From The Musty Yellowed Pages—Wrestling’s Main Event March 1984

When thinking of ‘80s wrestling magazines certainly the Weston/Apter mags and the official WWF Magazine come to mind, but they weren’t the only boys on the block. Often you would find other titles with some great photography and perhaps even peeks at wrestlers that you didn’t see in the other publications. Most of those are discussed nowadays as “The Napolitano Mags” as their editor was legendary photographer George Napolitano. These titles were often just as visible at the newsstand as Pro Wrestling Illustrated or The Wrestler and were even perhaps a bit less “kayfabe” than those books. In this look back we’re going thirty-nine years into the past to March of 1984 with Wrestling’s Main Event. Ric Flair following his NWA Championship win at Starrcade 1983 is our lead story and cover picture.

The magazine, published by Pumpkin Press in NYC, was a mere sixteen bucks for a full year subscription back in 1984. Not even $2 an issue! No wonder Haku himself, King Tonga as he was known then, is letting us know that this publication is numero uno. I wouldn’t disagree with the man, even being the true sweetheart of a guy that he is. It should be noted that Les Thatcher is listed on the staff here. In addition to wrestling, announcing and training, Thatcher helmed many wrestling magazines of the ‘70s including Mid-Atlantic Wrestling Magazine and WWWF Wrestling Action. Both of those titles have been covered extensively here on the blog over the past near-fifteen years. Les has always been kind enough to share memories and stories of these magazines both for publication here and in comments on social media.

The official rankings are a bit different and less extensive than in other wrestling magazines of the day. One page covers what seems to be the contenders for four major championships, listing those champions above all else. The NWA, WWF, AWA and WWC Championships are the titles featured. WWC action featuring Carlos Colon, Abdullah the Butcher, Bruiser Brody and others was featured more than once on the covers of these titles. Unlike the other magazines which tended to shy away from bloody covers as the ‘80s dawned, the Napolitano mags still seemed to go by the old adage that “red equals green.” Still, it wasn’t as prevalent as the blood-soaked covers of the ‘70s were. I love going through old rankings sections and counting who all I’ve been lucky enough to meet over the years. Counting all of the champions and contenders on this page only four eluded me. That number may go down to (and stay forever at) three soon, but I never count my chickens.

Up-and-comers who weren’t getting much press at the time were often featured in these pages. A great write-up later in the issue features a very young Dr. Tom Prichard, but early in the pages we get an article on someone who’s a favorite of many, The One Man Gang. The OMG is obviously not too far removed from his early incarnation as Crusher Broomfield. The long hair was a great look and possibly made him look even more maniacal than he did with the later mohawk. Of course, I’m partial to Akeem The African Dream, but I’ll take George Gray in any shape or form. He’s a great guy and was a great big man wrestler. The article tells of how he’d recently been managed by both J.J. Dillon and the sort of lost-to-time “Gentleman” Jim Holliday.

The Gang is shown in an epic battle with Florida hero Mike Graham. Are you ready for your centerfold? Feast your eyes on more Graham than you thought you could handle. In all seriousness, Mike Graham gets bad talked these days for no good reason. It seemingly stems from his appearances on the old WWE Legends of Wrestling roundtable shows, but come on. He acts just as braggadocios as virtually anyone else on that (great) show did. In my meetings with Mr. Graham I found him to be nothing but kind, humble and engaging. I treasure the autographs and memorabilia that I have from him and was saddened by his untimely passing and its circumstances. If anyone says that he wasn’t over, they know nothing of the Florida wrestling legacy. I wish that he were still here to celebrate it.

Next we have my pin-up. No, not Jimmy Garvin. Sure, we all love Precious and her Remco AWA figure. There was even the original Precious (yes, before Jimmy’s wife, Patti) for a spell. But the best of them all, in my view, was Sunshine. If there was ever a “girl next door” look, she had it. Sadly, for various storied reasons, she wants nothing to do with the business today. She should be out there milking it like some who had far less visibility than she did, but we have to respect her decision. Nevertheless, here she is flanking Gorgeous Jimmy himself. The article discusses Garvin’s feud with David Von Erich, a World Class Championship Wrestling classic, for sure!

As with most old magazines when chronicled here, we have to dive into the seedy side. This is usually near the back pages, in black and white, and somewhat hidden. While there are plenty of black and white pages in this title like most magazines of the day, they’re all slick. These magazines also seemed to feature much more color (and not just blood…) than their rivals. While the ads are much tamer than some from the ‘70s that have been featured in this blog, they’re really no less shady. Mail-order brides? 8mm film? Wholesale fishing equipment? Don't threaten me with a good time, right? The last listing is probably the most amusing. For only $3.95 you could get your hands on a newsletter with information on a certain infamous viral infection. Who did you write to in order to receive this fountain of information? “ROH.” See, decades before Ring of Honor was making wrestling magazine headlines you had yet another ROH getting print in the back pages.

What better way to end this than with a hoe down? But this isn’t just any hoe down. This is Scott Casey’s Texas Hoe Down in San Antonio. Casey hosted droves of Southwest Championship Wrestling fans in addition to Bobby Jaggers, Buddy Moreno, Alex Perez, Mando Guerrero, Ricky Morton and El Santo Negro. If the pictures are to be believed, there was music, dunk tanks, Hoe-Down Queens and smiles all around. I can only imagine the stories that could be told out of this one. On second thought, maybe those stories best go untold. Just call it a hunch. I must say, though, that there is a definitely a joke to be made when “Scott Casey” and “Hoe Down” are used in the same sentence. I’m sure that a good time was had by all.

Like with all of the magazines shown here on the blog we can’t show every page. Check out Instagram (@JWs_Wrestling_Memorabilia) this weekend for even more goodness from the issue and while you’re at it, give a follow!

30 Years of "Those Big, Rubber Wrestlers"

You see might see the description in a badly listed eBay auction or even used during a nostalgic wrestling conversation.  They were the WWF Wrestling Superstars by LJN, but to many, they were "those big, rubber wrestlers."  It would have been very hard to be a wrestling fan and not encounter those "big, rubber" wrestling figures at some point in the past thirty years.  They depicted Hulk Hogan, Rowdy Roddy Piper, The Iron Sheik, Nikolai Volkoff and dozens of other WWF Superstars in a larger-than-life way that has never quite been duplicated.  They've shown up in film, on television, and in print.  They aren't action figures in the traditional sense, yet to not include them in the genre would be blasphemy.  You, your neighbor, your cousin, and your classmates had at least one, and even with paint and rubber wear all of these years later, it's still a relic to be cherished.

The LJN WWF figure line began in 1984.  While it was not the first wrestling figure line (that distinction falls to a series produced by Popy in Japan), it was the first in America, beating out Remco's AWA collection by months.  Some, including a few of the wrestlers themselves, refer to the products as dolls.  There will never be a definitive answer to the old "It's not a doll, it's an action figure" argument, but these replica wrestlers weren't playing dress-up, they were seeing action in and out of the ring.

What I most love about the LJN line was the inclusion of non-wrestler figures.  Sure, it's amazing to be able to have dream matches like Hulk Hogan against Bruno Sammartino and Ricky Steamboat versus Dynamite Kid, but figures of managers, announcers, and referees only add to the depth of play.  It's no wonder that so many loose examples these days have so much paint wear; these wrestlers WRESTLED!

"Twist Em, Turn Em" was one of LJN's selling point catchphrases for the line, and it was true.  While the figures were not articulated, with the exception of a few pointlessly posed examples (Paul Orndorff, Rick Rude) the design of the toys made them extremely playable.  The Hulkster could slam any other figure while Randy Savage was perfectly poised for a patented flying elbow drop.  God-like figures for God-like superstars.

The figures had a pumped-up look which was very lifelike for the wrestlers of the day.  Unlike today when bulging muscles look out of place on wrestling figures, the wrestlers themselves didn't look like the guy down the street.  There was much more individuality, which in turn made many more stars stand out.

Like companies today, LJN wasn't satisfied with just one standard line.  Attempts to branch out were made, but none lasted as long as the 8-inch original figures.  A lower cost line of Bendies were introduced about a year into the life of the license.  Wires inside of these smaller figures helped hold their poses.  Aside from the wrestlers, a ring/cage and two managers were produced, but the line did not sustain.  Prototype pictures of further releases have surfaced since, proving that LJN had high hopes.

In 1987, a half dozen figures were released as Stretch Wrestlers.  These figures were a takeoff on the decades-old Stretch Armstrong figure concept, where a cornstarch mix inside of a pliable "skin" allows the figure to be stretched into all kinds of contortions.  Sadly, the design of all of these kinds of figures does not lend itself to good condition over time.  Many that remain are in poor condition or are too brittle to really even touch.

Thirty years.  While much of the paint and shine of these figures is gone, the memories remain.  I can still recall going into the.long gone but beloved Hills Department Store and seeing the large LJN merchandising footprint in the toy aisles.  Stretch Wrestlers stacked to the ceiling.  Individual figures like Hillbilly Jim, Miss Elizabeth, and Mean Gene Okerlund (or "the farmer," "the girl," and "the announcer" as I naively named them) filling the pegs.  The feeling that this unusual yet compelling sport was at the height of its popularity, and that the characters produced from it were genuine celebrities.  Household names forever immortalized as "those big, rubber wrestlers."

Some Truly "World Class" Wrestling Memorabilia

In the past couple of years, it's almost become tradition that at some point in the last quarter the Von Erich family makes the blog.  Is it any wonder?  Despite being what was essentially one of the last great wrestling territories, World Class Championship Wrestling had an immense selection of merchandise.  It wasn't just what was sold at the arenas, either.  WCCW fans were true packrats, obtaining any photo or bit of information that they could on their favorite heroes and villains.  From the Von Erich brothers, The Fabulous Freebirds, and everybody in between, WCCW's stars were among the most visible in the early '80s wrestling world.

I'd go as far as to say that on the topic of WCCW memorabilia, the fans themselves were as big a part of it as the wrestlers.  Endless passages have been written chronicling the Von Erich "fever" that is said to have spread as far as Israel.  Many of these fans were girls, usually in the 12-24 age range, who would've followed the boys to the ends of the earth.  These fans most likely had shrines to their favorites plastered all over their bedroom walls, as is evident by the abundance of newspaper and magazine clippings that survive today.  Those lucky enough to have access to WCCW events (or knew someone who did), may have even had official promotional photos or publications from the promotion.  Some of those may have even included autographs.

Most wrestling fans know the reason why autographs of the Von Erich family and many WCCW stars may be a bit harder to obtain than other wrestling stars of the era.  It's a sad and somewhat depressing fact when collecting autographs, that death will almost always factor into desirability.  With the tragedies surrounding the Von Erich's and other WCCW stars so early in their lives, the window of opportunity was never even open for many collectors. 

I, myself, have become the lucky owner of many Von Erich family and WCCW treasures, despite not being anywhere near the age or geographic location to have originally obtained them.  The items span the full range of the Von Erich legacy, from the highest of highs to the too-frequent tragic ends.  They reflect a point where, due to the quality of the items, it seems as if WCCW almost touched the unmatched WWF merchandising machine.  They can also be a sobering reminder of how the insane rock star-esque fandom came crashing down and went ultimately six feet under.

The Official Von Erich Family World Class Championship Wrestling board game is definitely one of the highs.  The well produced, if maybe a bit complicated, game is as nice as any other wrestling company's equivalent.  With a full color box featuring the famous WCCW logo and photos of the Von Erich brothers disposing of several foes, the game itself allows you to become Kerry, Kevin, Mike, One Man Gang, Iceman King Parsons, Chris Adams, Gino Hernandez, or Kelly Kiniski. 

For an exact look at 1984, one of the most tumultuous years in Von Erich history, look no further than the Von Erich Fan Club newsletter titled "CLAWPower."  It seems that four total were issued, one for each quarter of 1984.  Even then, it is telling as to how the death of David is almost swept under the rug.  The glories of Kerry and Kevin, in "honor" of their late brother, are instead touted to further strengthen the family legacy in the eyes of the public.

And then there are the items that are extremely historical, yet almost too difficult to own.  The aforementioned Von Erich fans were obviously a dedicated bunch.  Some went as far as to clip the obituaries and news coverage of the brothers deaths.  Some fans even obtained and saved actual funeral cards.  Some collectors might find items such as these just too disturbing to own, but placing them in perspective tells the full story, beginning to end, of the family and promotion.

In looking at these items, I rarely feel sadness.  Certainly Beatles collectors don't feel sadness every time that they view a John Lennon item.  Instead, collecting and preserving these pieces should keep alive what was an exciting and interesting era in professional wrestling.  It didn't last as long as it may have had certain events not occurred, but we can always hold onto what was.  After all, keeping memories alive is what collecting is all about.

The (Mid) South Will Rise Again!

WWE Home Video releases that satisfy everyone are few and far between.  Either there's too much previously released material or the content is too "old" to appease the "Universe" or this or that or the other thing.  I'm not sure if it's a credit to the WWE home video team or the creative genius of Ernie Ladd and Bill Watts, but the newly released "Legends of Mid-South Wrestling" might be the pacifier needed to satisfy the cries of all groups of wrestling consumers.

Ever since WWE purchased the Mid-South Wrestling Library, fans have been clamoring for something to come of it.  It didn't take a genius to figure out that the purchase was a smart buy.  From Junkyard Dog to Ted DiBiase to Jim Duggan to Jake Roberts, so many wrestling stars of the '80s had some of their best years in the business as part of either Mid-South Wrestling or the Universal Wrestling Federation when the promotion changed names.  Seeing as how WWE enjoys showcasing the stars of what many fans between the age of 30 to 40 years old consider to be the company's "glory years," this release practically built itself.

Released in both DVD and Blu-Ray formats, Legends of Mid-South Wrestling is presented in a format that I was unsure of at first.  Instead of the often-used WWE DVD format of a documentary followed by matches, the wrestler soundbite and clip segments are interspersed throughout to tell the story of Mid-South/UWF and build up to complete matches.  After watching, I decided that I enjoyed this format more than the separate documentary.  While it may not work for every topic tackled, it definitely thrives here.

Although I'm not a home theater expert, to me this classic footage is particularly crystal clear in Blu-Ray format.  Though the occasional imperfection from the source material cannot be helped, someone did an absolutely remarkable job restoring these tapes.  Rumor says that the tapes were restored for the Watts family's own marketing of these matches before WWE purchased the library. 

The segments and matches presented each revolve around a key player in Mid-South's history and often include stars such as Ric Flair, Andre the Giant, and Dusty Rhodes who passed through.  In my estimation, the match listing is phenomenal.  Despite collecting quite a bit of footage through the years, the only match I had previously owned was Andre, Dusty, and JYD taking on Ladd and The Wild Samoans.  Six Hall of Famers in one match gives you just a hint of the star power involved here.

You'll see the student-teacher struggle of Magnum T.A. and Mr. Wrestling 2.  You'll relive the conniving Ted DiBiase as he battles former friends JYD and Hacksaw Duggan.  You'll witness tag teams such as The Fabulous Freebirds, The Midnight Express, and The Rock 'n Roll Express as they climbed up the ladder.  You'll learn of Muhammad Ali's involvement with Mid-South from Jim Ross himself.  How about Shawn Michaels, Sting, and The Ultimate Warrior TRULY "before they were stars?"  It's all here.

As is usually the case when comparing formats, the DVD packaging is a bit more attractive than the Blu-Ray version.  The latter format, however, contains several bonus segments and matches.  These extra features are absolutely worth picking up the Blu-Ray version for.  Cantankerous old "get that WWE logo off of my classic wrestling!" fans will be happy to see that the company's logo is very small in the over all packaging design.  In comparison, the classic Mid-South Wrestling logo is featured much more prominently as a whole.

This release has a lot of potential in several different areas.  As with any "classic" release, the likelihood of future, similar releases only rises if the sales are good here.  I've seen many fans reporting purchases of "Legends," which will only help the cause.  With this particular release, hopefully the company will feel the need for yet another chapter of Mid-South Wrestling.  There are many more great matches, classic characters,and untold stories yet to be touched upon.  Hopefully "Legends of Mid-South Wrestling: Volume 2" is on the home video horizon.

For every reason mentioned above and more, go out and buy this one.  WWE releases from their vast "vault" are always worth a purchase due to being able to get these gems in pristine quality, but this set goes above and beyond.  Very rarely in viewing the discs was I not completely entertained.  Going back to my earlier pondering, I think that it did have a lot to do with "The Cowboy" and "The Big Cat."  Not only did they know how to build a promotion, but they knew how to build the talent to keep us enthralled.  Thanks to WWE, we now get to treasure that greatness forevermore. 

WrestleMania XXIX Weekend: The Memorabilia

WrestleMania weekend is so big that it deserves two entries!  Last week I took the opportunity to tell the story of my own "WrestleMania Moment."  The experience, which I have dubbed "The MetLife Miracle," certainly made my first live WrestleMania one for the books.  I had also briefly skimmed over the memorabilia and other memory-making activities that took place in the NY/NJ area, so in this second installment we'll take a bit of a closer look in that direction.

For the past several years it seems that every independent wrestling promoter wants to "piggyback" on the success of WrestleMania.  You can't put them at fault, as nowhere during the year will you find a bigger collection of wrestling fans in one metropolitan area.  As scary as that may be to some, it can also mean big bucks.  Still, with all that New York City has to offer, I'd venture to say that those promoters had more competition than ever before.

Many autograph and photo opportunities took place under the WrestleCon banner.  Wrestlers from the past and present were booked into the convention, meeting many fans for the first time.  While regular conventions draw a few fans from other countries, WrestleMania attracts hundreds of thousands of fans from all over the world.  These fans seemed to take advantage of the opportunities presented and met dozens of stars that they have admired for years.

Of course, the fans aren't the only ones who find themselves feeling a heckuva lot younger.  In my many years of attending conventions, one of the highlights is always seeing the stars themselves reunite.  How often do you see your former co-workers?  Rarely if ever?  The same goes for professional wrestlers.  While they may spend a lot more time with their co-workers than us regular folk do, when places of employment change they often lose track of each other in the very same way that we do.  These shows allow the stars to reconnect and reflect on years gone by.  The difference between our co-workers and fellow wrestlers is that no matter the era or company where they may have work, wrestlers ALL seem to know each other.  It's a beautiful thing.

Hulk Hogan, The Ultimate Warrior, Bret Hart, Kurt Angle, Rob Van Dam, and Jushin Liger are just a sampling of some of the major names that met with fans during the weekend.  WWE even permitted William Regal to make a rare appearance due to the company pulling Bruno Sammartino from the event in order for "The Living Legend" to do media.  As thrilling as of the above names are to meet, my money is still on stars like Butch Reed, Heidi Lee Morgan, Barry Horowitz, and Tony "T.L. Hopper" Anthony as far as the true highlights of the show.  The above four are among names that simply do not do many appearances on the circuit and are always the ones that bring forth the true "wows" when reflecting upon the event.

As far as memorabilia from the weekend, nothing can truly top the WWE's marketing machine.  Open to all without a ticket of any kind, the WWE Superstore was a destination all weekend right in MetLife Stadium.  Entrance themes and promo videos blared as thousands of fans passed through the doors to stock up on WWE goodies.  Shirts, hats, piggy banks, programs, belts, action figures, and so much more filled the store to the brim.  Anxious fans and shoppers equally filled the WWE's tills after paying the prices asked.

That isn't to say that the store was completely devoid of bargains.  In the previous entry I showed my own personal favorite item, the WrestleMania pullback taxicab toy.  At only $10 it was a unique and inexpensive collectible that looks great as a paperweight for your WrestleMania tickets or just to recall memories of the weekend.  Much of the apparel offered at $35 and up has already starting appearing at reduced prices through WWE's online shop.  If you ever wanted that WrestleMania ballcap or beanie bear, there hasn't been a better time to stock up.

Based upon the past, one major future collectible is the official program for WrestleMania XXIX and the WWE 2013 Hall of Fame ceremony.  While it has the largest price tag ($25) of any WWE program in my memory, it is without a doubt the most massive WWE program in history.  The program is taller and thicker than any live event or pay-per-view oversized program previously produced and is stuffed full of great content.

The WrestleMania side features a profile on each match from the event
(including the cut 8-person tag team match) as well as new "capsule" profiles on each of the previous twenty-eight WrestleMania events.  Also featured is a photo of nearly each and every person currently under contract with WWE.  This includes all of the NXT stars, many making their first appearance on official WWE merchandise.  Next to each photo is a space where, in theory, you could obtain an autograph.

The Hall of Fame side features some very nice shots of the 2013 class and a look back on all previous Hall of Fame classes.  I greatly miss the smaller, unique Hall of Fame programs of the past.  I realize that those days are gone, but it could be a thought to produce a smaller program exclusively available at the ceremony itself in addition to having the Hall of Fame portion in the WrestleMania publication.  A small request that will go unanswered, yet still needed to be said.

So now that the 29th edition of WrestleMania is over, surely the marketing must be as well.  Wrong!  I'm sure that in the coming months there will be a Toys "R" Us exclusive figure series commemorating the stars, moments, and ring gear from WrestleMania XXIX complete with the NY/NJ logo right on the package.  Will I be all over them?  You bet!  Anything that reminds me of "The MetLife Miracle" and the weekend that was has a home in my collection.

Signed Classic Superstars

Since the line began in 2004, Jakks WWE Classic Superstars collection changed the entire landscape of wrestling collecting. Some collectors who had never entertained the notion of collecting "toys" suddenly changed their tunes. After all, who would've thought old school wrestling legends such as Bruiser Brody, Harley Race, Ron Bass, The Midnight Express, and The Rock & Roll Express, to name a few, would be made into action figures in the new millenium?

Say what you want about the company, Jakks Pacific changed that. Getting off to a rocky start in this collectors opinion, as each new series was announced, thoughts of future figures to be produced began forming in the heads of fans everywhere. "If such-and-such gets a figure, why not this guy?" Into 2005 it was clear that the lame initial lineup featuring stars who'd already had a host of figures produced, not to mention many product inaccuracies, was not going to be the standard.

Hundreds of figures and five years later, we are nearing the end of the line. It's uncertain as to whether or not Mattel (who will take over the WWE line) or Jakks (who will start producing TNA Wrestling figures) will try to tackle or some sort of "Legends of Wrestling" series.

One major concept that came out of the Classic Superstars lined was getting the figures autographed. While getting items signed is obviously nothing new, getting the Classic Superstars signed has been a goal of many collectors. Personally, I have around one hundred of them signed, and I've always felt one of the appeals of getting them signed is the visual aspect. There's no question as to WHERE these things should be signed. The plastic bubble or window encasing the figure is the end-all be-all spot.

For examples, I've peppered this entry with various examples of a few signed pieces from my collection. I hope you've enjoyed this very brief history of the line as well as the photos, as I plan on doing a lot more features on the Classic Superstars in the future. And now, onto my personal favorite...as if you had to guess by now...

I have all of the Dusty Classic figures signed, but this, by far, is my favorite because of the signature. It's the full Dusty signature and is also personalized to me, both concepts that used to be fairly rare in a Dusty autograph.

Again, like you had to guess?

Other Pictures Include: Superstar Billy Graham "Black & White" Exclusive signed, Akeem & One Man Gang signed, Demolition Tag Team Set signed (the singles are more visually appealing, however this is the first one that Bill "Ax" Eadie had ever signed), and "The Outlaw" Ron Bass signed (one of the ones I never thought would get a figure, and was very pleased about).