Wrestling MarketWatch: The Figures of the Divas

Divas often make very collectible action figures. Oh, wait. We're not allowed to say "Divas" anymore. But in this case, we are looking at the era in which females in WWE were referred to as Divas. It was a long period that produced many superstar names. Whether the wrestling was good, bad, or even ugly, these women proved to be as big as the men at the box office as well as on the merchandise shelves. It's the latter of which, as usual, that we'll be exploring here. Most notably action figures of the WWF/WWE Divas. As always in the MarketWatch feature, we will take a look at recent auction prices of several items. Despite what is shown, prices are for carded, non-autographed figures unless otherwise noted.

*Kelly Kelly certainly personified being a WWE Diva. She was hired by the company for all of the wrong reasons, but left the position years later as a beloved member of the roster. Her in-ring performances may never have been the greatest, but something about her was simply endearing. She continues to thrill fans in convention appearances around the world, as well as continuing her modeling career. Heck, she even made an appearance on "Days of our Lives" in recent years! Kelly had several action figures from Jakks and Mattel, but her Elite figure is her best representation. It recently sold for $53.

*Molly Holly took a different approach to being a Diva, a combination of girl-next-door looks and great wrestling skill. Molly is a favorite to many, and the wholesomeness of her character was said to be an extension of real life. Molly also proved that she could play a sweet innocent girlfriend character or a conniving heel with the greatest of ease. Is it any wonder that we all still miss Molly? The buxom blonde had but only one figure during her long stint with the company, that being from Jakks. The figure recently sold for $20.

*Yet another blonde bombshell comes in the form of Maryse. Still starring on Monday Night Raw alongside husband The Miz, Maryse has been stellar in her performance since returning the night after WrestleMania 32. Although there are no true qualifications, Maryse has become WWE Hall of Fame material in her sneaky valet role. Though the lovely Frenchwoman has a few figures from Mattel, her first release from Jakks is in demand. A loose example recently sold for $14. Pourquoi?

*She's the original Diva according to WWE and in many ways will never be topped. Say what you want about Sunny, she was the most downloaded woman on AOL years ago. Many of those images have never left our minds. "What Sunny wants, Sunny gets!" was her motto, and I truly hope that she finds peace and happiness one day. While I'm not sure that we'll ever see a new Sunny figure on the horizon, we have plenty of past releases to enjoy. Her first release in the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line recently sold for $40.

*And if we're mentioning troubles, we have to bring up Paige. The young British star was one of the top prospects for WWE superstardom just a few years ago. In 2017, her career and life seem to be in absolute limbo. Too much too soon can do that, as well as many other factors. The former Total Divas star saw her first figure released with both the NXT and Divas championship belts and looks great holding both. The figure recently commanded $25 at auction.

No matter what the overly-PC world wants, even in wrestling, the term Divas will always be out there. That word takes nothing away from the women who were labeled as such. Memorabilia like what we've just seen does not detract, either. Stars are stars and many shown here will continue to shine for years to come.

England's Latest & Cutest WWE Export Goes Elite

We've been through it before. "First Time In The Line," "Diva," and a cool accessory can be a recipe for disaster as far as finding a Mattel WWE Elite figure. Although the higher priced Elite figures never seem to be quite as challenging to find as "hot" figures in the Basic series, occasionally distribution and other factors can figure into it. So far, the hottest WWE figure of 2015 has proven to be the equally hot-looking Paige. The 22-year-old Diva made her impact on the independent scene, NXT, and has now taken the main WWE roster by storm in the past year.

Paige joins the Mattel WWE line as part of the Elite 34 series. It's a Helluva set, with "modern" Hulk Hogan, Rusev and Doink the Clown all making their Elite figure debuts. As I always note, the Elite female figures are built the same as the Basic Divas, although they include accessories. Those accessories are likely part of the popularity of the Paige figure, but we'll get to that.

Mattel seems to have gone all out with the design of Paige. In addition to many newly sculpted costume parts, I do believe that the midriff part is new with this figure. The outfit design is "classic" Paige and matches the image of her on the box as is usually the case with Mattel. I'm glad that a dark purple outfit was chosen rather than basic black. The detail on the studded belt really pops out and almost appears as if it's a separate piece. The skin tone is as white and almost porcelain as the real Paige, and it wouldn't have been acceptable any other way.

As far as the facial likeness, there is no doubt that this is Paige. From the cleft in her chin to the lip piercing to those dark eyes, Paige certainly transferred well into figure form. I had never before paid attention to the fact that she has an interesting hair style. As far as this figure goes, her hair is only long on the sides with it cut to her neckline in the back. Her hair flails around so much in matches that I wouldn't have noticed this, but it is a unique style to be sure unless Mattel took some creative license.

As I mentioned, Paige is packaged with some unique accessories. For only the second time in the Mattel line we are treated to a chromed and painted WWE Divas Championship. Previously only available with the Elite Kelly Kelly figure from a few years ago, the belt looks better with Paige holding it. It appears bulky around her waist due to the design of it and her own studded belt that is part of her attire. Also included is the NXT Women's Championship. This belt actually looks better than the real deal. The NXT Championships are rather basic looking. This is likely intentional since the original idea of NXT was, of course, to be a developmental territory that accentuated the basics. It's nice and shiny, but again looks a bit bulky around the waist of Paige.

While not my early runner-up for "Figure of the Year" (that vote would go to her Elite Series-mate Rusev), it's definitely a solid figure. It's also definitely a hot figure right now, but unless you want the "First Time In The Line" figure of Paige, you could honestly wait. Paige is probably the most popular Diva in the company with no signs of stopping. Unlike many of the Mattel Diva figures, we can safely predict that this will not be the last of Paige. She will see more releases, and I wouldn't be shocked to see another Elite release featuring Paige in her jacket down the line. As for the NXT Women's Championship, I would imagine that it will make another appearance a bit further down the line. Mattel isn't going to tool an accessory for one single release. It would certainly make a great accessory for a Charlotte figure in the future.

The former Britani Knight makes for a great action figure. Her unique look sets her away from the stereotypical blonde WWE Diva. That, in addition to loads of charisma and great in-ring skills, make me hope that she sticks with the business for the long haul. It's in her blood, and you can't get more devoted than that.