PowerTown Arrives: Lou Thesz & Verne Gagne

For as many great legends figures as we’ve received over the years, the true early television era of wrestling has largely been ignored. While no one ever expected figures of a Hans Schmidt or a Wilbur Snyder (although…), fans have clamored for representations of the champions and megastars of the day. In PowerTown’s Ultra Series 1 we’re finally treated to certainly two of the biggest names of that era and the championships that defined them. Put away the signs, cellphones and t-shirts. Put on your Sunday suit, slick back your hair and, as much as I detest it, light up your unfiltered ciggies: we’re going back in time!

For some collectors the entry of Lou Thesz and Verne Gagne into the first PowerTown set was disappointing. They aren’t as recent as the other four men in the lineup. You cannot count myself, nor you, among those people. Not only did we want them as figures but I think that they actually may be the sleeper hits of the set. Didn’t think that action figures of wrestling stars of seventy years ago could be exciting? Think again! My one and only qualm was that we weren’t getting the older version of Verne that many of us grew up knowing. I’ve long wanted a figure of the Minnesota legend from that era and I still feel that he is a glaring omission from the Remco AWA line. I have a feeling that PowerTown will take care of all of that in the future, but that’s just my own speculation. In the meantime I’ve truly come to love the figure that we did get.

As shown in our Stan Hansen review, the packaging is very nice and unique in design. I don’t know that I’ll ever find the strength to purge these boxes even considering how big they are. Even without the figures inside they truly feel like part of the product rather than just a disposable means of delivering the figure to collectors. It should be noted that the NWA Championship included with Thesz is labeled as such but the AWA Championship with Gagne is just called the “Police Gazette” (named after the Police Gazette presenting the belt to Gagne as Wrestler of the Year) belt. Ultimately it doesn’t matter when it pertains to the figures and the accessories.

Each figure comes with their respective championship belt, towel and a changeable fist for their right hand. Thesz has a robe while Gagne has a ring jacket proudly proclaiming “VERNE” on the back. These pre-match gear items are both soft plastic as we’ve seen in virtually every wrestling figure line of the past few years. They can be a bit difficult to remove and replace, but they do look spectacular when on. The colors are perfectly muted for the era and really help to make these figures look as if they stepped right out of a black and white photo.

Speaking of photos, the longtime fan can easily pinpoint the promotional photos that were used to design each of these figures. That’s because, again, they look just like the photos. Some companies would have tried to get away with generic faces here, but PowerTown did not go that route. They brought the respect that these guys deserved. Each has an expression that is easily recognized with these golden age champions. The lower legs/boots are removable just like on the other PowerTown figures even though there aren’t kneepads with these two. Kneepads? Who in the ‘40s and ‘50s needed kneepads? As mentioned above the hands are removable, too, which greatly helps when utilizing the robe and jacket.

One thing that was big in the era was the “wrestling stance.” That look where a wrestler looks as if he’s about to go for a takedown. The poseability here is perfect just for that. Want these two to go an hour Broadway? You can do it. LJN may have said “twist ‘em! turn ‘em!” four decades ago, but that’s what these two grappling greats will be doing. Only now it looks insanely real! No flippity floppity thigh slapping good times here, this is real wrestling. No sociopolitical agendas being promoted with keyboard warrior fans complaining about missed spots. Real men who were unafraid to act as real, respectable people.

With Stan Hansen I didn’t dive too much into the belt, especially since we’ll be looking at that belt again, but I will go that route here. If you had asked me to make a list of wrestling world championships that we would have in figure form one day I never would’ve guessed these. This AWA Championship was indeed the one that Gagne wore back then, but you may remember it from its revival in the late ‘80s with Jerry Lawler and Larry Zbyszko. Some of the PowerTown championships have very large straps but this one is absolutely perfect compatibility wise. I’ve already tried it on a figure of Lawler and let’s just say that The King is on top again! This version of the NWA Championship is best remembered with Thesz, but in a cool move he actually presented it to Adrian Adonis upon the latter winning the Southwest Championship Wrestling tournament. Lou took it back, of course, but that’s one of my first recollections of seeing it on tape.

As I believe will be the standard for PowerTown, I feel that two huge gaps in the wrestling figure world have finally been filled. If you already have these or have them coming to you, congratulations! I knew that these would be a worthwhile pre-order and it’s nice to see my prediction come true. If you didn’t partake in the pre-order I sadly don’t have any further info for you. What I can tell you is not to sleep on Series 2 when it’s finally announced. There has been a long standing rumor that yet a third legend from this era will be coming shortly from PowerTown. It would fill another gap, to be sure.

Get your Georgie pins ready…

PowerTown Comes To Life

I don’t normally do preview posts, especially when I have no in-hand examples. That being said, the idea that the new PowerTown Wrestling figure line is pre-ordered and fast on its way to becoming a reality is enough to get any longtime wrestling collector excited. There was skepticism on all fronts as soon as the line was announced. Wrestling fans are unfortunately all too familiar with hearing big promises with little-to-no results. While we’re still in the pre-ordering process for the PowerTown product and it will be a few months before it’s in our hands and on our shelves, the excitement is fresh for both what’s been announced and the potential future. 

Verne Gagne, Lou Thesz, Stan Hansen, Kerry Von Erich, Bruiser Brody and Magnum T.A. Those six are our initial lineup. Two of those names have never had a figure. Others have had little to no representation in the “modern” figure era. In the thirteen years of this blog I have occasionally created short lists of names who have deserved immortalization in plastic. Three of these names made those lists. Gagne (a glaring omission in the Remco AWA line) and Thesz (not a contemporary of any figure line but certainly deserving) are finally getting their due while Magnum, who was figureless when my lists were compiled, is getting only his second. Hansen has never had a modern and fully poseable figure. Brody has had several figures however the closest to modern was in the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line. That likeness and overall presentation left many feeling underwhelmed. Kerry Von Erich has two Mattel WWE figures which have become highly sought after and expensive on the secondary market as well as his 1992 Hasbro WWF release. 

Looking back at wrestling legends figure lines there really hasn’t been one that feels all-encompassing. The first was the Figures Toy Company “Legends of Professional Wrestling” line. I’ve often touted that series as a spiritual successor of sorts to the Remco AWA collection. The designs are relatively basic but a lot of fun at the same time. The line still has yielded the only figures of Wahoo McDaniel, Ox Baker and Eddie Gilbert. FTC is still in the figure business with several different lines being produced to this day including a second line with the "Legends of Professional Wrestling" name, but results and reaction have been inconsistent at best. 

The biggest legends line and the wrestling figure line that I often felt was the greatest of all-time was Jakks WWE Classic Superstars. For its time it was unmatched. Though there were various reasons why some big names absolutely could not be included (Randy Savage, Ricky Steamboat, The Von Erich’s and JJ Dillon to name a few), after the first few waves we began to receive figures that wouldn’t have been imagined just years earlier. Were we really getting WWE figures of Bruno Sammartino, Ron Bass, Ernie Ladd, Gorilla Monsoon and Jesse Ventura in the 2000’s? We were. Though Curt Hennig was indeed part of the line, it was not in fact perfect. Planned figures were canceled far into design. Designs sometimes contained oddball mistakes. I won’t even get into “Chinese New Year.” As they say, if you know you know. The biggest issue for me was the drastic decline in quality of the figures themselves as the years went on. The latter figures are positively brittle. It feels like almost a sin to attempt to pose them. Seeing as this is the time when many “one time” names such as Jack Brisco, Nikita Koloff and The Rock N Roll Express were released, the legacy has not endured. 

When Mattel took over the WWE line they immediately promised legends in some form. What I appreciated about the early efforts were that they released legends in designs that Jakks had not just recently done. Short-haired Rick Rude is definitely my favorite from these early offerings. Mattel also managed to produce some of the names not permitted to Jakks such as Savage, Steamboat and both Kerry and Kevin Von Erich. Things were looking good until the company decided that legends simply didn’t sell. To this day collectors really don’t understand this, but it was made clear by Mattel canceling the individual legends line altogether. Thankfully the attitude has changed and Mattel has since delivered names that collectors never would’ve expected from them (Dillon, Magnum, Paul Ellering) and has produced what we would without a doubt call “deep dives.” Figures of Mean Mark Callous, The Dingo Warrior and The Goon? It’s been fun and, to their credit, they are expected to continue with Paul E. Dangerously, The Samoan Swat Team and others yet to be announced. 

Even with all of that to buy, collectors always want more. They also realize that there are some names that just aren’t ever going to be done under the WWE banner. That’s where Relativity Worldwide and PowerTown Wrestling come in. Using a unique business model that we’ve been given a glimpse of in interviews, the company was boasting nearly two-hundred signed names this past spring. Their mission seems to be to celebrate those in the vast history of wrestling who haven’t really seen the spoils of heavy merchandising. It’s a wonderful concept and truly a win-win for both fans and the wrestlers if all works out. A close friend/fellow collector and I have already spent hours this year thinking up names, waves and concepts. For us, this once pipe dream in both wrestling and toy collecting is fast coming true. 

Again, while we don’t have anything in-hand as of yet, there’s still a lot to be praising. The company has been very open about timing, changes (Ted DiBiase was initially planned for the first wave; Brody replaced him) and the when’s and how’s of obtaining the product. A distribution partnership with Highspots had me feeling very confident and the pre-order process was even better. Seeing as that the mission is to get these wrestlers what they’re deserving of, I don’t see a whole lot of “limited” nonsense happening here. I get the feeling that if someone is willing to pay for these figures at the time they’re offered that they will get them. No ridiculous five minute sellouts. “Chase” variants? Why bother when a simple re-release can get more money for the wrestler and/or family. So far PowerTown seems to “get it.” Do you know what companies that “get it” get from this consumer? My money. 

I’d be amiss to not mention three of the names behind this effort. The first is Steve Rosenthal who has become probably the biggest voice in promoting the line. He was also a force behind the Remco AWA figure line in the ’80s. One of the names who had a figure in that line, Greg Gagne, is also part of this and is likely instrumental in securing the rights to many of the names that we’ll be seeing in the lineups. Last but not least is Terry Allen, Magnum T.A. himself. I had the fortune of sharing a banquet table with Mr. Allen in Charlotte several years ago while his Mattel figure was in limbo of ever being made. Speaking with him back then on the subject, I can tell you that he’s very aware of what these items mean to fans and collectors. Sounds like a dream team to me! 

The initial set of six listed above is available at PowerTownWrestling.com with several different options for pre-ordering. You can bet we’ll have plenty of coverage right here once they’re released. So far not too much is known about future waves other than that the company is busy at work on them. Many names such as Harley Race, Nick Bockwinkel, The Poffo Family and The Rougeau Family have been confirmed as being signed. Last month in Charlotte I, personally, got to hear the excitement of Judy Martin and Leilani Kai over finally getting figures. Before PowerTown was even announced the spouse of a deceased legend (who may or may not have already been mentioned in this blog entry…) heavily hinted to me about inclusion in a line like this. And, of course, if the fine folks at PowerTown would be kind enough to give me a hint or scoop or two to share with you all I’d be more than honored. 

Where are us collectors headed? I don’t know about you, but I’m on my way to PowerTown.

The Most Underrated Wrestling Cards Of All-Time?

In past entries I've documented many trading card offerings from the WWF/WWE, NWA/WCW, and TNA. The different companies have each offered autographs, pieces of memorabilia, and simply unique cards themselves which have been placed in the high esteem of wrestling and non-sport card collectors alike. There's one wrestling card set, unaffiliated with any organization or promotion, that may be the most underrated and overlooked of them all.

In 1991, a company out of Pittsburgh called Imagine Inc. produced a trading card set entitled Wrestling Legends. The cards were obtained in complete sets rather than packs and contained a variety of classic wrestlers dating from the 1950s to the 1970s.


"Nature Boy" Buddy Rogers, Lou Thesz, Bruno Sammartino, Harley Race, Mil Mascaras, Ray Stevens, Johnny Valentine, and Killer Kowalski are just a few of the names included in the basic 60-card set dubbed the "Regular Edition." These cards all had a white and blue border with a white card stock back and a short piece of trivia about each star.

There were also two other editions sold at the time. The "Champions Signed" set was a 65-card set that included the basic 60 cards along with five unique gold-bordered autographed cards of Sammartino, Thesz, Rogers, Billy Graham, and Ivan Koloff.

The granddaddy of them all was a 68-card "Deluxe Signed" edition featuring the basic 60 cards, the aforementioned five autographed cards, and an additional three autographed gold-bordered cards of Killer Kowalski, Lou Albano, and Dominic DeNucci.

The set, especially the Deluxe Signed edition, is a really fun and special collectible to have. It features some stars who make their lone trading card appearance and others who never seemed to get a fair representation as far as wrestling memorabilia was concerned.

Special attention should be paid to the autographed cards featured in the latter two editions. There are many collectors who simply won't accept an autograph that wasn't signed in their presence. One such way that some of these collectors are appeased is through obtaining the autographs on trading cards that come straight from the manufacturer with an authentic signature. While this set does not have the markings and other points of "proof" that more modern autograph cards enjoy, it should be strongly considered that the "Champions" and "Deluxe" sets were produced solely for the inclusion of the autographed cards. It can also be taken into account that "The Living Legend" himself had a hand in convincing some of these legends to participate in this venture.

Recently I had the opportunity to contact Tim Ferrante. Mr. Ferrante was the vice-president of Imagine Inc., the publishing company that produced this card set. The company, which counted special effects artist Tom Savini among its owners, was also responsible for bringing Bruno Sammartino's autobiography to the market. Being that Imagine Inc. was largely a producer of horror entertainment, Mr. Ferrante names another member of the company's ownership team as the reason for venturing into the squared-circle.

Bruno with B-Movie Scream
Queen & Friend of Imagine Inc.,
Bobbie Bresee

"I give credit to Bob Michelucci for bringing the Wrestling Legends concept (and Bruno's bio) to the company," said Ferrante. "And to be perfectly frank, I wasn't keen on the idea for a variety of reasons. Bob did a fine job with the project and I point to him for seeing everything through."

Despite his reservations, Mr. Ferrante (seen at right with Mr. Sammartino) has fond memories of working with "The Living Legend" in both the book and trading card projects.

"Bruno is one of the all-time greats ... both professionally and personally," said Ferrante. "Most vivid memory was patting him on the back one morning and it was like patting a steel wall. Absolutely solid."

And how about those great and now very rare autographs included in the set?

"Bruno was the guy responsible for getting some of the autographs in the signed Wrestling Legends sets (Champions Set and Deluxe Set)," remembers Ferrante. "Bob Michelucci may have arranged some, I can't be sure. But I specifically remember Bruno 'strong-arming' some of the retired wrestlers who weren't interested."

Imagine Inc.'s Bruno display at the
1990 ABA Booksellers Convention

With the passing of Albano in 2009, the set includes four "deceased" autographs which should be of particular interest. Rogers, the first WWWF champion, died just a year after the card set was produced, with Thesz following in 2002 and Kowalski in 2008. The finality of obtaining some of these signatures has not been lost on collectors, with the autographed sets often fetching over $100.

All in all, the Wrestling Legends set is one that should not be ignored by any collector. When it does show up for sale, the Regular Edition can be had for around $10 to $20. Whether you're an autograph collector looking to collect the signatures of the living stars in the set or simply enjoy incredible vintage photos of the stars of yesteryear, this set should rival the somewhat overpriced Wrestling All-Stars card set produced just a few years earlier.

In closing, I'd like to thank Mr. Tim Ferrante for providing some great memories and insight regarding his former company's product as well as the pictures in the latter portion of this entry.

Next time...more talk of legends, autographs, and champions!