you got the feeling that Gorilla didn't completely hate "The Brain," but this was still the era of kayfabe.

Most wrestling television shows at the time didn't yield much memorabilia themselves. Heenan and Monsoon did have a few promotional photos together, but the merchandise of the time more or less centered around the wrestlers themselves. That being said, Prime Time Wrestling featured an absolute plethora of WWF items available in the era.

As with WWF Tuesday Night Titans, the LJN Wrestling Superstars figures were often present on the set of Prime Time. Monsoon and Heenan would utilize them to help illustrate the latest feuds between superstars, and would sometimes set them up to reflect the matches featured on that particular episode. On one segment, Monsoon laments that there wasn't a "Gorilla doll" available. You very much get the idea that he would have appreciated it happening, as it absolutely should have. One has to wonder if there was ever any consideration to the idea, considering how associated he was with the company.

The late, legendary WWF Magazine was also prominently featured. If Gorilla wasn't egging Heenan on about his men not being featured, the two would often cite photos and articles from the latest issue. And who could forget..."From the pages of the World Wrestling Federation Magazine, here's 'Update!'" That segment, which always displayed the latest magazine cover ("...on newsstands now!") was usually hosted by Craig DeGeorge, Lord Alfred Hayes, or Mean Gene Okerlund and spotlighted a recent major happening. And when Bobby finally made the cover in 1987? I'm sure "Miss Betty" was never happier!

As the WWF marketing machine grew and grew, so did the merchandise shown on Prime Time. When George "The Animal" Steele's buddy "Mine" started showing up, Gorilla informs us that we can in fact own it ourselves. We all know how few took the company up on that offer. The musical albums produced by the company were pushed heavily, as was the movie "No Holds Barred" upon its release. Posters, banners, and even Hasbro figures and Tonka Wrestling Buddies would eventually show up as set decor as the years went by. When the show changed formats in 1991 and started to feature a live audience, the merchandise faded away almost overnight. Advertisements were still there, but it just wasn't as fun without the camera focusing in on an LJN or Hasbro as the commercial break ended. And it certainly wasn't as entertaining without the Monsoon-Heenan pairing.

By 1993, Prime Time Wrestling was replaced with Monday Night Raw. No one can deny that Raw has had hundreds of memorable moments as the flagship show of the company and changed the way that wrestling was presented on television. Prime Time rarely advanced angles, as it was mainly a magazine/recap style show. Nonetheless, that was part of the magic. Prime Time featured matches that really didn't fit in anywhere else in the WWF lineup at that point. Some were good, some were bad, but Gorilla and Bobby always made it entertaining. Now that we know how much fun they were really having, it makes it just all the sweeter. And speaking of sweet, I'm sure that somewhere, in a place far greater than we know, our late, beloved Prime Time host knows that we did eventually get a "Gorilla doll"...

Wrestling Cards Of Pure Imagination

We don't always get what we want. It's an old saying, even a song, and it rings true in every day of our lives. Nonetheless, sometimes our minds can produce images of those things that we want. In this day and age, it's becoming easier and easier to project those ideas into reality. 3D printers are fast becoming the latest Star Trek-esque technology to catch on in the real world. They can produce items from our minds into tangible matter in just hours. The ability to create items from our minds digitally has existed a lot longer. Today, you'll be going inside my mind (yikes!) to see an idea that I've described here a few times before...a new WWE Heritage tribute to the 1987 Topps WWF trading card collection.

Imagine, if you will, that Topps has indeed decided to celebrate thirty years of their 1987 WWF release. This would also coincide with 2017 being thirty years since what many consider to be the biggest wrestling event of all-time, WrestleMania III. Using only concepts that Topps could possibly use in the release as well as only names who have appeared in previous releases, this is what those cards might possibly look like...

The original 1987 release was made up of basic wrestler "name" cards, action cards with captions, "television set" cards with word bubbles, and a few cards featuring images from WrestleMania III. Stickers were also included in the original set, but since they were reuses of photos on the cards albeit with different backgrounds, I didn't include them in the "new" set. Just as I was careful to only include superstars who could contractually be used if the set were really released, I replaced the old WWF block logo where needed and even etched it out in one or two instances.

Like all Heritage releases, the wrestlers featured would be a mix of old and new. While Topps likely has its reasons, the photography in some sets has been reused several times in recent memory, so I attempted to use some rarer shots of many of the stars. Just as in the original 1987 set, promotional "posed" images of some stars would be used as they translate very well to the designs of the cards.

The captioned action shots are easily brought up to date, again with a mix of current WWE Superstars and Legends. The WrestleMania III cards would instead be replaced with a WrestleMania History subset, featuring one shot from each of the thirty-two WrestleMania events. Although it has been awhile since roman numerals have been used in the actual promotion of WrestleMania, each card would feature them here. There are plenty of newer WrestleMania moments that haven't had their proper due in trading card form, which can be remedied here.

The "television set" style cards originated in the 1985 Topps WWF card set and continued with the "sequel" released by O-Pee-Chee in 1986 and of course in 1987. Although the original cards generally had humorous "word bubbles" featured spewing from the mouths of the stars, I think that the set could also represent some of the more memorable moments in televised wrestling history whether the quote is funny or not. With many past moments on wrestling programs now being digitized into high-definition, I think that these shots could easily be plucked for usage on trading cards.

The set could feature the usual relic and autograph cards, but I would also like to see the first Heritage "cut signature" cards. For those of you unfamiliar with the concept, these cards feature autographs removed from other sources and implanted into the card. These cards are usually very limited and more often than not feature signatures of deceased stars. Topps WWE Undisputed sets of 2015 and 2016 were said to have featured some cut signatures. With the nature of the Heritage releases it only makes sense to carry the concept over.

Will a set such as this ever come to light? That's up to Topps and WWE. Certainly some or all of the concepts could turn into reality. Regardless, it's fun to take a look at what could be, and for me to transplant an idea from my brain to the infinite archive of the Internet...

...as if the Internet needed any more demented minds!