I’ll Be Your Hero 30 Years On: Three Decades Of The Lex Express

The Total Package was the past. The Narcissist was a mild success at best. The All-American was here. But was he here to stay? In the summer of 1993 I think most certainly thought so. It was another WWF attempt to create a new Hulk Hogan. You could argue that The Ultimate Warrior was first, but to me that was a different direction entirely. I would classify Sid Justice as the first true inkling of an attempt of a new Hulkster. Did "Made In The USA" Lex Luger fare better? Thirty years later, let's reflect.

No one could've been expecting this. The Narcissist was just unveiled at the Royal Rumble in January and embroiled in a feud with Mr. Perfect. An attack on Bret "The Hitman" Hart during WrestleMania weekend went nowhere. WWF Championship matches between Hogan and Luger definitely could've drawn, but the forgotten and weak '93 Hulkamania title reign ended any chances of that.

Who answered the Bodyslam Challenge on July 4th 1993 with a mission of body slamming Yokozuna? Lex Luger. Any mention of "The Narcissist" was long gone. This man was now an American hero. In fact, he would now be your hero. He'd be meeting you while crossing the country in his Lex Express bus. He may give you a tour button or even an autographed photo or poster. It was the "Call To Action Campaign" and it was coming to your town!

I will admit that even then I noticed it getting a bit more publicity than the normal post-Hulkamania WWF did. I was at the perfect age to notice when wrestling was hot and when it wasn't. It certainly wasn't in 1993, but it did have some people talking. The WWF marketing machine caused a lot of it. Luger certainly had charisma, but it wasn't Hogan level. It was more of a heelish charisma and while he switched to babyface well, I'm not sure that he had anyone completely convinced.

The press materials for the campaign are a fascinating look into how full steam ahead the WWF was going with it. Even the Lex Express itself had an official promotional photo! The press kit that I own actually has an extra photo. A certain former WCW announcer who I acquired it from told that me that the additional photo actually came from the Pittsburgh Post Gazette newspaper archives. It's a shot of Luger riding a go-kart at Pittsburgh's Sandcastle waterpark where the Lex Express had made a stop. You know there's some sort of buzz if the mainstream press is picking up on it.

You can tell that rumors of an originally planned SummerSlam main event of Hogan vs Hart were undeniably true. The promo photos of Luger, and even his shot on the cover of the SummerSlam 1993 program, are from The Narcissist era. Even still, why could both have not happened? You can easily point out two main events for the 1992 and 1994 editions of the show. Why not have Luger vs Yoko, too, and have Luger go over clean? In this scenario the belt doesn't even come into play if they didn't want it on him just yet.

I, personally, would've put the belt on Luger even if for a short time. Nothing too much was working at the moment anywhere in the world of wrestling. While diehards such as myself were still eating it up, you didn't have the mainstream casuals that fill arenas to capacity. I don't think high school gym were even being filled to capacity at this point. There are a lot of fond memories for the time period, but the attention just wasn't there.

Be that as it may, "All American" Lex Luger is looked back at fondly by many. We're still getting new merch for the character to this day and even finally received the Hasbro style figure this year. It's always been alleged to have been part of the fabled unproduced "orange card" series. Many collectors have been suggesting that Mattel's WWE Ultimate Edition figure series include Luger in his "All American" look, complete with the USA street gear he wore during the tour. I'd be all for it.

Was this WWF run for Luger a complete flop? I'm not so sure. We're still talking about it. We're still buying the merch. You're still hearing the "I'll Be Your Hero" song in your head. To me, that's memorable. Me? I still have the "Lex Express Tour" weekly recap production music in my head. Now that's an earworm!

After Nearly Three Decades The “Orange Cards” Have Arrived!

Few unproduced figures in any genre have been more speculated upon and discussed than the fabled Hasbro WWF “orange card” series that would have been released in early 1995. The Hasbro line was beloved in its day and, around ten years ago, saw an amazing boost in popularity even among fans who weren’t among the original collectors. Even with all of the classic characters that were produced, that last series remained a huge topic among fans. Now Mattel, continuing their WWE Retro line, is finally bringing an orange carded set to life complete with two names who were originally slated for the wave way back when.

The newest Mattel WWE retro four pack contains “All- American” Lex Luger and “babyface” Doink the Clown. They were both scheduled for the orange carded Hasbro series and likely would have been repaints of their earlier releases. Joining them in this Mattel set are Tugboat and “Rhythm & Blues” Greg Valentine. These two were both planned for earlier in the Hasbro line however ended up produced as Typhoon and regular blonde Greg “The Hammer” Valentine due to changes in the actual wrestling product. For the third time this set is exclusive to Mattel Creations and isn’t scheduled to hit brick and mortar retailers.

The four are individually carded but, as with the previous two series, come packaged in a box that reflects the individual card art. The pictures of the stars are once again renders based on photos rather than actual photos as Hasbro used. The Tugboat and Valentine images are near exact to what we would have imagined from Hasbro. Luger and Doink are off and the choices are questionable. With all of the great promotional photos of Luger in his Lex Express days (many of which you’ve seen right here on this blog), it’s a great question as to why they used Luger’s head from a later WCW image. The Doink image is clearly based off of Matt Borne who never wore this particular outfit. Don’t misunderstand. The figure is pure Ray Apollo aka “good/happy/babyface” Doink. If you’re looking to get it autographed he would be the man to do it. But for whatever reason the image presented is of an earlier costume and is without a doubt Borne.

Looking at the figures one by one we’ll start with Tugboat. The Tugster is a character who definitely would have fit in the original Hasbro line. As mentioned above he was indeed planned, but The Natural Disasters became a team and Typhoon was born. From what we’ve seen of what was planned, the design of that figure is a bit different from what we’ve gotten, but I think I like this better. We all remember the Hasbro Akeem figure and Tug will bring him right to mind. The hat is not removable nor should it be. There’s a Mattel Elite from several years ago that fills that need. This is your Hasbro Tugboat and does great justice to one of the favorite “Uncle Fred” characters.

Up next is Greg “The Hammer” Valentine. I think most fans wanted this figure since he was mentioned on card backs and even shown in a famous Toys “R” Us magazine ad. Personally, I was always much happier that we received regular Valentine. While I loved Rhythm & Blues as much as anyone, the regular Greg was much better for playing with. Because I always had a love for the “rough and tumble” wrestlers like “The Hammer,” that figure ended up with significant play in my world. Now we finally have the R&B version or “Boxcar” as Gorilla Monsoon nicknamed him. Again, it’s not a direct casting of the original or anything but the basic sculpt and “Real Wrestling Action” matches the prototype. I love that some of the detailing on the jacket is molded and unpainted just like the prototype seemed to have and that the released Honky Tonk Man Hasbro did have. Like many of you I'm tired of the Mattel "breakaway" guitar, though this one seems to be staying together a bit better so far. I do appreciate that in recent uses they've been creative with coloring it. This version matches the Hasbro Honky Tonk Man guitar. The one released with the WWE Superstars Honky Tonk Man figure is done up to look like the LJN version as the WWE Superstars line is an interesting mishmash of both that line and the Remco AWA line.

Our All-American hero, Lex Luger, and Doink the Clown are next in the spotlight. Alleged prototypes of the originals have surfaced in recent years. I say alleged as they’re questionable at best. Needless to say, there isn’t much different that could have been done with either. This is what we would’ve gotten and that’s that. I’m not crazy about the “slam” Retros that move in the middle, but they’re not the worst figures done, either. The hair on Doink would’ve been rooted like the original release was and the move would’ve been a “punch” rather than the “twist/clothesline” deal that we have here. While they fit better with the “orange card” theme, they’re definitely the weaker part of the set compared to Tugboat and The Hammer.

Both this set as well as the previous one (The Hart Foundation & Nikolai Volkoff) are available through Mattel Creations. This set has seen a $5 price increase in a sign of the times. The first set done through Mattel creations (Okerlund, Piper, Orton & Mr. T) which sold out in five hours has since popped up on other retailer sites. How and why that happened is unknown. Do I advise going for these? Absolutely. There are a lot of folks out there making licensed retro wrestling figures. I was gung ho on some of them, lukewarm on others. At this point, despite a little good released product (though nothing near what has been promised), most have been disappointing in how they handle their business and the privilege of working with the stars and collectors alike. Faults aside, Mattel cranks them out and has improved their methods and ease of getting them to fans. These figures also have the “wrestling action” that the Hasbros did. For many reasons the “boutique” releases do not. While it doesn’t bother me when purchasing a character that I really want from “the other guys,” it becomes a more glaring omission when other issues pop up.

We’ve got a non-Mattel creations Retro set coming up (two nWo 2-packs that I won’t be breaking the door down for) and at least one more four pack through the Creations site. That set is confirmed to include the long-awaited Jerry “The King” Lawler, complete with the spring-loaded punch action that many of us loved from the original Hasbro line. There’s a certain character recently announced for an Elite Legends figure who I would love to see in Hasbro form. I’m not sure if it’s too late for him to appear in that set, but I’d feel sort of cheated if he never received a retro. You’d love to see it, too. And I do mean love.

In the meantime, Toot Toot!

Just When You Thought The Legends Line Lost Its Way…

I may be in the minority, but I wasn’t too thrilled when D-X found their way into the Mattel WWE Legends line. Certainly they made their impact on the business in that era, but they just aren’t my cup of tea. There was a time when I was frantically pre-ordering every figure in this series that was announced, but that has dwindled in recent waves. With the announcements at San Diego Comic Con my love and utter amazement for the line is coming back. Paul E. Dangerously and The Samoan Swat Team? With variants as The Headshrinkers? Are you kidding me? The Dingo Warrior? Even WCW AJ Styles brought me the tingles. Deep dives are what we all love and Mattel is once again truly bringing Legends to the table. I will say that my most recent purchases may not be that deep and one is even slightly out of my preferred wheelhouse, but they’re FUN. And, I’ll go as far as to say that one is the definitive version of this particular legend. 

Mattel WWE Legends 15, exclusive to Target of course, consists of Lex Luger, Stacy Keibler, X-Pac and Kane. While I’m a fan of the latter two I just don’t need any more figures of either at the moment and I obviously would’ve preferred others in those two slots. Luger and Keibler are a different story. I’ll get into my enjoyment of the Luger figure in a bit, but Stacy might be considered an odd one for me. While she’s definitely not what most think of as a wrestling legend, she certainly made her mark on the business. Aside from always seeming like a sweetheart of a person, Stacy certainly had the look and charisma to leave a lasting impression. While she didn’t exactly change the business, I’d consider her a minor draw and was definitely a big part of the huge WWF/WWE Divas marketing push of two decades ago. 

One thing I will address early on is how easy it has become to collect these Legends waves, even the so-called chase figures. Ever since last years debacle of Brutus Beefcake and Diamond Dallas Page never making it to brick and mortar Target stores, the availability of all of these figures has taken a complete turn. It’s a wonderful thing. I’ve never been one to champion making anything out of reach for any collector. No one will deny that there is a certain thrill in having something that was limited, but I can’t think of a single figure in history that I would choose that status over it being readily available for everyone. Ultimately toys are meant to be played with. Every child, and adult, who wants these figures should have them. It’s just the way that it is. 

Kicking it off with Stacy Keibler who, due to the aforementioned “deep dives” recently taken by Mattel, I’m actually surprised isn’t labeled “Miss Hancock” on the package since that’s really the gimmick that this figure represents. The bio on the back does indeed mention the name, however, and I’d argue that her WCW run was a tad more memorable than her WWE days even if she had more exposure (no pun intended) in the latter. With Stacy you get two heads (alternate hair), her eyeglasses, alternate hands and Miss Hancock’s ubiquitous clip board. This figure actually gives me visions of what could be if Terri Runnels were signed to a WWE figure deal. After what we’ve gotten and what’s upcoming, I truly feel we’d see Alexandra York in figure form. But going back to Stacy, I do believe that this is only her fourth figure in history. I can only recall three previously made (by Jakks) and I did in fact purchase them all. The “wrestling gear” Stacy was pretty coveted at one point and Jakks always seemed to do a good job with her. For their first venture down Keibler Lane, Mattel is continuing that legacy. 

Flexy Lexy brings a whole different discussion to the table. I truly feel that this is the definitive Lex Luger figure to date. When I say that I’m thinking more of the chase version here, but aside from the color of the trunks they’re both the same. Being an ‘80s fan, the chase clad in orange is my preference. Both include alternate heads, alternate hands and a soft goods nWo shirt. While the shirt doesn’t really work with the orange version, throw it on another figure. It doesn’t ever hurt to have extra shirts, especially soft goods ones worn by many different stars. The previous Mattel Lugers have been good but very era-specific. The best was the “Bash at the Beach” version from a three pack with Sting and Randy Savage. That Luger had the Sting face paint. The Narcissist was a solid figure but comes from a very short incarnation of Luger. The “All-American” version was good but honestly should be redone and with the current “New Generation” kick that Mattel is on, such an undertaking wouldn’t surprise me at all. The only “generic” Luger figure was a basic and really reflected the late ‘90s more than anything, though it could be fudged. 

This chase Luger really gives us the earlier Lex we’ve been needing. The interchangeable heads add to it greatly as Lex was known to wear a ponytail even in the ’80s. Throw any of the NWA/WCW belts that Mattel has fast been releasing and you’ve really got a great looking figure. Would I have chosen blue or green as opposed to orange? I don’t think that I would have. While I’d welcome any color of trunks for a future release, I’m always a fan for bright colored figures since it’s something that’s seriously lacking in the present day. For my money this is…The Total Package. 

I had to do it. 

I feel that the Mattel Legends are finally getting back on track as far as what us true old school fans really want. I commented to my friend that, after the great things we saw at SDCC, perhaps Mattel is taking note of what the smaller, “boutique” companies are appeasing us with. Whether or not they’re even paying attention to that is anyone’s guess, but some great new names and “deep dives” (sick of that phrase yet?) do have me wondering. At press time both Lex and Stacy are available to order through Target. Again, the newly found availability of these legends is tremendous. I feel that I run into the chase versions as much as I do the regular and both myself and my friend received one of each with our initial pre-orders. I feel like I’ve said it in virtually every figure review as of late, but it’s a great time to be a collector, especially of the legends we adore.

JW’s Wrestling Memorabilia Vlog Vol. 1

Not a true entry here but a bit of a “digest” of sorts for a few recent vlog entries that I’ve made as a supplement to the blog. You’ve wanted to dive a bit deeper into the classic press kits of wrestling? Look no further!

Enjoy and thanks for watching!

Wrestling MarketWatch: The New WWF Generation

Bret! Shawn! Diesel! The Undertaker! Sparky Plugg! It's the NEW WWF Generation! We all remember it. A company that knew how to pull off "cartoon-come-to-life" better than anyone suddenly...didn't. Maybe it's because the biggest superhero of the squared circle, Hulk Hogan, was no longer part of it. Maybe it was the internal struggles that the company was facing. Then again, maybe the tastes of the world were changing. Probably a mixture of all three. Nevertheless, the WWF still wanted to be the number one form of entertainment in your house, thus we got what we got. I'm not saying it was all bad. While I hardly hide my distaste for most things '90s, I do have some good memories from this era in wrestling, most notably the time around SummerSlam '95 seeing that it was the first pay-per-view to emanate from my hometown of Pittsburgh.

With how popular the merchandise from this era still is, the nostalgia is obviously strong. In this latest installment of Wrestling MarketWatch, we'll take a look at some recent auction selling prices for a handful of classic collectibles that capture the spirit of the era. As always, prices noted are for non-autographed examples.

*The World Wrestling Federation was waving their banner high. As high as the sky, in fact. This is the time when the WWF airship, or blimp, or zeppelin, would travel around the country proudly promoting the logo of the "worldwide leader in sports entertainment." An inflatable replica of the airship was briefly offered in the WWF Merchandise Catalog. As with many catalog items, rarity rules. This was actually given to me for Christmas 1995 as a gag gift. You see, my view of SummerSlam 1995 was partially obscured by the "Supersize Stridex Airship" which was present at events of the time. I guess this was to remind me of that. This inflatable toy recently sold at auction for $190.

*As cartoonish as the company was at the time, it was actually a transition period for WWF action figures. Still, many fans equate the Hasbro era with this period, especially the last few years of the beloved figure line. Shawn Michaels, a veritable backbone of the New Generation, saw three different inclusions in the Hasbro lineup. His second is likely the most famous, that being the first action figure of "The Heartbreak Kid" persona. Packaged on the striking yellow card back, HBK has recently sold at auction for an average price of $120.

*If you're talking HBK in the 1990's, you have to mention the man known as "Big Daddy Cool." Kevin Nash as Diesel was one of the great hopes of the WWF at this time, which is obvious by his year-long run with the WWF Championship. Fans were behind him, but he probably would've been more successful in another era. The company had two trading card series from the manufacturer Action Packed during this time, and the second set featured two "jumbo" cards that were roughly the size of promo photos. The one featuring Diesel recently sold at auction for $35.

*Another big hope that didn't pan out at this time was "All-American" Lex Luger. Surrounded by a huge publicity campaign, Luger went across America to promote his SummerSlam '93 match against the mighty Yokozuna. The centerpiece of the project was a patriotic-themed tour bus deemed "The Lex Express." Many items came out of the promotion including buttons, posters, and even a full press kit, but one of the most fun is the promotional photo for the Lex Express itself. Always popular when it shows up at auction, the promo photo recently sold for $92.

*Speaking of centerpieces, the WWF year has always focused around WrestleMania. In 1995, that event featured Shawn Michaels against Diesel and football great Lawrence Taylor against Bam Bam Bigelow. Despite it being a time when wrestling was very much out of public and media consciousness, the latter match did garner some mainstream publicity which had to have pleased the company. Ringside celebrities Pamela Anderson and Jenny McCarthy, however, remained looking bored. The program from the eleventh installment of WrestleMania recently sold for a rather conservative $45.

Were you a fan of The New WWF Generation? Obviously many were. As much as it would hurt many to hear, I actually find it more watchable than the "Attitude Era" which was to follow. Give me cartoony goofiness over gratuitous sex and smut any day. But maybe I'm just old-fashioned.

The Four Horsemen Get Their Leader

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Button, Button, Who's Got The Button?

I've known a few collectors of pinback buttons in my day. Why not? They're simple, usually fairly reasonably priced (or free if advertising something) and are all almost instant conversation pieces. Slap an eye-grabbing image on one and you're certain to get someones attention for your image or product. It goes without saying that images of professional wrestlers automatically lend themselves to buttons. Like trading cards, t-shirts, and action figures, it's just natural that these intimidating stars have their mugs plastered on everything. It's the name of the game on this blog.

Buttons were among the earliest in wrestling souvenirs. It was easy to put the name of a wrestler or even an image in a circular disc and sell it to the fan frenzied public. In the territories simple "gimmicks" like these could often be a license to print money. Who wouldn't want the image of Jerry "The King" Lawler or Dusty Rhodes slapped onto their backpack or purse? It wasn't just an attention grabber, it was a statement that you were a loyal supporter of your local or regional wrestling hero. And as it has been described time and time again, that hero was virtually a member of your family. Grandma probably thought so, anyway.

As wrestling progressed with marketing, so did the buttons. Big ones, small ones, square ones. The latter style came along in the late '80s as the WWF took a page from the merchandising practices of the movie studios. Disney, among other companies, often used square buttons to promote their latest home video releases. The WWF did this for their pay-per-view events of the era and these were often distributed through cable companies and video rental stores. The WWF also offered a variety of buttons through their merchandise catalogs ranging from pictures of the superstars to the memorable "I Love WWF" design.

Jimmy Hart's Outrageous Conduct record album had a tiny button to
promote it, and even Bobby "The Brain" Heenan has a WrestleMania VIII button. The latter was used to advertise the legendary manager's appearances on Indianapolis radio leading up to the big event held in 1992 at the Hoosier Dome. WCW got in on the act as well with several different buttons advertising Clash of the Champions events held at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas.

Perhaps the most famous and iconic button in wrestling history came to us, absolutely free, in 1993. Free, that is, if you were lucky enough to hit a stop on Lex Luger's "Call To Action" Campaign. Following Luger's bodyslam of then-WWF Champion Yokozuna aboard the USS Intrepid on July 4th, 1993, the Narcissist-turned-All-American went cross country aboard a bus named "The Lex Express." Hitting numerous stops in the U.S. of A., the tour was designed to mold Luger into the next Hulk Hogan. Ultimately, he would not end up as your hero, but anyone who was watching at the time has great memories of the era.

The "buttoning" continues today! 2017 saw a new WrestleMania promotional button, and I'm sure many more are produced than we actually end up knowing about. Looking for an "in" to the world of wrestling memorabilia? Look no further than buttons! They can be very inexpensive and it's fun to figure out just what all has been produced. Intrigued by the idea? Go for it. You can do it. I have faith. All you have to do is...

Mattel WWE Year-In-Review: Survivor Series Style!

2016 may have been Mattel's best year for the WWE line yet. Looking back at just this blog over the past eleven months, even I can't believe how much space has been devoted to the figures. A plethora of names new and old, unique and common, have been produced by the company this year. WWE and NXT stars, Hall of Famers and Legends, and even some off-the-wall and offbeat characters have "made the list" for Mattel, and it's hard to imagine just which one will be "Figure of the Year." For a fun change on this, my favorite holiday, we'll take a look at some of those finalists. But it isn't a normal rundown. Instead, we're grouping the thirty top figures into six Survivor Series teams. Who will be the sole survivor?

REGAL'S ROOKIES 

VS 

THE NXT DEMONS

Ok, so Regal's rookies aren't really rookies, but it sounded good. A late addition in 2016, the Lord Steven Regal figure is an awesome new WCW entry to the ever-growing Mattel roster. Regal leads his team of 2016 figures that includes Samoa Joe, Kevin Owens, and The Vaudevillains. Opposing this fivesome is The NXT Demons led by "The Demon King" himself, Finn Balor. The NXT alumni that join him are Apollo Crews, Braun Strowman, Baron Corbin, and Kalisto. 

BAYLEY'S BEAUTIES 

VS 

THE GIMMICK GANG

A Neidhart on each team! Bayley's Beauties have it all. Looks, in-ring skills, and alliteration. The Hugger is joined by Becky Lynch, "The Narcissist" Lex Luger, Nattie Neidhart, and Tyler Breeze. "Prince Pretty" seems more interested in getting a group selfie than in winning this thing. The Gimmick Gang is captained by The Bunny and includes Tugboat, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, and The Bushwhackers. 

THE BOSSES 

VS 

TEAM EXTREME

In the main event we see a team that's comprised of people nicknamed "The Boss," a Bossman, someone who was a boss to many, and a Stinger. We've got team captain Dusty Rhodes, Magnum T.A., Big Boss Man, Sting, and Sasha Banks. They're opposed by Team Extreme, and although Lita is aboard this isn't that Team Xtreme. These are alumni of ECW. Lita is joined by team captain Terry Funk, Bam Bam Bigelow, and The Dudley Boyz. 

See what I mean? Mattel certainly had an impressive lineup this year, and this is only thirty of those figures. My deepest apologies to "SummerSlam 1989" Hacksaw Jim Duggan as well as Enzo and Cass. There just wasn't room. The "sole survivor" will actually be the "Best Figure" winner in the 2016 J\/\/ Awards at the end of the year. A few of the late entries here may even be featured in a blog entry before that as well. Stay tuned!

And although you've already finished the big meal by the time that this hits the Net, it is with my best thoughts that I wish you and yours a...

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.

Going Back To The Beginning...Of Monday Night Raw

As of the time of this writing, we are just days away from the launch of the WWE Network.  In the weeks since the new venture was first announced,  it has become one of the most polarizing topics in not just the world of wrestling, but in all of entertainment.  Will it change not just the viewing of WWE product but other forms of entertainment?  Will it cause more duress for the already struggling (and overpriced) cable companies?  Will the content of the network fulfill the needs of wrestling fans of the past, or just the modern day WWE Universe?  To be honest, we've had little facts given to even begin to answer some of these questions.  Others can only be summed up with the age old adage that "time will tell."

Twenty-one years ago, this same company also changed the face of their business, albeit in a slightly smaller scope.  What would eventually become the flagship program of the late '90s professional wrestling boom, Monday Night Raw, was launched on the USA Network.  Many fans are hoping that past episodes of this wrestling phenomenon will be available on the upcoming WWE Network.  In the meantime, a somewhat overlooked DVD release that has been available for a few years has already offered the best of the early days of wrestling fans favorite Monday night television destination.

"WWE Raw-The Beginning-The Best Of Seasons 1 & 2" was released on DVD in 2010.  While not a season set with each and every full episode that many fans have long asked for, this four-disc set was released long after it became apparent that WWE had no intentions of releasing full episodes or pay-per-views for much of anything from the past.

The early years of Raw are very different from what current fans think of the show as today.  The idea was to have a wrestling show emanating from smaller, more intimate locations where absolutely anything could happen.  Many of the segments featured squash matches, where big name WWF superstars were pitted in one-ended contests against preliminary talent.  Although these are occasionally done today if the situation calls for it and preliminary talent still exists (i.e. Dolph Ziggler), the business largely abandoned that sort of presentation once the competitiveness of the Monday Night Wars called for nonstop stars to capture all-important ratings. 

Nevertheless, these early episodes usually contained one quality "main event" match, and those are ultimately what is presented here.  The WWF had not quite adopted their "New Generation" mantra of the mid-1990's, and it may surprise some as to just how many '80s stars continued to shine here.  From the unarguable first classic match of Monday Night Raw featuring Mr. Perfect vs Ric Flair, to a generous dose of the greatness of early Doink the Clown (as portrayed by Matt Borne), the WWF roster of the time was nowhere as weak as some critics would have you believe.

When I mentioned the Doinkster, I wasn't clowning around.  From the cover of the collection to at least ten appearances in the set itself, the Doink character is firmly represented.  Beneath the paint, Doink had an incredible technical wrestler in Borne.  That, coupled with great psychology and his ability to actually make the character evil, leaves little doubt as to why fans fondly remember Doink's initial WWF stint.

Taking us from the birth of Raw in 1993 to the very end of 1994, we are treated to nearly two full years of superstars and storylines.  While some angles were still progressed on WWF Superstars, you can see how Raw slowly began to take over the reigns of flagship show.  The brief 1993 return of Hulk Hogan, the rise of Bret Hart to main event status, and the reign of terror that Yokozuna held over the WWF championship scene are all here.  Pepper that with lots of Razor Ramon, Shawn Michaels, The Undertaker, Lex Luger, and even some of my favorites in Jeff Jarrett and Rick Martel, and you have quite the set.

What I really enjoyed were segments and vignettes that really haven't been replayed or re-released by WWE all that often.  Things like Jarrett's "Double J" intro vignettes and Jim Cornette shockingly debuting on Raw while Bobby Heenan explodes with joy are finally here to be seen once again in original broadcast quality.  Even some of those wacky early Raw commercials and the infamous July 4, 1993 "Bodyslam Challenge" have made it onto the set. 

Monday Night Raw, like everything else in wrestling, was a completely different animal then.  For those who weren't around then and only know the current product, the differences would probably be jarring.  I know that the new product will never go back to smaller venues due to business, but certainly something from these days could be incorporated into the style and look.  Seventeen years of the screen, stage, and ramp that came with the "Raw Is War" title are about ten years stale already.

Complaining aside, I think what really grabbed me about this set was the aforementioned mixed roster.  Back then watching these shows first run, it never hit me that such a wild mix of talent made up the then-WWF Superstars.  In retrospect, the 1993 roster is a lot like the WWF lineup of ten years earlier.  A mix of veterans, up-and-comers, and no real cornerstone star of the promotion.  In '83, Backlund was stale to many WWF fans.  In '93, Hogan was stale to many WWF fans.  And while The Hitman would never reach the plateau that the Hulkster did, these men would both eventually become that cornerstone star of their respective eras.

Overall, this is a surprisingly fun set that deserves at least one go-around in the DVD player.  Seeing as that I did not miss viewing a single Raw episode as it was aired until a good fourteen or so years after its debut, I can tell you that these DVDs really capture the feeling and atmosphere of what Raw was.  Some rumors have said that the WWE home video lineup will be available on the upcoming Network.  If that turns out to be the case, this set might be one to dog ear for required viewing.  Whether it does show up or doesn't, this is a four-disc set worthy of space on any shelf...uncut, uncensored, and uncooked.