A Hasbro-Styled Manager? It's All Beautiful, Baby!

Pre-order to delivery in less than a week? That’s what I call a whirlwind! Indeed that’s how it went down with Mattel Creations WWE Retro 4-Pack 2. Unlike the first set which only lasted on pre-order for around five hours and then sold out, as of press time this set is still available. Is that good or bad? Overall in my opinion it’s a plus. I’ve long championed anyone and everyone being able to get a fair shot at these items. The “barely there” pre-orders for other Mattel WWE items that have literally lasted several minutes (if that) are atrocious and a stain both to the company and the hobby. Some will maintain that sellouts hurt the chances for future items of a similar nature to be offered, but if the market isn’t there it simply isn’t there. Personally I’d rather the item not exist at all if it’s going to be difficult to obtain and then become costly shortly after. I’m all for secondary market values but they have to be for the right reasons. “Manufactured” values, I’m looking directly at Jazwares and their “Chinese New Year” spokesperson long since said to be behind such decisions, should be enough to turn anyone off of a toy line. 

But applause to Mattel for making this set easy to get. Most of us have wanted managers in the Hasbro style for the better part of thirty-two years. Hasbro infamously omitted anything but wrestlers from their WWF figure line, a dramatic change from their predecessor LJN who included wrestlers, managers, announcers and even referees in the Wrestling Superstars collection. The first officially made and licensed manager in this style is “The Mouth Of The South” Jimmy Hart. Joining “The Mouth” in this set are his tag team The Hart Foundation consisting of Bret “Hitman” Hart and Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart as well as classic ‘80s baddie Nikolai Volkoff. 

The packaging style is exactly the same as the previous set. Shipped in the shipping box (just as these would arrive to a retailer were they sold that way) inside is a box holding the four individually carded figures. That box is styled in the Hasbro theme just as the individual cards and figures are and will remind longtime collectors of the old Jake The Snake’s “Snake” toy (it featured no proper name) box. The cards feature new renders of old photographs rather than just the photographs themselves. It’s an interesting choice and not one that everyone is behind. To be fair, a lot of the licensed Hasbro style “boutique” figure lines have also gone this route. The difference there is that those companies have used a better, firmer cardstock for the backs. The card backs on these have been very thin and thus easily damaged since the beginning of the Mattel Retro line back when it was sold at retail. It’s certainly “close enough” with many of the original nuances like the smaller lines have. We’ll never have exact Hasbro replicas and I think most have accepted that. 

Starting with Jimmy Hart, my most wanted figure in the set. It’s obvious from the start that the body is a repaint of the Mean Gene Okerlund figure from last time. I’m fine with that and really any Hasbro collector should be as it’s a classic vintage toy manufacturer move. The head is pretty much exactly what anyone should expect from a Hasbro Jimmy Hart. I could possibly have pictured a “mouth open” sculpt here, but it’s difficult to say what Hasbro would’ve done since they never ventured down this path. The megaphone is removable and reused from the Elite Jimmy Hart figures. He has a “Real Superstar Action” (the same as Mean Gene, of course) and I do feel that if Hasbro had explored non-wrestlers they would have included such mechanisms like with any other figure. The paint décor on the jacket is easily the best of the set and possibly the best Jimmy Hart design to date as far as attire goes. It’s not like I’ve been hiding it, but this is my favorite of the lot this time by far. 

Next we’ll switch to Nikolai Volkoff. This one stings a bit as I always loved seeing big Nikolai at shows and it pains me that this figure can’t ever be signed. I’ve said it before, but years before any sort of wrestling legends figure lines were produced I had always pictured Nikolai being among some sort of set of them. So far he’s been in all of them. He really needs to make it into the WWE Superstars line (the figures which pay tribute in design to the Remco AWA line) as he fits the ‘80s era that I feel should be stuck to with those figures. This Nikolai is a mixed bag. Seeing as that most Hasbro hat accessories were not removable, it’s ok that this figure reflects that. However seeing as that the figure has the hat attached I feel that it should be one hundred percent in entrance gear. It seems that the “USSR” shirt is now some sort of issue (look at the card back), but a plain red shirt or the jacket would’ve done well. I’m guessing that they didn’t use too much budget here. While the “Nikolai Kickoli” isn’t completely inappropriate for the legend (he did often use a “spin kick”), a “slam” mechanism would’ve been a much better choice. Frankly, I’m also tired of the non-Hasbro native kick mechanism. I think the absolutely horrible Retro Shawn Michaels figure that featured it is what originally soured me on it. Many are pleased that there is finally a Volkoff to go with the Retro Iron Sheik from years ago and I would have to agree with that sentiment. As I alluded to earlier I feel that he’s an iconic character from a beloved era and should always find representation because of that. 

The Anvil himself is back in Hasbro style. It wasn’t that long ago when the original Hasbro Jim Neidhart figure was reviewed here on the blog. This time we have “The Tank” in the look that he was originally designed to appear with in the Hasbro line. Before that figure could be released his style on WWF television changed thus we received “The New Foundation” version back in late 1992. This version was a polarizing figure ever since it was first announced and shown. Some loved it while others weren’t quite convinced of the body type. While it is perhaps a tad slimmer than most of our mental pictures of Neidhart, ultimately it works. As with Bret the singlet is painted on rather than molded, but don’t kid yourself into thinking that Hasbro never used this tactic. They did. The key with Retros is that modern design practices should usually be avoided. It’s about replicating the well-remembered standards of the past whenever possible. The face is great and the sunglasses are attached as is the case with all three of the Hart figures here. I like this one and while many probably feel that we should’ve seen him with the “clothesline” mechanism, we already had that with him thirty years ago. Not to mention… 

Our last figure in the group of four, Bret “The Hitman” Hart, has the much beloved “clothesline” maneuver. Seeing as that I always enjoyed tag team Bret more than single Hitman, this is my favorite figure of the Canadian legend in this style. I will say that it feels the figure has a bit of an identity crisis. The attire here (as well as with Neidhart) reflects the later, babyface version of The Hart Foundation while the head and the card back are of the earlier Hitman in the WWF. From my earlier statement it’s obvious that this doesn’t really bother me, it would just be interesting to know why they went this route. Some were looking for the earlier versions of The Hart Foundation with either black, blue or a combo, but seeing as that Jimmy is part of the set I actually think that the solid pink would’ve been a fun choice. Nonetheless I think Mattel did a great job here in bringing Bret back to this style for the first time in twenty-eight years. 

A lineup that had some on the fence proves to be another winner. Not perfect but I can’t recall any retro figures that truly have been. From rights issues to pandering to cost cutting or whatever else you want to cite, “perfect” replicas of past wrestling figures just aren’t going to happen. This isn’t a situation as with Star Wars where nearly identical replicas and “retro” versions of old characters are being pumped out. Even in that genre many of the same aforementioned issues exist. Nonetheless I do feel that these will appreciate in value as the years go on. Again, that’s a good thing and not to be confused with an item being made solely for that purpose. After a decade of the Hasbro WWF line being red hot with collectors, the figures show no indication of cooling off any time soon. Even some of the earlier Mattel Retro releases from just a few years ago such as Diesel and The Junkyard Dog have become hot items. Personally I had no problem obtaining them at the time and have heard that they even showed up in outlets such as Five Below. I don’t see the latter happening with these Mattel Creations releases, so as I’m so fond of saying…”get them while you can!” 

We already have a look into the future with this line. The next set is a tribute to four planned figures from the original Hasbro line that never saw the light of day, at least not in these forms. We’ve got Tugboat, Rhythm & Blues Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (Boxcar!), “All-American” Lex Luger and babyface Doink the Clown.  Prototypes have been shown but as the set we looked at today proves, you have to have them in hand before you can give any final judgement. Following that set we have another lineup of four featuring a figure that will CLEARLY be a winner just by viewing the prototype, none other than Jerry “The King” Lawler. Easily one of the most wanted omissions from the Hasbro line, despite being active as both a wrestler and announcer in that era’s World Wrestling Federation, there’s no evidence that he was ever even planned at the time. Another name who also needs inclusion in the WWE Superstars line, The King is once again claiming his throne. The other three to join him have yet to be announced. In addition, a pair of 2-packs starring the nWo will be hitting the biggest online wrestling figure retailer. Kevin Nash and Scott Hall will team in one with Hollywood Hulk Hogan and Syxx in the other. While I will pick them up, I’ll admit that I’m least excited for these. They could very well surprise me as the nWo’s inclusion in the WWE Superstars line was very well executed as I discovered once they were in my hand. 

Whether it be Hasbro, Remco or even LJN style, there’s something about retro…

The Evil Million Dollar Corporation Strikes Again! No, I don't mean Mattel...

The never ending battle between collectors and Mattel strikes again. I've heard countless fellow collectors declare that it's starting to simply not be worth it anymore. Frustrations over distribution and store exclusives are at an all-time high. Whether it be friends that I run into in person or those across the miles, we're all fed up. Collecting should be fun, not something to cost time and happiness. It's really getting tiresome. Nonetheless, this particular pre-order went smoothly (though from the looks of things it did not for others) thus here we are with three of the four latest Mattel WWE Legends.

In this go-round we've got "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Tatanka and Nikolai Volkoff. The set is rounded out with a late-1995 version of The Undertaker, however I passed on the figure as I do with many characters who are produced time and time again. Interestingly, you could almost call this "The Million Dollar Corporation" wave as even The Undertaker had loose ties to the group. None of them exactly look as they did in the Corporation era, but it's a fun coincidence that I'm sure was completely lost on the manufacturer.

First up is The Million Dollar Man himself. Unfortunately the figure itself is a billon dollar disappointment. First off, it seems rather short. I come in at 6 foot. I've met DiBiase many times and he's taller me. We're not seeing accurate height here. The design on the suit seems out of whack and looks badly printed on. Accessories included are an extra "laughing" head, a briefcase, the Million Dollar Championship, and extra hands. The hands seem rather pointless as both sets included are gripping. How about pointing hands? DiBiase often pointed in promos while making a statement. The briefcase isn't out of place but it isn't exactly associated with him, either. Both heads are recycled from previous releases. The "smug" head looks fine, but the laughing head makes him look like a turtle with how it fits on this neck. Last but not least is that awful Mattel version of the Million Dollar Belt. It's looked cheap, weak and not even worth a million pennies since it saw its first release a decade ago. We couldn't have gotten an update? Why did they drape it over his shoulder in the packaging? Because it only fits around the waist if you nearly tear it. If you want a good suited version of DiBiase from Mattel seek out either the figure from the Howard Finkel Build-A-Figure set or the Entrance Greats release.

Next up we have the evil Soviet Nikolai Volkoff. Hold up! This is a first time release for Nikolai as he is NOT evil at all here! Indeed we have the first figure ever released of Volkoff to represent his 1990 turn to the favor of the American people. An American flag is included on his tights, jacket and hat. In all honesty this is one of my favorite Volkoff figures ever done. The face is perfect and is a huge improvement over his previous Mattel release, though I know which photo they designed the latter from as well. This facial expression is just more iconic. Also better this time around is his leg movement which was very stiff in his two-pack release. My only complaint here is that the color used on his boots and tights is a tad too dark. I'll let it slide.

In a personal aside it does make me a bit sad that Nikolai didn't live to see and autograph this one. If you didn't have the chance to meet the burly brawler, I can only say that you missed out on a really down to earth guy. He was one of a few old wrestlers who upon meeting was like visiting with an old uncle. Always a few stories, a joke or two and a nice experience overall. Nikolai is also one who, sadly, I honestly feel would not make it in the business today at no fault of his own. He's not the type of wrestler that the flippy-dippy fans could ever appreciate. He stood out as a character and a true menace without having to have a single fancy move, yet every fan from the '70s thru the early '90s remembers him. 

Finally we have "Native American" Tatanka in his debut attire. If you look closely at the famous "Undertake 'Em All" ad from 1993 you'll notice that the Hasbro figure was initially slated to have this design as the symbol from the side of the tights made it onto the prototype even as the trunks were painted as the final product ended up. All these years later and here we are. Just like with Nikolai, I'm a huge fan of Tatanka. Criminally underrated, a great character and immensely fun to watch in the ring. If he had come along a few years earlier when the business itself was in better shape I can't even imagine the heights that he would've reached. Just as with his first Mattel release included are his tribal necklace and tomahawk. One big improvement over that first figure are the inclusion of open hands allowing either chops or some great poses of Tatanka looking to the sky. I'm very much looking forward to getting this one autographed.

Lumping DiBiase in with The Undertaker who didn't impress me enough to even pre-order, in my opinion it's a 50/50 wave. Volkoff and Tatanka in never-before-released attire are amazing. I would actually call this the definitive version of Volkoff, even if his heyday was as a villain. The face is just scary real and, although he only began wearing it in 1990, he wore the gear for the rest of his life until his unexpected death in 2018. I would still like to see '70s Volkoff and '06 Tatanka, but I'm not holding my breath. Jakks did a great job with the latter, but to me that run was so much fun (albeit short) that I would like to see a Mattel take on it...though it would probably end up as a store exclusive that no one ever sees anyway.

It's hard to say at this point just how difficult these will be to find. Like the first two Target-exclusive Legends waves, the retailer has seemingly gone to great lengths to screw up the pre-order process. That, coupled with Mattel's legendary piss-poor distribution, makes it a wonder that anyone is supporting them at this point. That being said most of the last wave of Legends are available to order on Target's website as of press-time. Jake Roberts is now missing but was available just days ago, likely selling out due to collectors making one last grasp at the (terrible) chase version. Speaking of stupid chase versions, DiBiase in silver is the one this time around. It goes with Mattel's Virgil, but with how horrible the figure is you may want to skip it altogether.

Your winners? Tatanka and Nikolai Volkoff!

The Territory Photo Albums--AWA 1974

Who doesn't love looking through the old territory photo albums? Even non-collecting wrestling fans get a kick out of them. They're a time capsule of a particular promotion and are usually from a golden era. If business was down and the stars weren't exactly top notch the promoters probably weren't going to spend a lot of money to advertise that fact. As I said in the first installment of this feature many years ago, you didn't have the Internet where you could fly to any promotion's website or app and instantly view the current roster, alumni, Hall of Fame, etc. So what did you do? You spent a couple bucks and bought a photo album if your area was lucky enough to have one.

Being one of the premiere wrestling promotions in the country, the American Wrestling Association had many photo albums. In this case, way back in 1974, it's a yearbook. I've long wanted this particular publication and the price is usually fairly high when it comes up. I've not only been on an AWA "kick" as of late, but I happened upon a small but amazing collection chock full of items from both this promotion and "nearby" Central States. I'm sure we'll be seeing much more from that lot both here on the blog and on the associated social media pages. I must say that I'm particularly thrilled over the inclusion of a side of a popcorn box that was used for collecting autographs. It really isn't even the autographs that are as exciting to me as it being an actual piece of a popcorn box from a nearly fifty-year-old wrestling show. If you wouldn't be feeling the same, get off of this blog now.

Kidding, of course! We've got 1974 to go back to here. If you've already browsed through the photos or own this book yourself, you may notice the resemblance to the 1976 World Wide Wrestling Federation Championship Wrestling Yearbook. That yearbook was also published by the team of Gary Halvorson and Gary Juster and is very similar in feel and format. Juster, of course, is best remembered for his involvement in World Championship Wrestling in the early '90s and was still around the wrestling business within the last few years. Seeing as that the WWWF version was listed as being published in St. Paul, Minnesota, one has to wonder if Vince McMahon or another WWWF promoter saw this AWA work and decided that they wanted to commission one for themselves.

The table of contents for this AWA yearbook lists Verne Gagne, The Crusher, Billy Robinson, Billy "Superstar" Graham, Nick Bockwinkel, Ray Stevens, Bobby Heenan, Larry "The Axe" Hennig, Ivan Putski, Baron Von Raschke and Horst Hoffman, Greg Gagne and Jim Brunzell, Dick The Bruiser, Buddy Wolff, Geoff Portz, Chris Taylor, Andre The Giant, and Nikolai Volkoff among the top wrestlers. Of course there are also a few pages with additional wrestlers as well as other dignitaries. In showing how everyone wanted to stay "fresh" in those days, several of the stars featured would end up in the WWWF version two years later. 

It's no surprise our cover boy is Verne Gagne himself. I've said it many times, but I still can't believe that we didn't get a Remco Verne figure. Nonetheless, here he is demonstrating his pure wrestling prowess on Billy Robinson and featuring in the first, and biggest, bio. Son Greg is on the inside cover. I don't agree with the hate that Greg gets, but it's just simply telling that he's right there. While you might've guessed Robinson as the second bio, you would be wrong. He came in third right behind The Crusher. Even as he was getting up in age, I'm sure that Reggie "Crusher" Lisowski was still a top drawing card in the region, especially in Milwaukee. Hasenpfeffer Incorporated!

We get a look at Billy Graham (when "Superstar" got middle billing) and then arrive upon the man that I, personally, connect most closely with the AWA, the one and only Nick Bockwinkel. He may have been the classiest champion that there ever was, but you could also argue that he was the classiest heel, too. While I'm sure that Nick Aldis in our modern era is mostly trying to emulate Ric Flair, he actually comes across much more in the style of Bockwinkel as far as promos and presentation. Nevertheless, both in and out of the ring Bockwinkel is unmatched. 

While they don't have the bios that the "home based" AWA talent gets, Andre the Giant and Nikolai Volkoff share a featured page that obviously points out their importance. With Andre it was no secret. Looking through AWA results of the era you can see the many tours that Andre did throughout the Midwest, often competing in a battle royal or helping dispose of the most dastardly AWA heels. Volkoff was likely coming in from the WWWF, as he's pictured with a nice head of hair and "Classy" Freddie Blassie who would not have made the trip, being a WWWF lifer at that point.

There are two full pages of smaller pictures displaying "More Wrestling Stars." It's sort of surprising to see Dusty Rhodes here instead of getting a full profile, though this would be right when he was becoming "The American Dream" in Florida. We do get to see a photo that I have never seen before of young "Rick Flair," probably not too far removed from the days when he yearned to be known as "Rambling" Ricky Rhodes. We also get to see Rene Goulet, Red Bastien, Larry Heiniemi (Lars Anderson), Khosrow Ali Vaziri (The Iron Sheik), and a young, slim, dark haired grappler named Paul Perschman who would later be immortalized in plastic by the AWA as "Playboy" Buddy Rose. Interestingly we also get a photo of "Odd Job," labeled as such. This is obviously actor Harold Sakata who played the famous James Bond villain, but I wasn't aware that he actually wrestled under the character name. Rather I recall him being billed in the ring as Tosh Togo.

After the wrestlers we get a full page dedicated to promoter Wally Karbo (who Bobby Heenan had a million stories about) and a subsequent page with other AWA officials. Stanley Blackburn, Bob Luce, Al DeRusha, Lord James"Tally Ho" Blears and Ed Francis are a few of the more familiar names. We end the publication with a profile on longtime AWA broadcaster Marty O'Neill and two unsurprising ads. The first is for the publications produced by "The Wrestling News." Although the ordering address is in New York, these publications were largely produced out of the AWA territory and always seemed to have a large focus on that area. Last but not least is an ad for the film "The Wrestler." This is, of course, the 1974 version which co-starred Verne Gagne and Billy Robinson. It's worth going out of your way to see, is widely available, and the bar fight featuring The Texas Outlaws (Rhodes and Dick Murdoch) is a real highlight. And there's Harold Sakata again looking a lot like Odd Job.

Did I say how much I love these old books? I know that I'm not the only one. I can't cram all of the pictures into one blog entry, but I do try to feature enough to convey the look and feel. If you want to see more, give us a follow over on Instagram (@jws_wrestling_memorabilia) where I just recently posted a brief tour of this yearbook with photos you did not see here including Wahoo McDaniel, Vivian Vachon, Ken Patera, Wilbur Snyder, and one of my off-beat favorites from the era, Bull Bullinski. If there was ever a wrestler of the '70s, it's Bull.

While Ron Trongard wasn't in this particular AWA publication, can't you just hear him? "From coast to coast, continent to continent, border to border, it's the A-DOUBLE-YEW-A!"

RIP 2018 -- Legendary Losses of Many We Thought Were Immortal

As our favorite stars age, they begin to fade away. In the world of professional wrestling, dozens of those individuals are leaving us each year. For the past fifteen or so years, it's been an overwhelming trend. 2018 held many shockers, including one that many of us thought would truly live forever. This annual entry remembers just a few of those names, but as always is no sleight on any who may have been overlooked.

This year saw the deaths of Bruno Sammartino, Big Bully Busick, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, Don Leo Jonathan, Dynamite Kid, Nikolai Volkoff, Brian Christopher, Brickhouse Brown, Johnny Valiant, Masa Saito, Matt Cappotelli, Frank Durso, Paul Jones, Rockin' Rebel, Big Van Vader, Larry Hennig, Dick Slater, Chris Champion, Doc Dean, Mt. Fiji, Frank Andersson, Jose Lothario, and Villano III.

The Pittsburgh wrestling community was rocked to its core with the death of Bruno who was the cornerstone of a once thriving wrestling hotbed. There is no doubt that with his passing, the Pittsburgh wrestling scene as it was is gone forever. The deaths of Busick, Valiant, and Volkoff also factor into the Steel City, with all three having major ties. In December, journeyman Frank Durso also passed. Nicknamed "Slip Mahoney" by the late voice of Pittsburgh wrestling Bill Cardille, Durso ended up getting back into the local independent scene up until a few years ago and possibly enjoyed his greatest fame.

Dick Slater's death was not unexpected due to many issues over the past decade. Though he spent time in nearly every major organization of his era, one must wonder if his career could have been much more than it ended up being. Though not a national household name, Slater had the respect of fans and peers alike for his in-ring work and truly living up to his WWF nickname of "The Rebel."

Paul Jones was always a personal favorite of mine, though I only came in on his managerial career. Looking back at old footage, reading the magazines, and hearing the enthusiasm and testimonials of so many old school fans at the Charlotte Fanfests over the years, the real "Number One" really came to life. Possibly too small to have caught on nationally, Jones was a bonafide superstar in areas like Florida and the Carolinas. He was also a really fun guy to talk to who kept it real with fans in his later years.

The list of 2018 almost seemed endless as it continued to grow. A variety of situations, circumstances, and ages surrounded these deaths. All we have left are the memories, carried by each and every fan who these individuals touched. As the rings get emptier and the convention guest lineups get shorter, the ring in the great beyond just grows more crowded.

To paraphrase Jim Cornette, "They aren't making any new legends."

The Vintage Cardboard of WWE Returns

 Before the month of August ends, we have to take a look at what has become an annual tradition in the past few years: the release of the new WWF Heritage trading cards from Topps. This has also become the only set that I actively purchase more than one or two packs of. I love the style, the time that they pay homage to, and the fact that these genuinely look like cards. They aren't overly-coated with gloss and feel thinner than a dime. These are CARDS.

This year Topps has chosen their 1989 baseball card design to transfer to WWE. I have fond memories of the former set, and I probably still have the entire run in storage. I actually even have the card of Pittsburgh Pirate Mike LaValliere autographed. It's a simple but classic and cool looking design. The packaging of both the box and the packs has changed little aside from color over the past four years or so. 

After a long tradition of every hobby box yielding a full base set, this sadly changed years back. I feel that you should always get the main 110 cards, but what do I know? Each hobby box does guarantee two "hits," including one autograph. Subsets include Big Legends, Rookies, Tag Teams & Stables, and Future Stars. There are also non-Heritage style inserts, depending on where you purchase your packs, dedicated to Ric Flair, Randy Savage, and Shawn Michaels. As usual, I don't cover these as I don't consider them part of the set though the Macho Man cards are vibrant.

As always, my mind goes to the legends. The "Big Legends" subset is based on the look of Topps 1989 "Big Baseball" design. Though the original cards were larger than the standard release baseball, these wrestling versions are not. There are two shots on each card, and I like that many showcase two different periods in the career of the legend. I enjoyed seeing Sid Vicious, Alundra Blayze, Larry Zbyszko, Brutus Beefcake, and others who aren't represented enough. Harley Race's card features both "King" and "before-the-crown" shots which is probably a card first. It's also nice to see our recently lost legends such as Bruno Sammartino, Nikolai Volkoff, and Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart.

Between Raw, Smackdown, and NXT, the roster is bloated but it certainly makes for a variety of names to be included. I'm sure that some of these stars will see their only trading card released here. What better way than in a Heritage set? It's fun to see names like Eric Young, Kassius Ohno, Velveteen Dream, Sarah Logan, and Kairi Sane represented on classic cardboard. And, as long as they've been with the company at this point, it's still great to have WWE merchandise for men like Samoa Joe, AJ Styles, and Bobby Roode. It wasn't that many years ago that none of them were ever expected to show up in a WWE ring.

My pulls? An autographed Bobby Roode "Rookies" card and a Sasha Banks "Survivor Series" mat relic. For the autograph we have someone that I enjoy on a subset card with a silver colored border to boot. On the flip side we have one of my very least favorite current roster stars with a relic style that I am beyond tired of. I know that I can't be the only one. Even some of the "manufactured relics" like belt medallions are less stale than the mat pieces. At least it has a better design than those of a few years ago where the relics featured an oval-shaped photo surrounded by white.

It isn't my favorite Heritage set to date, but it isn't the worst. For me personally, any card in the retro style is going to trump the plastic-y feel of modern cards. One does wonder which style will be resurrected next. I wouldn't mind a trip back to the '60s and some of those designs. The 1990 Topps baseball style would be pretty cool, too. As long as they're classic, matte cardboard and retain the look and feel, I'm on board.

Trading cards are an often overlooked area of wrestling collecting, but they're a ton of fun. Speaking of fun, next week kicks off another "Mattel Month" here on the blog with four weeks of Mattel WWE figure reviews featuring 2018 releases. I "figure" it will be a blast...

Will You All Please Rise..To Honor Nikolai Volkoff

The quintessential "evil foreigner" of wrestling history. The brutally strong thug of various villainous managers. Arch nemesis of Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, Dusty Rhodes, and Hacksaw Jim Duggan among others. Above all, real-life nice guy. This was Nikolai Volkoff.

There were several wrestling deaths reported on a bright, sunny, Sunday. I'm not pushing the others aside, we honor all fallen wrestlers at years end here on the blog, it's simply that Volkoff's passing hit me the hardest. He is one of the first wrestling "bad guys" that I remember in life. He was part of the "Rock N Wrestling" era that netted much fame and fortune for those involved. And how could one miss him? With the red "Communist" garb and simply being a massive human being, Volkoff stood out.

How many flea markets or garage sales have you attended where a hatless, paint-chipped Nikolai Volkoff LJN figure is among the offerings? Seemingly everyone had it. To this day it's a staple from that fabled Wrestling Superstars line with its near-perfect facial likeness and ready-for-action pose. In fact, in a story that I've mentioned here before that I still expect no one to believe, years before Jakks launched their Classic Superstars line, I had visions of a wrestling legends figure series in similar packaging. Who was the figure that I pictured in my head? Nikolai Volkoff.

I was always entertained by Volkoff in the ring. No matter his position on the card, he always seemed to give his all. Those big stomps to his opponents back seemed devastating to me. There's a photo from WrestleMania 2 where he seems to be pummeling Corporal Kirchner with an especially hard stomp. And we can't forget Gorilla Monsoon famously saying that Nikolai "has no clue how powerful he is."

And whether it was the Russian National Anthem or "Cara Mia," Big Nikolai could belt out a tune. Did you rise to show respect? I always did. So did Jesse Ventura! Or maybe you were happy when he didn't quite get to finish his song and you cheered when The Dynamite Kid, Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart, or another number of other disrespectful individuals decided to "start the match early."

In-ring memories aside, those who have attended the various conventions up and down the east coast over the years will greatly miss Nikolai. He was a staple to show up, sometimes even unexpectedly, and occasionally even sing a song or two. It was always impressive to be in the presence of a man who could claim being challenger to both Bruno and Hulk's championships. Speaking of the former, Nikolai also spent time in the latter half of Pittsburgh's "Studio Wrestling" era as Bepo Mongol. Keeping that in mind, his passing is yet another blow in a year of wrestling losses for the Steel City.

My recommendation? Go rewatch the flag match from the second episode of Saturday Night's Main Event. It's Volkoff vs Hogan. It's short, crisp, and face-paced. It's Nikolai in one of the highest-profile matches in his career.It has the "big fight feel" that modern day promotions would kill to have for a match. Most of all? It's fun.

Thank you, Nikolai, for all of the fun over the years. I will rise, sir.

Nikolai Volkoff

1947-2018

Wrestling MarketWatch: WWF Magazine

As great as the other publications were, there was something special when you picked up an issue of the official WWF Magazine. It was glossy, all color, and all slick. The photos of WWF superstars and events were second-to-none since, for the majority of the magazine's heyday, outside photographers were banned from ringside. It combined all the "news" that was fit to print along with the legendary merchandise catalog and packaged it together in one nicely disguised additional piece of marketing. The superstars, the managers, the announcers, and even the ladies--they all made it into the magazine. While it may be gone today (aside from the occasional "special"), the decades of existing issues continue to stand the test of time.

In this edition of MarketWatch, we'll look at some of the recent auction sale prices of WWF Magazine. Instead of showcasing the milestone issues that have been largely covered here in the past, we'll focus on some of the less-remembered covers. As is usually the case, even if an autographed example is shown, the prices given are reflecting unsigned pieces.

*We kick it off with an issue from when the magazine was still bi-monthly. It was August/September 1985 and the "Rock N Wrestling Connection" was still in full force. Who was at the center of that era? Cyndi Lauper, of course. Who were three of the biggest baddies? Rowdy Roddy Piper, The Iron Sheik, and Nikolai Volkoff. All four of these WWE Legends (I would say Hall of Famers, but Lauper continues to be inexplicably snubbed) create a cover image that is pure '80s WWF. As discussed on this blog years ago, the keen reader will spot a photo inside of the issue of Fred Blassie that is more than obviously the inspiration for his LJN Wrestling Superstars figure. This issue recently sold at auction for $30.

*Still deep in the cartoony land of late '80s WWF brings us to the January 1989 issue. On the cover is none other than "that piece of garbage" (per Gorilla Monsoon), Brother Love. This was less than a year after the character debuted. If you've been watching the recent WWE Network additions of Prime Time Wrestling, you know that he was still a big deal from week to week, advancing many storylines on "The Brother Love Show." Decades later in WWE Magazine it was mentioned that this was one of the lowest-selling issues of all-time, but that could have been just a made-up blurb. Nonetheless, the issue featuring the man who "loooooooves" you recently sold for $20.

*October 1992 brings us one of the more underrated stars of the mid-90s (in my opinion, anyway), Tatanka. The Native American superstar may have come along just a few years too late, but I will always fondly remember his battles with Shawn Michaels, Bam Bam Bigelow, and IRS among others. He made an amazing cover shot, too, in his only official WWF Magazine cover appearance. Tatanka still actively competes on the independent scene to this day, and is one of the nicest superstars that you'd ever want to meet. He is very active with fans via social media, as well. This underrated issue just recently sold for $13.

*His voice may have sounded completely different, but Bret "The Hitman" Hart did in fact guest star on The Simpsons back in 1997. To promote the episode, he also shared the cover of WWF Magazine with Bart Simpson in May of that year. It's a bright, vibrant cover that would be very much out of place in the very-soon-to-be "Attitude"-filled world of the WWF just several months later. Why did Bret use a generic wrestler voice? As the story goes, he was originally to voice a fictional wrestler. When the produces of The Simpsons saw the fans go nuts for the star when he arrived for his recording, the decision was made to instead animate "The Hitman" himself. The issue recently sold at prices ranging from $10 to $25.

*She may be gone way too soon, but her groundbreaking legacy lives on. Chyna may have done some things to tarnish that legacy in her later career, but for around four years she was certainly an attraction unlike anything that the wrestling world had seen before. In my meetings with her, she was nothing but gracious. My copy of this issue is autographed, as it was always one of the main items that I wanted her to sign. I'm glad that it got to happen. The August 2000 issue of WWF Magazine, featuring the "9th Wonder of the World" in one of her most beautiful shots, recently sold for just $8.00.

Five issues is a tiny sampling, but many of the prices prove that the magazine is still very undervalued monetarily. As with so much wrestling memorabilia, prices will go up and down as time marches on. What's important, as always, is the value to you, the fan. Maybe you grabbed that Brother Love issue off of the newsstand in '89 or you couldn't believe that Bart was standing with Bret in '97. Memories are the true treasure that you can't put a price on.

Revisiting The Capitol Wrestling Legends Fanfest

Do you remember where you were a decade ago? I do. Ten years ago to the very date of this publication, to be exact. Although I had been a wrestling fan for many years prior, on August 11, 2006 I was attending my second full-fledged wrestling convention. The site? Rockville, Maryland. The stars? A bevy of wrestling greats spanning several companies and eras. The fun? Unbeatable. It was officially titled the Capitol Wrestling Legends Fanfest, but in actuality it was the 2006 edition of the fabled NWA Legends/Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Fanfest.

Ten years later and I still remember entering the hotel. The venue was the beautiful DoubleTree Hotel & Executive Meeting Center in Rockville. Entering through a corridor from the parking garage, my friends and I had our first glimpse out into the immense center of the hotel and spotted Nick Bockwinkel eating breakfast. Although I had my first Fanfest experience nearly two years earlier, I'd forgotten how surreal it was to see the legends of professional wrestling casually going about their lives. The hotel itself was beautiful and was well-suited to host the event, but promoter Greg Price later noted that those running the hotel weren't as conducive to Fanfest as those at its usual home of the Charlotte University Place Hilton.

The lineup of wrestling greats was unbeatable. You had Bockwinkel, Stan Hansen, Rick Martel, Bret Hart, Jim Neidhart, Sensational Sherri Martel, The Midnight Express, Jim Cornette, Abdullah the Butcher, Rocky Johnson, Tony Atlas, Ernie Ladd, Rockin' Robin, Baby Doll, Nikolai Volkoff, Ivan Koloff, Bobby "The Brain" Heenan, Masked Superstar, Robert Gibson, Angelo Mosca, Robert Fuller, "The Patriot" Del Wilkes, Larry Sharpe, and Tom Prichard not to mention Paul Bearer, King Kong Bundy, Greg Valentine, Larry Zbyszko, Tito Santana, Lanny Poffo, Boris Zhukov, Jimmy Snuka, Buddy Jack Roberts, Stevie Ray, and probably a few more that I'm forgetting.

These were the glory days of wrestling conventions not only for the amount of talent that was available, but the merchandise, too. Where could a collector pick up "black card" LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars figures for $75 a piece these days? The aisles were not clogged with vendor after vendor of common DVDs as many shows feature today. These sellers had true memorabilia. That being said, I remember being particularly pleased that one table had the then-brand new Jakks WWE Classic Superstars Fabulous Freebirds 3-Pack available. While I paid a tad more than retail, the set was then a Wal Mart exclusive and had limited distribution up until that point. At the time, I thought that I'd likely not have the chance to get it signed by Buddy Roberts ever again. I did meet him again a few times after, but it just wasn't a risk that this Freebird fan was willing to take.

The 2006 Fanfest was yet another example as to why you can't skip opportunities when your favorites are out and about. Ernie Ladd and Sherri Martel would be gone from this earth less than a year after this event. Sherri's passing hit me particularly hard, as she was such a kind woman. She always expected the fans to get a perfect experience for their money and made sure that it was exactly what happened. I can still remember getting a hug from the women's wrestling legend and some of her "Sherri glitter" getting on my shirt. She was one of a kind and will never be replaced. I remember her being thrilled when I told her that Robert "Col. Parker" Fuller was going to be there. I'll always wonder if they got to reconnect.

Many fans who attended still remember the question and answer sessions that took place each night. The Hart Foundation told some classic stories about their time in the WWF and a combined session with Jim Cornette, The Midnight Express, and The Heavenly Bodies kept the crowd in stitches. One story that "Sweet" Stan Lane told about "Mr. Perfect" Curt Hennig on an airplane can still be found with a quick Google search. Some touching moments also came from that session, particularly when Dr. Tom Prichard shared some remembrances of his former tag team partner Chris Candido who had recently passed away.

The weekend was not as long as Fanfest is today, but it was just as packed with memorable moments. As far as I can tell, the event will likely never again stray from its home in Charlotte, but that's probably a good thing. Even with official name changes over the years, the event is universally known as the "Charlotte Fanfest." Despite that, it remains a celebration of the past, and even some of the future, of professional wrestling. Greg Price and his staff work tirelessly each year to top the previous event, and they always succeed. Even still, for those of us who were there, we'll always have Rockville...

My Five Favorite Jakks WWE Classic Superstars Figures

I've said it before and I'll say it again, the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line is the greatest wrestling action figure line of all-time.  Was it perfect?  Absolutely not.  There were glaring omissions, errors, and both a rocky beginning and end, but the good far outweighed the bad.  Collectors were treated to product never before thought possible.  When it seemed that the window on figures of so many past superstars had long been slammed shut, Jakks didn't just open it back up, but instead completely shattered it.

I would never expect anyone to believe me, but I actually had an almost completely accurate vision of the line around 1996.  Even in the 1990s, I wanted figures of wrestlers from the past.  The initial Jakks WWF offerings had just began to hit stores and were, sadly, less than spectacular.  One night, while perusing my own figure collection, I envisioned a figure line consisting of all wrestling legends.  The one that I pictured, in dark colored packaging with the figure positioned in the middle, was Nikolai Volkoff with his arms in the air.  Obviously this vision was helped by the original LJN figure of Volkoff, but the Classic Superstars figure that came almost a decade later was pretty darn close.

The Classic Superstars line was predated by two other lines of past stars.  The first was also by Jakks, but earlier in their stint with the WWF license.  This series was limited to just one wave and featured figures of Jimmy Snuka, Fred Blassie, Lou Albano, and Andre the Giant.  The figures had limited articulation and were more like statues, even being packaged as such.  In the late 1990's, Figures Inc. produced a line called "Legends of Professional Wrestling."  These figures were more like toys, featured a wide variety of characters, and were more in scale to the regular Jakks WWF line of the time.  In my opinion this line has been long underrated and will be revisited on this blog in the near future.

In 2004, Jakks began the Classic Superstars line.  With an initially weak lineup filled with mostly stars who had received countless figures in the past, the series gradually began to improve.  In about five odd years, hundreds of figures were produced under the banner, including many stars who, at the time, would have nothing to do with WWE.  Names like Bruno Sammartino and The Ultimate Warrior may be back in the WWE "family" now, but at the time the fact that those stars made deals directly with Jakks to be included in the line was mind-blowing.

In this entry, I present my five favorite figures from the line.  My opinion is no better than that of anyone else, but it is just that, an opinion.  I'm biased, and I present my reasons upfront.  I can still recall collectors being blown away by figures of stars like Shawn Michaels, Bret Hart, and Steve Austin in the line.  While they may have been great figures, they didn't excite me as much as others did.  My view of the line was to showcase stars of the distant past, especially those who had never before received an action figure.  Although there is one exception on my list, most of my favorite figures resemble these facts.  Without further ado, in no particular order, here are My Five Favorite Jakks WWE Classic Superstars Figures...

* Goldust

Yes, the bizarre one has had plenty of figures, but this later entry into the Classic Superstars line is in a class by itself.  Originally sold only through an online retailer, the "Shattered Dreams Exclusive" is essential for any collector who favors this line.  The gold packaging of the figure is only the beginning of what makes this figure so appealing.  Goldust is clad in a soft goods robe and is equipped with the gold-strap Intercontinental Championship that he held in 1996.  The head features a facial likeness exclusive to this figure and captures the sneering look of Goldust to a T.  An updated wig accessory that could fit this figure better is just about the only missing ingredient.

* Ernie Ladd

There were plenty of "Kings" in the Classic Superstars line, but this one just might tower over the rest.  "The Big Cat" is presented here in figure form for the one and, thus far, only time.  A groundbreaking superstar in many ways both in and out of the ring, Ladd certainly got star treatment from Jakks.  The likeness of Ladd during his "King" era of the 1970's shines here, and even includes the repeatedly used crown accessory as a nice nod.  The figure is accurately taller than others in the line, making it easy to recreate his legendary feud with Andre the Giant.  Going even a bit further, Jakks made it possible to relive one of the most often seen Mid-South Wrestling main events of all-time: Ladd & The Wild Samoans against Andre, Dusty Rhodes, and the Junkyard Dog.

* Meng

The man known as Haku and Meng had figures under both names in the line, but it's the latter figure that has always counted among my favorites.  Haku was first released as a figure in the final series of the LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars line, but it's an unreleased figure of the man that especially made me appreciate the Meng figure.  When Haku made his return to the WWF in the 2001 Royal Rumble match, Jakks announced that there would be a figure of him in their Stunt Action Superstars line.  The figure ultimately never saw the light of day, but it would've looked similar to this figure since, at the time, Haku was just coming off of his WCW "Meng" run.  The Tongan superstar is one of the toughest to ever enter the squared circle and was always a welcomed addition to any roster that he graced during his storied career.

* Terry Funk

Before Jakks released this figure in the 5th series of the line, it wasn't easy to find a figure of "Middle-Aged & Crazy" Terry Funk.  Funk had both an LJN WWF and Popy Japan figure at that point, but only a Japanese figure released in conjunction with the "Beyond The Mat" movie captured Funk in the look that redefined him in the 1990's.  We would get several more versions of the Funker in later releases of Classic Superstars (including Chainsaw Charlie), but none were quite as cool and iconic as this first release.  Long live the Hardcore Legend!

 * "Outlaw" Ron Bass

Another superstar made his one and only figure appearance in the line, that being "Outlaw" Ron Bass.  This figure always stunned me, as though Bass was a territorial star and also spent some time terrorizing the heroes of 1980's WWF, it was one of the last figures that I ever expected to own.  Once again, an amazing facial likeness is a definite highlight here, and the accessories follow suit.  Even the Outlaw's bullwhip, Miss Betsy, is included for unleashing a wild west whippin' on other figures such as Brutus Beefcake and The Ultimate Warrior.

There's my five.  Do you have a different five?  Maybe you appreciated the '90s stars much more than the territorial greats.  Debates are what make lists like these fun, so let your voice be heard!  If you aren't already following us on Twitter, what are you waiting for?  @JWsWrestlingMem is our handle there, and if you're on Facebook, be sure to "Like" our page and tell us if guys like "The Funker" and "The Bizarre One" made your list!