Wrestling MarketWatch: Hidden Gems

Just when all seemed pretty okay in "the new world of wrestling," our window into seeing new content from the past just may have closed. At least a bit. It seems that the WWE Network's weekly additions to their Hidden Gems section are coming to an end. Whether this is a permanent end has yet to be determined, but many of us have consistently looked forward to the weekly release of something either rarely viewed or downright never-before-seen. It was just a few weeks ago that one of my top requests suddenly popped up.

How do the Hidden Gems tie into memorabilia? Let's take a look at recent selling prices of items related to some of the stars who've been featured in the Hidden Gems section. As always in MarketWatch, prices listed are for unsigned examples.

*So just what was that top-requested Hidden Gem of mine? I don't know that it was my most-wanted, but it was certainly something that I'd always wanted to see. When WWE Network decided to post Survivor Series Showdown 1992, they didn't just leave us with the original show as broadcast on USA Network. They also included many dark matches that occurred at the same taping. What I was most interested in seeing was a never-aired platform interview conducted by Mean Gene Okerlund. His interview subject? Jimmy Garvin. In an obvious tryout for an announcer or manager role, Garvin plays heel while reviewing the then-upcoming Survivor Series card. A fun fact learned upon viewing is that a sound byte of Garvin from this interview was used for the "Are you ready for the Survivor Series?" line that comes at the beginning of the 1993 WrestleMania song. Garvin had just come off of his WCW run as part of the Fabulous Freebirds. The U.K. exclusive Galoob figure produced from that run has recently sold in loose condition for prices ranging from $20 to $80.

*WCW itself was featured in one of the longest Hidden Gems. World Championship Wrestling produced two "All-Nighter" specials in 1994 and 1995, respectively, featuring matches spanning the run of the company to that point. Only the 1995 version has made WWE Network as of yet, but it would be nice for the first version to show up eventually to "complete the set." After his arrival in '94, Hulk Hogan dominated merchandise for the company. Around this time, a cool toy race car convoy set based on The Hulkster was produced by Matchbox. The set recently sold for around $40.

*A major treat with Hidden Gems is getting to see many of the legends from the territorial area in matches and situations that we haven't seen before. One of those stars is "Dirty" Dick Murdoch. Not only is the Texas outlaw featured in several full show uploads, but also with his most famous tag team partner, Dusty Rhodes. In the most recent Hidden Gem featuring Murdoch, the Waxahachie-born grappler is shown battling Harley Race in a match uploaded to memorialize the recent death of the latter. Murdoch's only figure, a "Big Head" from Japan, recently sold for $12.

*Answering the wishes of many fans, full shows from various companies have been included as Hidden Gems. Many of these shows were even thought not to exist. Among these shows were several complete Great American Bash cards from various years. While a match here and there may have been featured on NWA television or even a home video release, it's likely that the full events had not been seen aside from those who bought a ticket to attend. A show from the 1988 Bash tour was uploaded and the corresponding program recently sold for around $40.

*While a variety of promotions have been featured, World Class Championship Wrestling featuring The Von Erich family may have topped the rest in terms of frequency. David, Kerry, and Kevin Von Erich have all appeared in rarely seen matches against foes both foreign and frequent. While WCCW and the boys produced a variety of merchandise, it's the board game that often gets the most talk. Produced at a time when generally only the WWF was churning out such merchandise, the WCCW board game recently sold for $125.

I can't see Hidden Gems going away for good. I certainly hope not, anyway. If what has been uploaded already is any indication, more exists on tape than we ever thought possible. And if the company has Garvin's infamous "tryout" interview, you know those pay-per-view dark matches exist...

Wrestling MarketWatch: The Publications of Jim Crockett Promotions

It's almost the Fourth of July! This time of year always gets me to thinking of the magic of Jim Crockett Promotions. It may be true that a lot of the territorial wrestling promotions looked to summer as a time when business was down due to other activities taking up the evenings of the money-paying fan, but JCP changed that. The company and its talent took those long, hot, summer nights and created events that many remember to this day: The Great American Bash. It was a summer get together. Bring the kids! Bring grandma! Bring the beer and brats! It was music, food, the great outdoors, and hard-hitting wrestling action.

In this edition of MarketWatch we'll look at some of the most treasured memorabilia featuring The Great American Bash and other Crockett-promoted events: the publications. JCP produced some very nice all-slick, sometimes even all-color, programs and magazines that showcased their stars in a way that the WWF would later become famous for. The rough, often bloody, action that took place in JCP rings came through the pages making them highly collectible today. If you're a longtime reader, you've seen some of these items before. This time we'll look at some recent selling prices for them. As always, the prices given are for un-autographed copies.

*Jim Crockett Promotions history of high-quality color spectacles in publishing goes back to the legendary Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine. Nearly all of the big stars of the promotion made the cover at one point or another as the production carried on into the 1980's. Ric Flair, Dusty Rhodes, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Ricky Steamboat, Dino Bravo, Blackjack Mulligan, The Mighty Igor, and Greg Valentine are just a few of the names who found themselves on the front page, but none may have looked more menacing than Ole Anderson. The notoriously gruff grappler was featured on the cover several times, but the Volume 4 Number 6 issue has Anderson, by himself, in a full color photo. A copy of this issue recently sold for $30.

*As mentioned earlier, The Great American Bash may have been the signature event for the company. While Starrcade was positioned as "The Granddaddy of Em All," The Bash, for me, signifies what Jim Crockett Promotions really stood for. In its original form, The Bash was a tour rather than just one event. Many cities and towns, large and small, got to taste live, summer, wrestling action. There will never be wrestling tours of that magnitude again, so taking in as much as we can about "the glory days" from both the wrestlers and the fans who were there is how we can still connect to that era. The '86 Bash tour is still fondly remembered as one of the best. The program from the tour recently sold for $25.

*Speaking of tours, The Rock & Roll Express even had their own offshoot, "The Summer Sizzler Tour." That tour produced its own publication, as did Ricky Morton and Robert Gibson themselves. Jim Crockett Promotions knew that many of the wrestlers had large female followings and produced what could almost be described as photo albums for some of the stars. The Express even had a fan club for a time with high-quality bulletins. One of the publications featuring Morton and Gibson was "The Rock & Roll Express: Solid Gold." This magazine, featuring photos of the boys in and out of the ring, recently sold for $20.50. It should be noted that the sold example had major cover wear. A copy as pictured here would likely fetch a bit more.

*Another signature JCP event was The Jim Crockett Sr. Memorial Cup Tag Team Tournament. More commonly known as simply "The Crockett Cup," the event was completed in two shows and held from 1986 to 1988. The winners were predictable, but it was still a chance to see interesting match-ups and wrestlers from outside the promotion. Many are hoping that the shows in as complete forms as possible will end up on WWE Network. It could also be said that The Dusty Rhodes Tag Team Classic is a successor to the Crockett Cup. The program from the final Crockett Cup tournament held in 1988 recently sold for $60.

*Jim Crockett Promotions, and many fans, definitely looked at Starrcade as the biggest event of the year. It certainly came before WrestleMania as the industry's biggest supercard, but often had endings that weren't quite as final or conclusive. Some also point to Starrcade being moved out of its original home of the Carolinas as the beginning of the end for the promotion. While I find the latter to be a bit dramatic, something just seems right about Starrcade and Greensboro, NC. After the move to Chicago in 1987, Starrcade came to the more fitting Norfolk, VA in 1988. The program from that event, subtitled "True Gritt," recently sold for $175.50.

It wouldn't be a Fourth of July for me without celebrating Jim Crockett Promotions a bit. Maybe I'll pull up a classic show on WWE Network, schlepp out the programs and magazines, perhaps even the Wonderama trading cards. I'll wrap a Road Warriors or Four Horsemen bandana around my head and cue up "Rock & Roll Is King." It's a great time to revisit that era. It may gone forever, but that's what's great about the kind of memorabilia that we look at here each week. It lets us hop in that time machine for a quick spin without ever leaving our seats.

Wrestling MarketWatch: The Great American Bash

Hot dogs, apple pie, and The Great American Bash. It was wrestling's answer to that old time summer baseball game, complete with fireworks display. Instead of wooden bats hitting baseballs, the cracking came from bones and skulls being bashed. In place of the colorful and vibrant pyro, the "oohs" and "aahhs" emanated from fans in awe of Ric Flair, The Rock N' Roll Express, and Magnum T.A. And batting cages? Steel cages or maybe even War Games were far more impressive. The brainchild of the late, great, Dusty Rhodes, The Great American Bash went from tour, to pay-per-view, and was even the one NWA/WCW event that was revived by WWE.

With so many great memories comes some great memorabilia. As is always the case in Wrestling MarketWatch, we'll take a look at several of those items and their recent selling prices on the secondary market. Prices listed are for unsigned examples.

*Where better to start than the creator of the Bash, "The American Dream" Dusty Rhodes. There were several NWA-licensed collector cup sets over the years, but one from a chain called Fast Fare were actually branded with The Great American Bash logo. Listed on the cups are tour stops in Atlanta, Washington  D.C., Charlotte, Philadelphia, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Jacksonville, Greensboro, Chicago, and Dallas. The Dusty cup features artists renderings of two familiar pictures of "The Dream" as well as a facsimile signature. This cup recently sold at auction for $15.

*The final Bash under the WCW banner took place in 2000. Although the event took place in Baltimore, Maryland and included past Bash names such as Ric Flair, Sting, and The Steiner Brothers, it otherwise did not resemble the Bashes of old. The show is available on WWE Network, but that has not hurt the high price of this rarer WCW VHS release. The cover features Sting and Vampiro (who battled in a "Human Torch Match") set to a mix of horrific and patriotic colors. An example of the tape recently sold for $75.

*Also in the realm of VHS collecting is the tape of what many consider to be the worst wrestling pay-per-view event of all-time. 1991 was a transitional period for WCW, especially with the then-recent loss of "Nature Boy" Ric Flair to the World Wrestling Federation. The 1991 Great American Bash greatly suffered from this down period. As any wrestling collector will tell, quality never equals demand. This tape, featuring Lex Luger and Barry Windham on the cover in a great shot, is another that has always been highly desired and remains so despite other ways to view the show these days and it ultimately being a poor event. Recently the VHS sold for $77.

*Many of the early Great American Bash events had some great programs. The gritty wrestling product of Jim Crockett Promotions perfectly transitioned to the printed page. The programs were chock full of action shots, many featuring bloody battles between the stars of the NWA. The 1987 and 1988 Bash programs featured a flag motif on the cover. I prefer the former, as it also features the stars of War Games, but both are equally collectible. The 1988 version recently sold for $25.

*Thanks to the WWF producing their own magazine, Pro Wrestling Illustrated and its sister publications often gave more press to Jim Crockett Promotions in the 1980's. Most issues from the decade can be had for around $10 each, but the December 1985 issue of PWI has always been a bit more in-demand and thus often sells for a higher price. The cover story is a great montage of the action of the 1985 Great American Bash tour. Many fans seem to favorably remember this particular issue from their childhood, and looking at it leaves no question as to why. A copy of this issue also recently sold for $25.

WWE eventually quit using the Bash as an annual pay-per-view event but the name has resurfaced as a special episode of Smackdown in the last few years. With WWE looking to have more Network exclusive events, it wouldn't be the worst idea to revive the Bash yet again, especially in remembrance of "The American Dream." If just one classic, hard fought match is held on the show, you can bet that there will be yet another "Million Dollar Smile" in Heaven.

Wrestling MarketWatch: Sting

One of the last "Hmmm...I wonder what that would be like?" moments in wrestling has finally happened. Sting has wrestled a match for WWE, at WrestleMania no less. While the result of the match surprised many, I'm sure that it isn't the last of The Stinger in the company. The painted-faced icon proved that he could still provide a quality match, and I just don't see the face of WCW going out in a loss, even under contract to Vince McMahon. The company realizes his value as a WWE Legend, and one or two more matches would only cement that. With the fantastic showing of The Undertaker also at WrestleMania, those who said that the match would never happen are already having second thoughts.

Sting's return has likely garnered many new fans for the legend. Those who are new to the party are scrambling alongside old "Little Stingers" to grab items from the long list of Sting merchandise. WCW, TNA, and now WWE have all produced items featuring the various incarnations of Sting. I would venture to say that, in one of their rare moments of being number one at something, TNA may have produced the most Sting merchandise during his times there. WWE has already integrated him into video games, trading cards, and wearable merchandise such as new masks and shirts. In a few months, the first WWE-produced figure of Sting will be making its debut on store shelves as well as on this very blog. In the meantime, let's take a look at some past Sting items and their recent selling prices.

*While the public awaits the Mattel "Defining Moments" Sting figure, some of the older efforts are selling briskly. Due to not signing with WWE until 2014, Sting was an unfortunate omission from the legendary Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line. When Jakks took over the TNA license, several Sting figures were on tap. My two favorites are in the "Ruthless Aggression" style body that was used for most of the Classic Superstars. While the packaging may have been different, the figures themselves were able to blend right in with Ric Flair, Hulk Hogan, and the various other legends who did make it into Classic Superstars. Both classic "surfer" and later "crow" Sting variations were made. All have remained popular, but one Sting with his black and white paint was in a set exclusive to Walgreens. The figures were dubbed "Ruthless Impact" by collectors, and did not last long on shelves. The Sting from this set recently sold for $40 in package, with loose examples going for well over $20.

*Sting's merchandising really didn't hit its stride until the early 1990s when WCW began to make deals for action figures and other toys. One of his very first cover appearances was on the 1988 Great American Bash program. Like some of the other WCW events of the time, Bash 88 had an in-house program produced as well as one done by The Wrestling News. Sting makes his cover appearance on the latter along with Ric Flair, Lex Luger, and Dusty Rhodes. This program, the harder to find of the two, recently sold at auction for $22.50.

*The early '90s were filled with colorful eye-catching neon, and Sting's look definitely lent itself to this trend. It also stuck out in the crowd at wrestling events, the perfect way for "Little Stingers" to cheer on their favorite star. Foam fingers and hands, still sold at WWE events today, date back to the early 1980's in pro wrestling and probably even longer in other sports ventures. WCW caught onto this around the time of their other merchandising endeavors, and Sting was at the top of the heap. The orange Sting foam finger recently sold for $28.99.

*WCW Magazine went through various changes over its long run, but its initial format was the best. Several special issues were also released at this time, from the infamous 1993 WCW Yearbook to a puzzle magazine. A few focused on the top star of the company, Sting, and his exploits in and out of the ring. From eating whole wheat pancakes and orange juice for breakfast to wrestling Big Van Vader and Ravishing Rick Rude, these editions made a Sting fan feel as if they had followed him around for the day. One of these magazines, "Sting's Guide To WCW," recently went for $28.11.

*8x10 promotional photos are always an interesting collectible as far as monetary value. Some will sell for hundreds, others for pennies. Is it better to be signed or left unmarked? Personally, I feel a promo photo is one item that always looks better signed. Sting has had plenty of promo shots over the years, but one very interesting 8x10 was released by TNA in 2012. This is an "in your face" depiction of Sting's famous painted mug. This promotional photo, with autograph, recently sold at auction for $42.

"The Stinger." "The Man Called Sting." "The Vigilante." No matter what you call him, he's a Hall of Famer in any argument and is indeed the face of WCW. He evolved the character throughout his career and, while many of us prefer the "surfer" look of old, he's proven to be entertaining in-ring from the '80s to the present. May Bo Dallas not be the final victim to feel the Scorpion Death Drop, for Sting still has more of a story to be told.

The Night The Championship Changed Hands

Is there any greater thrill for a wrestling fan than seeing a championship change hands live before their very eyes?  The pin.  The pop.  The emotion.  It's one of the great concepts that makes professional wrestling the amazing spectacle that it is.  The big win is often the culmination of a long and arduous struggle.  Other times the win is completely out of the blue and shocks the fans as much as it thrills them.

The title change has also had many uses on the business end of pro wrestling.  Does a certain town need a shot in the arm?  Switch a title to prove that "anything can happen" and that the fans cannot afford to miss a single show.  Maybe a certain star needs a special moment to prove that they have what it takes to make it on top.

Regardless of the reasons, title changes are one aspect of the business that always make the proverbial "record books."  Whereas "wins" and "losses" weren't tabulated until fans began to do so a few years ago, some record was kept of most title changes.  In modern times, the images of these wins are the stuff that classic magazine covers are made of.  But what about a record from the night of the win. A printed listing of the match that would go on to make history.  That would be, of course, the program.

Wrestling event programs have become somewhat of a lost art.  What once existed at nearly every wrestling show in some way, shape, or form became a relic somewhere along the line.  As far as WWE goes, the company selling shows on the brand name rather than its stars often leaves paying fans wondering right up until belltime just exactly who will be on the show.  To its credit, the company does still sell a large, elegantly designed book at each event that is labeled a program, but it is usually devoid of match info.

The company has continued to produce an event-specific program each year for WrestleMania and has done similar efforts for a few select SummerSlam and Survivor Series shows of the past five years.  Of course, most pay-per-view event programs will contain a match where a championship changed hands, but none in recent memory were more grand than WrestleMania XXX.  Daniel Bryan's show-ending championship celebration was unlike most title wins seen in the modern era.  The fans wanted it, had rabidly followed the progression, and were absolutely ready to explode into their favorite one-word chant.

A month shy of thirty years prior to Bryan's thrilling win, another title change occurred that had roots tied both into real life and into the hearts of thousands of Texans.  The place?  Texas Stadium.  The title?  The NWA World Heavyweight Championship.  The man?  Kerry Von Erich.  Just a few months prior, David Von Erich, considered by many WCCW fans to be the next world champion, passed away suddenly.  At the first of several Parade of Champions events to honor David, Kerry went on to capture the title from "Nature Boy" Ric Flair.  The celebration is a video that needs to be seen in order to comprehend the fan reaction.  There's no doubt that many fans had program in-hand while celebrating.  The publication is a fun mix of modern and traditional wrestlng programs.  Like with much of what WCCW did, the program is ahead of its time by being oversized and printed on much nicer stock paper than was the norm at the time.  The then-recently deceased David is the focus of the cover, but the championship match and its participants are not forgotten.

Occasionally, it's the lineup sheet itself where the actual match info is located.  For many years, the WWF produced a program magazine sold at events that had the lineup sheet either attached or on an included piece of paper.  By 1998, the company had ceased producing the program publication and instead would print copies of their monthly magazine with a $5.00 price tag to be sold at events.  That is the case with King of the Ring 1998.  The event may be most remembered for two mind-blowing falls, but there was also a shocking WWF Championship change.  No one in the Pittsburgh Civic Arena or around the world expected Stone Cold Steve Austin to lose to Kane in the First Blood Match, but that was indeed the end of a shocking night in the Attitude Era.

Of course, the big switch doesn't always have to involve the main championship prize.  Tag team championships can be just as prized, and when you're talking decorated tandems, you have to mention The Midnight Express.  On the July 10, 1988 Great American Bash stop, Bobby Eaton and Stan Lane took the United States tag team championship from one of their best rival teams, The Fantastics.  In this instance, the manager of the Midnight Express, Jim Cornette himself, was suspended above the ring in a small steel cage and confined to a straight jacket.  It was a match-of-the-night candidate to be sure, as was usually the case when these two teams met.  Two different programs were sold along the 1988 Bash tour, but the one sold that particular night featured these two teams right on the back cover.

Programs are among my favorite wrestling items to collect.  Pinpointing them to a great match or moment sets them aside from the newsstand magazines.  If the particular show is on video as all of the ones mentioned here are, it's fun to peer into the audience and maybe catching a glimpse of what is now a collectible.  If we only knew then what we know now...

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--1987 Great American Bash Program

With it being July, Mid-Atlantic Fanfest on the very near horizon, and the recent War Games DVD/Blu-Ray release from WWE, this edition of "From The Musty Yellowed Pages" was a no-brainer.  Always one of the more popular Jim Crockett Promotions publications, The 1987 Great American Bash program has a lot going for it.  The colorful and fittingly patriotic cover is the most obvious, but a lot of people have never had the chance to dive inside.  It isn't easy to obtain and often sells for fifty dollars or more when it does pop up on the secondary market.

I have no one to thank more for my particular copy than an anonymous group of elderly women.  Around twenty years ago I was at a library book sale in a neighboring town.  In the back of the crammed basement, I spied this wrestling artifact tossed among the children's books.  Needless to say, once I figured out exactly what I had discovered, there was no putting it down.  It was but a few years earlier that I had gotten into learning about wrestling's glorious past, and the 1987 War Games video was something that I was already very familiar with.  Upon arrival at the checkout table, the gracious ladies who were in charge must've found my love for the publication charming.  Although my family made other purchases, the ladies told me that I could have the red, white, and blue relic absolutely free.  My JCP program collection was off to an amazing, and quite affordable, start.

It was about ten years following my lucky find that I began to use the program as an autograph project.  Manny Fernandez, Skandor Akbar, Lex Luger, Arn Anderson, Dusty Rhodes, J.J. Dillon, Paul Jones, Ricky Morton, Jimmy Garvin, Ric Flair, Nikita Koloff, Jim Cornette, Tully Blanchard, Steve Williams, Magnum T.A., Ivan Koloff, Robert Gibson, The Barbarian, Bob Caudle, and Road Warrior Animal.  Amazingly, I even managed to have each signature signed in blue.  It was more of a coincidence at first, but it certainly adds to the flag motif.  Beginning with Dusty Rhodes, twenty signatures fill the cover.  My rule was that as long as the talent is shown and/or mentioned inside, they're welcome to sign the cover.  The twenty illustrious names are

Interestingly, the program does not kick off with War Games coverage.  The tag team and UWF championship sagas are instead featured at the front.  Following a Business Reply Mail card advertising NWA tapes from Turner Home Video, a great photo of eight of the ten men from the original War Games match is shown.  "The American Dream" appears more cocky than any of the Four Horsemen in this photo, but that's simply "Dusty being Dusty."  Curiously this photo does not include Paul Ellering or JJ Dillon.  Regardless, it's a great shot that would induce a boatload of memories from any NWA fan.

A page made up solely of graphics breaks down that first War Games match.  It's obvious from the effort shown here that the company truly felt that a lot was riding on this one match.  They had every right to believe that they had something special in their hands, as this was a concept that lives on with so many fans to this day.  One can only wonder why no effort was made to put this on pay-per-view.  While they obviously hoped to make this a concept to pop the individual live gates, it is interesting to ponder if anything could've played out differently had they opened the match up to thousands of other curious fans via pay-per-view.

The following ten pages are photo capsules of each of the ten men involved in that first "Match Beyond."  Ellering and Dillon are not omitted here and are highlighted in photos showing both their wrestler and managerial sides.  It should be noted that the photography in this program is glorious and vibrant as it is in many of the JCP publications.  It's a shame that more items like these weren't made by the company, but that all goes back to the much-discussed marketing problems of the company that extended far beyond the Ted Turner purchase of the company in 1988.

Following the War Games profiles, many other wrestlers, matches, and angles which were important on the '87 Bash tour are featured.  The company was obviously hurting with the loss of Magnum T.A. just a few months earlier.  Fortunately, Magnum was well enough to make appearances by this time and gets a full page to himself.  Text and photos discussing his appearance in Dusty's corner against Tully Blanchard on television appear, but a notation of Magnum now being in the corner of Dr. Death in a battle against Dick Murdoch is mentioned.

Initially, so many of the autographs on my copy were obtained at the 2004 Fanfest over Thanksgiving weekend.  One of the wrestlers to sign it was "Gorgeous" Jimmy Garvin.  After signing the cover, Garvin asked me if this was the program with "the great bloody picture of me against Flair."  I assured him that it was and we flipped to it where he took the time to sign it again.  Not only is the shot another example of the great photography, but a rare example where a wrestler recalls something about a piece of memorabilia.  Remember, in that era talent rarely had to the time to see these items let alone collect them.  This is sadly why many wrestlers have no clue as to what is out there, but it also makes it all the more special when a recollection is made when obtaining an autograph.

This has always been one of my favorite wrestling items between what it represents, how it ended up in my collection, and now that I've had so many of the original participants sign it.  These are the items that keep the memories of these events and concepts alive.  WWE may own the footage, but you're only going to see what they want you to see.  It's these vintage pieces that show you just how epic, raw, and real it was to many fans...and continues to be today.

Wrestling MarketWatch: USA! USA! USA!

American patriotism is a gimmick that has stood the test of time in the wrestling world like no other.  Put Hacksaw Jim Duggan into a wrestling ring in the year 2012 and suddenly it's 1988 again.  What gets your blood pumping more than the patriot battling the evil foreigner with flags waving and the security of the nation hanging in the balance?  It doesn't get more basic, yet engrossing, than that when it comes to losing yourself in a pro wrestling match.

I've said it before..."Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, & Wrestling."  Wrestlers such as Duggan, Sgt. Slaughter, Hulk Hogan and events like SummerSlam and The Great American Bash can take a normal summer wrestling card and turn it into a patriotic spectacular.  It's no mistake that memories of those stars and shows often stand out proudly in the minds of many a wrestling fan from the '80s and '90s.

In this latest edition of MarketWatch, we'll take a look at some items that were derived from these icons of wrestling Americana and examine what they've recently sold for on the secondary market.  Put down the sparkler, take a sip of Diet Pepsi, and remember what wrestling, in many minds, is truly all about.  Although some examples shown are autographed, the prices noted were for unsigned items.

*Even with all the patriots in wrestling, there's only one Real American Hero--Sgt. Slaughter!  His involvement in Hasbro's G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero franchise cemented him as an icon of the 1980's.  Although Hasbro produced dozens of Slaughter figures over the years, his 1992 figure was the only one done for the WWF license.  All of the other Hasbro-produced Slaughter's, including the 8-inch figure often included with the LJN line, were made for G.I. Joe.  The figure is actually not in a wrestling outfit at all, but rather garb that he wore in promotional photos and a vignette or two.  For twenty years that's been quite alright with wrestling fans.  The figure is beloved for an incredible facial sculpt and "Sgt.'s Salute" action.  The figure has recently been selling for between $30 and $60 as has his tag team partner, the 1991 Hasbro WWF Hacksaw Jim Duggan.  The Sarge was not only the first wrestler that I ever had the pleasure of meeting, but Slaughter and Duggan were the first "good guy" tag team that I ever saw wrestle live.

*Like Slaughter and Duggan, SummerSlam holds personal memories for me as well.  The 1995 edition was the first pay-per-view event that I attended live.  It was two years earlier in 1993 that the event was patriotism at full-tilt.  SummerSlam 1993 saw "The Narcissist" Lex Luger go "All-American" in his "Call To Action" campaign against then-WWF Champion Yokozuna.  Even if the event fell a bit flat up against the amazing build, it's still a fun time to look back on.  The program for the event, featuring a photo of Luger still in his Narcissist days, recently sold for $30.  All WWF pay-per-view programs have seemingly been on a monetary upswing, but true collectors know that they have always been items to treasure.

*SummerSlam, as big as it has become, was the not the first patriotic wrestling spectacular.  That honor would go to The Great American Bash.  From tour to NWA, WCW, and WWE pay-per-view event to being celebrated as an episode of Smackdown, the Bash remains a staple in many fans summer wrestling diet.  In 1991 this particular meal was regurgitated.  WCW was in shambles as bad management and the departure of Ric Flair ripped the company apart.  The event was a disaster from top to bottom with chants of "We Want Flair!" echoing throughout the Baltimore Arena and a makeshift championship belt used in lieu of the "Big Gold" belt which had left WCW with Flair.  Despite the mess, the Turner Home Video VHS release of the event was always one of the higher valued tapes.  Selling recently for just $40, maybe fans have finally gotten their fill of the Bash that was more of a gash...in WCW history, that is.

*WCW would go on to recover, and in a few short years a "Real American" would enter the company.  That would be, as if it needed to be said, Hulk Hogan.  While patriotism is included in any number of "Hulkster" products, my favorite Hogan action figure of them all simply screams, "USA!"  This would be the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars "Real American" Hulk Hogan figure.  This figure was only available through a ticket redemption program.  Replica WrestleMania tickets were included with various other Classic Superstars figures.  When a full set was obtained they could be redeemed, via mail, for this amazing figure.  Hulk is clad in his white "American Made" shirt, "Hulkamania" bandanna, and blue workout pants.  Also included were his workout belt and alternate "Hulk Machine" gear from his 1986 appearances as part of The Machines tag team.  Secondary market value of the figure has differed greatly since it was first available.  Most recently the "Real American" sold for $75.  In my opinion, value will only go up as more and more collectors decide that this is one they want to keep.

*Speaking of Hulk Hogan, there is one item that may not have too much to do with patriotism but absolutely needs to end this entry.  At long last, WWE has released the 1989 movie "No Holds Barred" on DVD and Blu-Ray.  Panned by some and enjoyed by many, the movie starred Hogan and Tiny "Zeus" Lister and was produced by Vince McMahon.  The movie did not do as well at the box office as was hoped which probably led to having relatively few merchandise tie-ins.  Although Zeus did get a figure in the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line, it was probably more due to his brief wrestling career than the movie itself.  One item that is still available on the secondary market is the No Holds Barred program magazine.  Including full-sized posters and a ton of film hype, the program has recently sold for just $20.  A bargain price for a nice item that certainly isn't a piece of...dookie.

Hot Dogs, Apple Pie, & Wrestling

There's just something about pro wrestling that exudes patriotism here in the United States of America. Sgt. Slaughter leading the Pledge of Allegiance. Hacksaw Jim Duggan chanting (and singing) the famous three letters. The pride (and vitamins) running through your veins while listening to "Real American."

Back in the "good ol' days" nothing was more American than packing up the family and friends, heading to the local venue, and enjoying a night of great wrestling action. Done at the right time in the 1980s, this could have meant attending a stop on the Great American Bash tour.

Twenty-four years ago today saw the Great American Bash tour host the very first War Games match in Atlanta, GA. Pitting two teams of five, War Games was both brutal and innovative. One huge cage. Two rings. Ten men. Although many great War Games matches have been held since, the original is still the best. The battle captured exactly why pro wrestling was loved by blue collar America. Blood, guts, brute strength, and the hard working common men (Rhodes, Road Warriors, Nikita) against the uppity showboat athletes (The Four Horsemen). It just doesn't get any better than that.

Some wrestlers carried their patriotic message far beyond the Fourth of July. Certainly Slaughter, Duggan, and Hogan would leap to mind as far as characters bleeding the red, white, and blue. Perhaps no one wore the countries' colors better than Del Wilkes, aka The Patriot. Be it in the GWF, WCW, or WWF, the masked star took a relatively dated gimmick and suddenly became relevant in a decade where the boundaries of good and evil were often blurred.

During his short WWF tenure, The Patriot had a particularly easy time capturing fan allegiance in his home country. In a sport known for its jingoistic showings, in 1997 a wrestling war began between the rather unlikely opponents of the United States and Canada. This conflict was ignited a star usually known for his universal appeal--Bret "The Hitman" Hart.

The Canadian Hart had recently reformed The Hart Foundation stable and in the midst of doing so began spouting anti-American rhetoric. The Patriot, new to the WWF scene, was able to capitalize on this and, until suffering a career-ending injury, became one of the WWF's top stars. One particular July evening in Pittsburgh on a live Monday Night Raw, The Patriot even scored a pinfall over The Hitman leading to one of the Steel City's most memorable modern wrestling moments.

Even the biggest wrestling event of the year has had patriotic overtones. WrestleMania VII in 1991 (subtitled "Superstars & Stripes Forever") featuring the Los Angeles Sports Arena decked out in red, white, and blue to witness Hulk Hogan attempt to regain the WWF Championship from Sgt. Slaughter. Slaughter, in a storyline that stirs controversy to this day, had recently turned on his beloved United States and sided with Saddam Hussein's Iraq. Hogan disposed Slaughter in typical Hulkster fashion and became champion for the third time covered in a crimson mask while waving Old Glory.

While many of us get patriotic feelings from the fictional battles recalled above, celebrating our freedom and remembering how we obtained that right is what it truly boils down to. For the better part of a decade, WWF/WWE has put on an annual holiday special for the U.S. Armed Forces entitled "Tribute to the Troops." Vince McMahon and many of his superstars have traveled overseas to visit with the troops and provide a bit of entertainment reminiscent of the ventures put forth by late comedian Bob Hope in years past. These events have provided much joy for the men and women in service and are a great example of the industry giving back.

Whether fireworks, barbeque, or just relaxing is on your list for today, have a great Independence Day...


...TOUGH GUY!