The Greatest Hits Of The Legends

Four true blue wrestling legends on Thanksgiving? Sounds like a winning Survivor Series team to me! Instead of once again talking about the past glories of wrestling on Thanksgiving night, I thought it’d be fun to look back at four Mattel WWE Legends figures that are suddenly new again. It’s the Mattel WWE Legends Greatest Hits series. Exclusive to your favorite bullseyed retailer, the set started hitting stores earlier this month. And what about that phantom fifth figure? He’s still on the back! Grab some bread, Dukes mayo and either white or dark meat. It’s time for your first turkey sandwich of the night and a look at some toys!

While the initial Mattel WWE Greatest Hits line has already had several legends included, a retailer exclusive subset has now been introduced and is dedicated solely to the stars of yesteryear. The Greatest Hits concept itself brings previously released figures back to the line, almost always with some sort of upgrade. For the first set of Legends we’ve got The Ultimate Warrior, The Honky Tonk Man, Terry Funk and The British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith. The four are packaged in the Legends box design that we’re all quite familiar with. It will also likely be the last set to be in this particular box design as the next regular Legends set release is already known to be coming in brand new packaging. This set has been arriving to the stores in a “sidekick” (those cardboard displays that hang at the end of an aisle) featuring the same art as the individual boxes.

These four figures were originally released before three major design changes in the Mattel line: “True FX” facial scans, extra elbow jointing and removable hands. If you already have the four it’s up to you if picking up the new versions are worth the upgrade. Interestingly, Bruno Sammartino is still shown on the back of the box. The Living Legend was originally scheduled as the fifth figure in the series but was ultimately moved to a main line release in the Elite Series 110. Seeing as that this figure was, arguably, the best of the series, it may not be such a bad move. Bruno has only ever had one release in the Mattel line and that was a decade ago. This figure will seemingly have a greatly updated face thanks to the new technology and, for the first time as a figure anywhere, Bruno will be released in green trunks. It should be noted that while he remains on the packaging for this series, he was omitted from the store display art.

One of these figures is brand new to me, personally, and that would be Davey Boy Smith. This was the very first figure of the British Bulldog released by Mattel over a decade ago and, at the time, I simply wasn’t sold on the changeover from Jakks. I was basically buying figures such as Ricky Steamboat and Randy Savage who Jakks hadn’t made or previously released characters with all-new looks from Mattel such as short-haired SummerSlam ’90 Rick Rude. For whatever reason, short-haired Hart Foundation Davey didn’t make my cut back then. Now he does. I’ll say that he isn’t quite bulky enough and maybe that put me off of the original release. We all remember how big Davey was at the time, albeit with tragic consequences. Still, I’m glad to finally get the figure and the soft goods Hart Foundation vest is great.

The Ultimate Warrior is always a favorite and a hot seller. This look has been done several times but the Elite version here was first available in a Flashback series that I reviewed here on the blog so many years ago. Included are the Macho King’s “breakaway” scepter (the plastic-y Royal Rumble ’91 version that was used to cost the Warrior the title while he was wearing this attire) and the WWF “winged eagle” championship belt on the never-before-released pinkish-purple strap. The inclusion of a “new” belt should cause this figure to be popular alone. While I have tons of fists from other figures, as I’m sure you do as well, I really feel a set should’ve been included here. The Warrior’s fists were always flying.

The Honky Tonk Man in his blue jumpsuit was a welcomed addition to this set by many. Not only is it an iconic look, but the original release has deteriorated in the eyes of many. This blue jumpsuit with The Honky Tonk Man caricature was originally included in the Retrofest line a few years ago which is best remembered for being packaged in cool arcade game cabinet-styled boxes. What the line is infamous for is that the blue jumpsuit has faded to a light purple for many collectors. Hopefully a different dye/material/whatever was used to prevent this for this re-release. The face is sort of neutral here and I wouldn’t say that it really looks EXACTLY like ol’ HTM, but it’s not someone completely different, either.

For a few reasons, the star of this set for me is The Funker. We may have just lost him, but we all knew that he’d live on. This version of Funk relives his reign as ECW Champion. The face looks pretty much identical to the original but it’s two other features that I enjoy. The first is the inclusion of taped fists. You know you’ve seen countless photos of The Funker posing with those legendary and lethal taped fists. The other feature, which is included with all of these figures, is that the head is removable. Because of this you can take one of the heads from the Terry Funk figure out of The Coliseum Collection and attach it to this body. While the tights are a tad more colorful here, this “mix” is very close to an ’89-era Funk look. I can feel the figure photography already.

This is a solid set. It would have been even better with Bruno, but at least we are eventually getting him. I predict good sales, too, as it’s hitting just as the holiday buying season is kicking in. That’s not to say that these guys will evade clearance completely, but you just don’t know. Grandma Mabel Bertha Ethel remembers these names and is sure that her grandson, Hunter Axel Liam, is going to want these under his tree. It’s also hard to say if stores will be getting shipments beyond what comes included in the sidekick display. Whatever the case may be, it’s a nice lineup to kick off the Legends Greatest Hits. Now go! Get outta here! Grab another sandwich or make your first leftover plate. Why not fire up a classic Survivor Series? To make it simple for you, I’ll suggest 1989. You know you want to hear Vince yelling the names.

“Gobble, gobble.”—Gorilla Monsoon

Thanksgiving Came A Little Early This Year…

They gave us The Bunny. They almost gave us Santa. We have Hacksaw to cover any holiday that involves the good ol’ red, white and blue. What else is there? Oh yeah. Just my favorite holiday, Thanksgiving! You mean to tell me that The Gobbledy Gooker still didn’t have a figure after nearly 33 years of life? He didn’t, but he does now! Of course, it takes buying the ten millionth release of someone that I haven’t given much of a care about in three decades, but due to the ideas that were hatched in the creation of this set you’ll see that it’s actually worth it.

In the latest Amazon exclusive entry in the Mattel WWE Ultimate Edition collection we get a two-pack that celebrates the 1990 Survivor Series. It’s a show that’s fairly historical for several reasons and has always been a favorite of mine. I can’t say that those aforementioned historical reasons are why it’s always been special to me, though. I’ve always just loved the absolute multitude of stars on one card, as was the case with the first four editions of the Survivor Series. It’s also a rather transitional show. Some debuts. Some departures. Three impactful names over the previous years in Rick Rude, Bad News Brown and Akeem were even slated for the show but, due to various reasons, ultimately didn’t appear.

Even the packaging for this set reflects the show. Once you open the WWE Ultimate Edition logoed brown box you pull out a graphically intense inner box housing the figures. This box is designed to resemble the Coliseum Video box for the 1990 Survivor Series since both of these figures, the Gooker and The Undertaker, debuted on that show. But why is it so big? There are only two Ultimate Edition figures in there, right? Think again. Also included in its own box is the Gobbledy Gooker’s egg, complete with removable “hatching” lid. If that’s not enough, the box housing the egg is actually the black Survivor Series question mark stage that the egg sat upon. But wait, Ron Popeil, there’s more! You get not one but two double sided sheets of cardboard. One side is a small Survivor Series 1990 crowd background while the other is the brick wall backdrop used for the promo photos taken before the event (likely at SummerSlam). As much as I give it to Mattel for the frustrations that they often pass along to collectors, this is the kind of detail that is greatly appreciated.

Both of the figures themselves are in the standard Ultimate Edition boxes and, unlike some of the figures included with The New Generation arena set, are sealed just like figures you’d buy at retail. As usual the plentiful accessories are displayed accordingly which, in my opinion, doesn’t make for a great “keep in the box” visual. Still, aside from autographing purposes, who would keep these in the box anyway? Toys are meant to be played with and if ever there was a toy made to be played with it’s The Gobbledy Gooker. I like that Mattel included Mean Gene and Brother Love in shots on the boxes to further commemorate the event being recognized.

We’ll get The Undertaker out of the way first. I know that I’m in the minority but I’ve never made it a secret that I’m no big fan. As my friend Chris so correctly stated, “Guy was cool for three years and sucked for thirty.” I couldn’t have said it better. For me, he’s always had an air of self-importance that’s very off-putting. He lucked into a character that resonated with a lot of fans in an era where such characters were championed. The whole “locker room leader” stuff that we began to hear a lot about in the late 1990s really went to his head. That being said, I’ve always been able to separate the person from the character, so if I liked the character beyond 1992ish I guess I’d be good, but I didn’t. Regardless, we’re here to talk the figure and I’m sure that this is one that many of his fans have been clamoring for. I, myself, would rather have had the person who he ended up replacing on The Million Dollar Team, Bad News Brown.

What’s cool about the figure is that you do get the black gloves (and multiple hand positions at that) which he debuted in at the event in addition to the more common gray. He also comes with his trademark hat, ubiquitous duster coat, tie and an additional head with alternate expression. The faces are perfect and really run the gamut since, at that time anyway, he was fairly limited in his facials. The duster is soft goods which, as in most cases, I appreciate. It’s a bit stiff coming out of the box and I just didn’t feel inclined to straighten it out much before the photography was done so if he looks a bit rumpled that would be why. The tie fits on when you remove the head. There feels like something’s a bit off when it’s on but I can’t quite put my finger on it. Maybe I’m just not covering it well enough. The body of the figure seems very poseable and should please any Taker fan looking to play, display or do some photography.

Now onto the main event, the Thanksgiving icon himself. I don’t know if this is exactly the figure that Mattel showed a prototype of many years ago and stated would never be released, but from my recollection it’s just as good if not better. Not counting the egg you get two heads and an extra set of hands. Two heads for a costumed character? Yes. In the eleven years between his birth at Survivor Series and his WrestleMania debut in 2001 his appearance differed greatly! We’ll have more on that in a bit. The design on the costume captures those feathers perfectly. The arms are removable like the head and you can remove the “torso feather” piece, too, though I’m not sure that it’s really supposed to be taken off. When you put the big bird inside of his egg for a “popping out” effect I actually feel like this is some sort of Disney set around piece rather than a wrestling figure. It has that “cartoon-character-becomes-three-dimensional” look to it. It’s just fun all around and should have been done years ago.

How about that egg? The “cracked lid” lifts right off to put The Gooker or any figure inside. You could even have certain figures “hide” inside. Maybe “The Eggman,” Andre the Giant or King Kong Bundy (as were all rumored at the time) could finally emerge from it? No, Mean Gene, we’re not having Miss November pop out. This is a family blog.

So after three decades we finally have the big guy. You could argue that it’s a one off and, especially in this style, I’d be inclined to agree. However, knowing Mattel’s penchant for scheming as to how they can reuse tooling, I do have a thought about yet another Gooker that could be done. Remember when we talked of how our favorite wrestling bird was a bit different in 2001’s Gimmick Battle Royal? I could definitely see the alternate head being reused, possibly in a Basic (or whatever they’re calling them now) two pack with another GBR entrant? The costume in that match was MUCH smaller and had far less detail. The legs here would likely be reusable, too. For the Taker fans, I wouldn’t be surprised to see a much more basic version of this look down the line, either. 

Until next time…or Thanksgiving…gobble gobble!

Giving True Thanks...

Seeing as that for more than a few years this blog has been published on Thursday, we've had quite a few topics with a Thanksgiving theme. Wrestling has a long tradition on the November holiday, dating back to large live events across the country. Most fans know that those shows eventually evolved to the early incarnations of Starrcade and Survivor Series being held on Turkey Day.

These days, the superstars are home with their families on Thanksgiving. It's a double-edged sword, seeing as that an after dinner event could possibly still be a great draw. On the other hand, who should really be working on such a family-oriented day? Although a great discussion, it's not what we're moving towards here.

It was actually Instagram that put this week's thoughts into motion. I recently opened an Instagram account for the blog (@jws_wrestling_memorabilia), as if this entity needed more of a social media presence. In thinking of a Thanksgiving photo post, I decided that last year's creation would be suitable since it would be "fresh" to Instagram. Due to recent events, I almost changed my mind.

The photo that I shared around last year as a Thanksgiving blog greeting featured one of my favorite characters, "The Ugandan Giant" Kamala. As a slight takeoff of the time that Kamala "ate" a live chicken on Tuesday Night Titans, my photo featured Mattel's very realistic Kamala figure eyeing up a nice representation of a gobbler. Just several days ago it was revealed that James Harris, the man behind the Kamala makeup, was hospitalized and on life support.

The health struggles of Mr. Harris over the past few years have been well documented, including but not limited to the man losing his legs. With the grim news of his hospitalization, I immediately dreaded memorializing the man in the very blog entry that you're now reading. Obviously if that were the case, Instagram would have to wait a few years before seeing the picture post that I described.

Amazingly, as of press time the news is that James "Kamala" Harris has been removed from life support after regaining the ability to breathe on his own. While he likely has much recovery to do, the news elicits a huge sigh of relief from his friends and fans. In his honor, I did in fact post the "Kamala's Thanksgiving" photo on Instagram which you will also find at the end of this blog entry.

Instagram postings nor even wrestling memorabilia are the true story here, though. A message that cannot be preached enough, Thanksgiving Day or otherwise, is the fact that we really should be thankful for all that we have. If you have the time and ability to be reading this blog entry right now, even that shows that you have things to be thankful for. You have time to be sitting and reading something that, on most weeks, is a pure enjoyable read and has no bearing on life as a whole. On my end, I am thankful that I have the time and means to bring it to you. It also says that you have an Internet connection of some sort, which makes your life a lot easier no matter how much you may deny that fact.

And what about Mr. Harris? We can be sure that he is thankful for being alive, as is his family. As Jim Ross reminds us, tomorrow is not guaranteed. If you're fortunate enough to have even one person in your life, take the time to think about them. Don't take them for granted. Savor each day that you have with them. Enjoy the present...