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

Figure(s) Of The Year 2022

I can’t really say that 2022 was a great year for anything, but we did receive some nice figures. Did we get everything that we wanted? No, but as Darren McGavin taught us, “That’s, that’s, that’s, that’s, that’s life.” I’ve done enough ranting about the negatives in the past several weeks, so let’s look at the good things. I really feel that this was more a year for improvements than actual new figures. Sure we had some thrown in here and there, but it was really twelve months of some really good new versions of old favorites. Perhaps, “Ultimate” versions? While I use that terminology, neither are part of Mattel’s “Ultimate Edition” line, though that is the company that produced them. Yes, I say “them,” as we have a tie this year. Say hello to your 2022 Figures of The Year: Mattel WWE Elite 96 Hulk Hogan and Elite Survivor Series Ultimate Warrior.

Although both of these legendary characters did in fact receive Ultimate Edition figures this year, for my money neither were quite as good as Elite offerings that we received late in the year. While the Ultimate body style often works well, sometimes the tried and true Elite sculpting and articulation is really all that you need. The choice of style and décor is always a factor as well, and each of these figures brought us a truly unique look that’s never been done before. One is so good that, minus a few of the accessories, it could be looked at as the quintessential version of the wrestler. Yes, we’ve seen countless versions of The Hulkster and The Warrior, but 2022 brought us two of the all-time best.

 

Hulk includes two accessories that he only briefly used back in 1988. The “war bonnet” helmet and license plate to go around his neck were used virtually only on house shows and in local promos advertising them. What’s nice is that The Hulkster’s standard bandana is also included. Throw that on and you absolutely have the post-Rock n’ Wrestling Hulk figure that we’ve all been waiting for. How many out there grew up on this Hulk look? Honestly, if I were running the game, I’d re-release this guy in 2023 minus the helmet and necklace, throw in a shirt, and plop him into a “Top Picks” series. He’s that iconic and a figure that really every collector should have.

The Ultimate Warrior is a bit more show specific as it’s the exact look from the 1990 Survivor Series. What’s nice about the design is that it’s show specific without LOOKING show specific. The Warrior wore many similar designs and colors in this era. While the WrestleMania VI look is iconic (and overdone as a figure), it’s really locked to that show. He never wore anything else quite like it at any other time. Of course the sky is the limit when it’s your figure. You do as you please. If you want the Mania VI Warrior press slamming Andre the Giant in your latest figure photography post, you do it! Hell, I may just do that after this blog entry. But it’s nice to have a more neutral look here and there. This figure brings that to us. It also utilizes a head sculpt that was only used once before. For a character with as many wild expressions as The Ultimate Warrior, we deserve a variety of faces.

Other runners-up? In my opinion several releases of Randy Savage, The Canadian Earthquake (some of you may have had him in late 2021, to me he’s a 2022 release) and even the “chase” Lex Luger in orange tights all fit the bill. Retro Jimmy Hart should also get a mention for the sheer awesomeness of finally having a Hasbro-styled manager figure. As for 2023, Mattel has already showcased several figures that in my book have FOTY written all over them and one outside company is about to give everyone a run for their money. You thought that the shady performances of “boutique” manufacturers killed the chances for one to make it as FOTY? Not by a long shot. I’m looking at you, PowerTown and Stan Hansen…

The Ravishing One Cleans Up

That guy is reviewing a figure from D-X? The nWo? The Attitude Era? Doesn’t he always bitch and moan nonstop about that era?

 

Well, “yes” to all of the above. But like many of you I’m a complex collector. As soon as a suited Ravishing Rick Rude was announced I must say that it excited me as much as a “First Time In The Line” legend figure would. First and foremost I’m a fan of The Ravishing One in any era. Second, I don’t necessarily damn *everything* from the late ‘90s. Third, who remembers Rude’s run as WCW International Heavyweight Champion? Rude appeared in promo shots as well as on television in a suit during that run. Add it all up and you bet that this is a figure that I’m going to love…and review!

 

Suited Rude comes to us as a Build-A-Figure. These sets are obviously selling as there are more available and/or in production than ever before. A set (that was not reviewed here but was shown on our socials) featuring a child version of Dominik Mysterio was released not long ago and Royal Rumble and WrestleMania sets featuring Dok Hendrix and Mean Gene Okerlund in a tuxedo, respectively, are in the pipeline. Each set now seems to be themed towards a specific “Big Four” pay-per-view or “premium live event” as they’re now known. The Mysterio set was geared towards SummerSlam while the group we’re looking at today is based on the Survivor Series.

 

With a few exceptions, most of the sets as of late seem to feature one “legend” and three current talents in addition to the Build-A-Figure. In case this is your first rodeo, pieces of the BAF are included with each of the individual figures thus getting you to purchase all four main figures. To be honest I’m getting less and less enthused with the main four figure choices. In one respect it’s the only way that I’ll purchase repaints/re-releases of certain stars. I think we have enough “modern” Shawn Michaels and Rey Mysterio figures to last a lifetime. They say “vote with your wallet,” but in reality that just doesn’t work. These figures sell and, at least in my experience, are rarely seen on the pegs. You have to remember that disregarding those of us who are buying them all to create the BAF, you’ve got kids and parents grabbing for the latest HBK or AJ Styles. It’s a formula that works for Mattel. If it keeps getting us figures (especially legends) that won’t be produced otherwise I will continue to stick by it. I’d be a hypocrite if I complained any more on the topic as I’ve picked up every Mattel WWE BAF set since the first. Between JJ Dillon, Paul Ellering, Teddy Long, The Fink and Jim Ross, among many others, the program has yielded some great additions to the line.

 

This time around we’ve got The Ultimate Warrior, Becky Lynch, Drew McIntyre and AJ Styles. Interesting to me is that it’s The Warrior who contains the most unique pieces to build Rude – his heads. That’s right, you get both a mustached and bearded head. If you’re really dead set on not picking up the other three figures you could easily use the heads on another suited figure body. With a new look and rather fresh head sculpt, this figure of The Ultimate Warrior will be the hottest seller here regardless of including the “crucial” pieces to the Rude BAF. Ultimately (no pun intended) it comes down to budgetary restraint as to which figure includes which BAF piece. There has been at least one instance in the past (and one ostensibly upcoming in the Rumble set) where only three of the four figures in the wave were actually needed to build the complete fifth figure.

 

I’m not going to spend too much time on Lynch, McIntyre and Styles. Not only are they fairly uninteresting, but after a decade I know this blog’s audience. Most modern day-only fans aren’t looking for what a 40-year-old man thinks of the latest figure of “The Man.” She looks good, as does Styles, but I just have a feeling that they’re underwhelming releases even to those who actively collect them. McIntyre, on the other hand, is a bit better. I can remember when, not too long ago, the Elite version of “young” Drew from the very early days of the Mattel line was a hot commodity. With upgrades in figure production technology this one is obviously better and comes with a pretty cool soft goods entrance vest that the original lacked. While the fourth figure and BAF Rude are the obvious gems, this Drew isn’t the worst inclusion and is sort of fun as long as we have to include modern names.

 

Speaking of that fourth figure, you already know that it’s The Ultimate Warrior. With a fairly new head sculpt (previously used just once) and paint designed to resemble his look from the 1990 Survivor Series, this is an absolutely stunning figure. I can practically hear him declaring that Tito Santana’s fandom/mania/whatever is “Arriba Derce” to go along with “Hulkamania” and “Warrior Wildness.” You didn’t know that? Go watch the pre-Match of Survival promo. I haven’t done it yet, but throw a winged eagle belt on him and this just may be a picture perfect figure. Everyone goes wild for the “Ultimate Edition” figures of The Warrior and rightfully so, but for my money I’m not sure that we have a better one than this right here. The skeletons certainly made their sacrifice for this figure…

 

And we come to the Build-A-Figure. Some may not be as excited about this one as I am, but for me it’s just a figure that should’ve been made long ago. Suited figures are the favorite of many. There’s something very “old school wrestling” about classic wrestlers in suits. If Rude’s career had gone on as long as it had every right to, I could see him transitioning away from the robes and more towards this. This is another figure that will look great with a belt, preferably “big gold.” I didn’t do a picture of that as of yet, but I’m sure one will pop up on our figure photography social (IG: The_Figure_Arena) or even on Twitter. One issue that mine does have is that the left arm won’t stay attached. My BAF JJ Dillon and Gene Okerlund (who was ultimately not a BAF in the U.S. but came with “switchable arms” anyway) have had the same issue.

 

As much as I love the BAF I can honestly say that I feel that this set won’t be worthwhile to most collectors. Despite it being one of my top wanted versions of Rude I can see a lot choosing to pass. If these show up in abundance at retail it will be The Ultimate Warrior flying off of the shelves. If you’re any kind of Warrior collector, you’ll need this version. There have been “must have” BAF sets and others that are less than such. Unless you feel as I do about building Rude, this one will likely fall in the latter category for you. The upcoming Royal Rumble Dok Hendrix BAF set features Vader (in an update to the “Vader Time” version), Rey Myserio (again), Damian Priest and Brie Bella. The WrestleMania set featuring the Mean Gene BAF is a breath of fresh air for legends collectors with WrestleMania VI versions of Dusty Rhodes and Macho King Randy Savage as well as Hollywood Hogan and The Rock. I guess we could classify that foursome as “The Skydome Series.”

 

In the meantime, maybe go and pull up the 8/18/97 episode of Raw. Don’t do it on Peacock or you’ll miss the classic, and now edited, Rick Rude theme. The show opens with Vince McMahon introducing Rude as “one of the all-time World Wrestling Federation greats” and the subsequent promo gives us a little taste of what may have been had Rude not jumped to WCW only to be totally wasted in his final years. Perhaps the seeing last great incarnation of “The Ravishing One” will inspire you to make your Mattel collection a little more “Rude,” as well.

From The Musty Yellowed Pages--New York Daily News WWF WrestleMania VI Supplement

Though I’ve been very much in a WrestleMania IV frenzy over the last several weeks, with more likely coming as next year marks 35 years, it remains my second favorite WrestleMania event. My first is and will always be WrestleMania VI. You’ve got Hogan-Warrior, Dusty, Macho King (my favorite version of Randy Savage), Andre’s turn (and “final” match, although we all know better), The Twin Towers colliding, the final team-up of Monsoon and Ventura and even Mary Tyler Moore. It was a star-studded affair and the first Mania that truly looks slick. No, not “The Doctor of Style.” I’m speaking of production values. The first two Mania’s greatly resemble any other WWF event of the day. WrestleMania III is visually amazing being at the Silverdome, but you can still see the WWF growing in terms of how to properly present a spectacle. IV and V are there, but the intimate atmosphere of Atlantic City’s Boardwalk Hall doesn’t allow them to truly show off what they now know. WrestleMania VI at the cavernous Skydome in Toronto does just that.

But we’re not here today to look at why it’s my favorite event. Today we’re looking at yet another effort by the WWF to get you to watch the event back in 1990. Newspapers were still a huge deal thirty-two years ago. My family religiously purchased our Sunday paper (on Saturday night, of course) and I knew many people who had the paper delivered daily. It’s no surprise that the WWF heavily advertised anywhere from USA Today to your own local paper and even those on the more "tabloidian" end. If you picked up The New York Daily News on Friday, March 30, 1990, hopefully you saved what you’re seeing here. The WWF purchased an entire pullout supplement not only hyping the WrestleMania VI matches but also giving a bit of history on the past five events.

The articles are obviously expertly written, possibly by in-house historian Howard Finkel himself? At a glance the only visible mistakes are deeming Rick Rude as “Ravish” instead of “Ravishing" and mislabeling Jake Roberts as Rude in a photo, but we’ll forgive those. A complete rundown of April 1, 1990’s matches is included with my four favorites listed as the top four. I had nothing to do with it, though you do get the feeling that Boss Man-Akeem really was supposed to be a lot more than it ended up being due to time cuts. After all, just a year prior these two were main eventing shows around the country and even NBC’s Saturday Night’s Main Event.. The Boss Man himself was also about to begin a major babyface singles run. At least here, in the NY Daily News of all places, it gets a boost being listed fourth.

Plenty of ads fill our supplement, both WWF and local in nature. Need a VCR to record the big event? Look no further than Cameo Camera & Video conveniently located in Brooklyn! Don’t want to miss a call during Hulk-Warrior? Try The Beeper Connection! And it may not be Sy Sperling and The Hair Club For Men, but Hair Replacement Systems will get you growing in three locations including Yonkers! The Hulk Hogan vitamins certainly would’ve had you growing hair…somewhere! Anyone else remember the embossed box? Regardless, “This Call’s For You!” on the WWF Hotline. No, that’s not 1-900-909-9900. That’s some other number. It’s 1-900-909-WWF6. I would totally pay whatever charges today if I could hear an exclusive Dusty and Sapphire promo. If you think I’m joking you’re on the wrong blog.

In all seriousness, this thing is a great hype job. It discusses the Fan Festival events that began in Atlantic City and will continue in Toronto. It gives some good background on the The Ultimate Challenge and there’s even a fun little article on the WWF Fan Club. Apparently there were promotions associated with the club such as “Hacksaw Jim Duggan’s 2x4,” “A Day In The Life Of The Million Dollar Man,” “The Ultimate Weekend” (where the winner is said to have been rewarded with merchandise and live event tickets) and even “What’s In Jake The Snake Roberts’ Bag?” Hmmm. Knowing what we know now I’m hoping that no kids were the winners of the latter.

Little things like this really did a lot to spread the word of WrestleMania. They don’t need to do it today due to the oft-discussed name value that the event now holds. With newspapers all but gone, something like this likely wouldn’t even reach that many people. That being said, this is a yellowing time capsule of both wrestling and culture itself. In any event, I’m fired up. I think I’ll settle in and watch The Ultimate Challenge now. The hype obviously worked on me, I think I’m up to viewing #100, at least…

Let's Talk WrestleMania...

I really didn’t think that I’d ever see the day where I had zero interest in WrestleMania, but that day has come. This isn’t going to be a giant putdown of the show nor the current WWE product, it just isn’t for me. Plenty of people still enjoy it. Instead, I want to celebrate what brought us to this point of WrestleMania 38. Personally, I feel that there were moments of brilliance in the show through WrestleMania 31. The spectacle is unmatched and that’s only enhanced when combined with a great match, a great story, or even both. The hype of the show has, for the most part, always been very real. There’s a reason that fans travel from around the globe to the event. As much as some fans would like you to think that it’s the piggyback shows and events that go on that weekend that draws those fans, it isn’t. It’s purely the name WrestleMania. 

As I admitted above, I could point to entertaining editions of the show even within the last decade. That being said, the true spirit of WrestleMania lives within the first six. When I first started encountering wrestling discussion on the internet nearly thirty years ago, I was shocked as to the little regard that those “fans” held these shows in. They would take whatever “five star” match from each show that they could and disregard the rest. Honestly, it’s the same kind of toxicity that’s killed wrestling fandom today. Nonetheless, if this is your mindset, stop reading now. My kind of wrestling fan is the type that appreciates The Big Boss Man versus Akeem as much as Steamboat – Savage. This is the fan that loves every second from the opening announcements to the final three count. The look and feel of the arena is as important and defining to you as the individual superstars. That’s you, isn’t it? 

Everything starts somewhere. For the World Wrestling Federation there was no better launching pad for their signature event than Madison Square Garden. While watching today you can sense that even the stars themselves know that something big is happening. When you can still get often-jaded wrestlers to admit that nearly forty years later, it was obviously a big deal even then. The fact that major mainstream stars of the time were involved and that others came out just to watch showed that the boom had begun. This is the “Rock ‘N Wrestling” WrestleMania for sure. While the look may be underwhelming to some, it captures the birth of a phenomenon coupled with the gritty “New York wrestling” feel that the WWF was built on.

WrestleMania 2 is when the “super show” aspect started to appear with the never-again-duplicated factor of having the show emanate from three different venues. The celebrities were tripled to ensure that each location (New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, respectively) would each have their share. Many have doubted the impact of the true main event, Hulk Hogan versus King Kong Bundy, in hindsight. I think it was perfectly adequate for the time, with this being the first “Hogan against a monster” main event to be seen on this grand of a scale. While Roddy Piper was certainly one of, if not Hogan’s greatest villain, the grotesque Bundy brought a different sort of menace to Hulkamania that year. Throwing the company’s biggest villain in Piper against their biggest available celebrity in Mr. T into a boxing match certainly shows that even from the beginning, the spectacle could at times triumph over any other booking decision. The “What The World Has Come To” tag line from the show was a memorable prototype for a similar slogan which would arrive just about two years later and define a generation. 

So much has been said about WrestleMania III, but it truly was the peak of the ‘80s wrestling boom. The surge of a decade later was certainly as big, but it didn’t have anything near the heart and charm of the ‘80s. By this time everyone knew that WrestleMania was something special. I often point to a fun, but often overlooked, little Coliseum Video segment featuring Gorilla Monsoon and Lord Alfred Hayes. It’s a simple little scene discussing the advantages of home video, but the two veterans talking about the first two WrestleMania’s and the one about to begin is a lot of fun. It’s small, every day banter like that which is missing from today’s presentation and commentating. Monsoon and Jesse Ventura peppered their commentary with that very flavor, thus cementing them as my favorite WWF team for life.

I’ve often said that if you’re a fan of WrestleMania IV, we’re automatically friends. I still mean that. Of all of the classic WrestleMania events and WWF content that saw hate in the early days of the Internet, it was the 1988 edition that seemed to garner the most hate. It ranks as my second favorite of them all. While I’m not a boxing aficionado, that sport truly knows how to make an event feel special; it’s where “big fight feel” comes from. Maybe it was the Atlantic City setting, but WrestleMania IV had that feel. To this day there are those who are bitter that Savage – Steamboat didn’t happen again here. It’s time to move beyond that. Are some of the matches short? Sure. It’s a tournament. It’s no stretch to think that timed matches in a tournament where the biggest title in the game is up for grabs would cause frantic action. The whole presentation feels different from anything else the WWF has ever done and is honestly refreshing. It also feels like the most “eighties” WrestleMania to me. I don’t know that I can quite put that feeling into words, although this is the show that can be summed up in the company’s slogan at the time, “What The World Is Watching.” In a company that’s had countless catchphrases over the years, to me this was the best. Epic yet simple. Though we were a bit past the peak of the ‘80s wrestling boom, you DID know a ton of people who were watching the World Wrestling Federation at the time. Adding to the fun, I should mention that this is really when the extracurricular activities of WrestleMania truly kicked in, thanks in part to the show being held at Trump Plaza. Superstar appearances, meals and the 5K race were all created to make a big wrestling show into a family event. 

WrestleMania V does have a lot of the uniqueness that it’s predecessor had the year before, but I’ve never been quite as attracted to it for whatever reason. Still, “The Mega Powers Explode!” was enough to excite the many fans who were still fervently following. I will admit that the crowd does seem a bit more into this show than the previous year, but there’s just something missing that keeps V from being as memorable to me as IV. Nevertheless, both of these Atlantic City WrestleMania shows are chalk full of the legends that so many of us grew up with. I've eaten up the many fan recollections of attending these shows that have popped up over the years. There was even a gallery of photos that showed amazing candid shots of many of the stars in and around Trump Plaza on both of the weekends. Sadly, they seem to have vanished. (If anyone has saved those photos or knows where I can view them, please reach out to me.) Accounts from The Blue Meanie and Lance Storm can also be found on their respective sites and social media. While I disagree on a lot of wrestling philosophy with the latter ECW original (though we both loved the Gorilla and Jesse team), his photos from WrestleMania IV are an absolute joy if you love the event as much as I do. 

Finally, we get to what is and will always be my favorite WrestleMania. It has a main event that was an absolute clash of titans. It has Dusty Rhodes and Sapphire. It has ring carts. It even has Mary Tyler Moore. WrestleMania VI flows like fine wine. The transition from the crowd cheering Robert Goulet's rendition of “Oh, Canada” to the opening strains of “Do The Bird” as the opening match commences is impeccable. Can I be so bold as to insert a chef’s kiss here? The WWF production was absolutely on fire and this show honestly looked even more polished and glossy than many standard sporting events of the day. It also feels like a transition of the times. Of course Hogan losing was a big deal in that sense, but the list of stars featured spanning from Andre the Giant, Randy Savage, Rhodes and Piper but also including the likes of Bret Hart and Shawn Michaels is really amazing to think about.

The photos accompanying these Mania memories are what tie this whole thing into the theme of this blog, each picture being a mix of promotional materials. Some of the most inquired about items in my entire collection are the WrestleMania press kits. They are not easy to come by and, like most of my favorite items, are rather undocumented. Keep all the bland prototype figures that you want, give me these pieces of history any day. 

As for this year, I will not watch. I didn’t watch last year and sought out just a few matches in the years prior. Still, I’m very happy that the tradition lives on. Perhaps some day the product will veer back around to the presentation that I enjoy. Again, there is plenty of talent to go around and probably always will be. For those of you who still faithfully watch, I do hope it's an amazing event full of great matches and moments.

And remember, The Iron Sheik is scheduled to make it to the ring this year. If you know, you know.

Introducing The 2021 Figure Of The Year...

Isn't it January 2020? As hard as it is to believe, as of press time we're hours away from January 2022. I don't have to list the reasons why time is flying faster than ever. Did we even have Christmas this year? If we did I think I missed it. On the bright side we did have another great year of wrestling figures and a wider variety than in decades. Mattel, Jazwares and all of the boutique companies have brought us a bevy of wrestlers of all shapes and sizes from the past, present and future. My wallet is already cringing at what 2022 will bring. Before we examine the power of the winner, let's check out my runners up.

My criteria is not only based on the figure itself, but also distribution. If there wasn't an easy way for collectors to get their hands on a particular figure, it won't be my Figure of the Year. For example, despite being one of my favorite Mattel WWE figures of all-time, their King Harley Race of several years ago would never have won the award. Had he been in a regularly distributed set I can't see anyone else having won that year. 

Coming close to winning two years in a row was The Ultimate Warrior. Another of my all-time favorite Mattel WWE figures was last the 2020 winner, WWE Legends Ultimate Warrior. That figure famously depicted him in his final WWE appearance just hours before his death. I still can't believe that we have the figure in our collections. Another great Warrior hit our collections this year, this time depicting his WWF return at WrestleMania XII in 1996. A Ringside Exclusive, the figure is still available thus certainly making it obtainable. The detail is absolutely amazing and the paint is second-to-none.

From Jazwares and All Elite Wrestling we have two runners up, both also seeing releases as Ringside Exclusives. The first is the TNT Champion Cody Rhodes. Handsomely packaged in a window box that doubles as a Double Or Nothing entrance stage, this was the first release of the AEW TNT Championship belt. Cody seems to be currently facing a backlash that has plagued more than one top star over the years. In a decade he will be talked about glowingly among most fans. Mark my words. Of course, it could all be an invention of the toxic Twitter twits in their basements.

The second AEW figure on my list is referee Aubrey Edwards. A truly pioneering figure, it's the first time that a female wrestling referee has been immortalized in plastic. The figure also looks like they simply shrunk Miss Edwards down to six inches. It's that spot on. I would've preferred that she had been released on her own as opposed to having to purchase an expensive "real scale" ring in order to get her, but I know that I'm not the only one who took the plunge. I also had the chance to talk about the figure with Miss Edwards shortly before its release. She couldn't hide her happiness.

The smaller "boutique" lines are just getting started and in my opinion we'll have a lot more of these figures showing up as runners up in 2022. My inclusion for 2021 is none other than The Blue Meanie. Perhaps the most "toyetic" wrestler ever, The Meanie has been very underrepresented over the years as far as action figures. He has two more coming in 2022 including a repaint of this one. This release not only captured Meanie but also that slightly cartoonish Hasbro style. Chella Toys is doing a great job with their Wrestling Megastars line and I do predict that they will ultimately end up as the most cherished of all of the "retro" styled figures.

Our winner? The Warlord. Yes, he was part of Mattel's "Collectors Series" program and an exclusive to Wal Mart, but there was ample time to order him from their website even if you never saw him in stores. I was blown away by the detail on him from the face paint to the tights to the entrance gear. Perhaps the only thing that could've made him better to me personally was had he been in the WWE Legends line. Of the packaging from the past several years (since Mattel dropped the rectangle boxes) the Legends colors and design appeal to me the most. Will we ever get The Barbarian from Mattel? Maybe. But this half of The Powers of Pain turned out a real champ.

We're now coming up on the third year where the blog has no longer been weekly. When I began the blog in 2009, and even further back in the '90s when I published my newsletter, very few people were writing about wrestling memorabilia. I hate to declare that the blog is antiquated, but I feel that blogging as a whole is going the way of physical print media. People want podcasts. I've been told by many that I should go the podcasting route. If I were to do so, wrestling memorabilia would not be the topic. It's overexposed. That being said the blog isn't going anywhere. I still have ideas that I would like to explore with more undoubtedly ready to pop up. For those of you who continue to read the blog, I truly appreciate you.

A New Warrior For A New Generation

You don't have to be a fan of a particular event to want to own merchandise derived from it. I have never been a fan of WrestleMania XII. I've never enjoyed the Iron Man match nor much on the under card. At the time I remember being shocked at how few matches were on the show. The Internet was abuzz that less matches would equal better quality. Wrong. But even though his match was a squash, it was great to see The Ultimate Warrior back in action with a fresh and updated look for "The New WWF Generation."

Mattel's latest WWE exclusive through Ringside Collectibles tackles this exact look. Jakks had included it in their Classic Superstars line, famously packaging some of the figures backward in order to show the detail of the duster. We once again get the duster here along with some other cool accessories which we'll discuss in a minute. I seriously wish that Ringside received all of the Mattel exclusives, especially those involving legends which are nearest and dearest to me. A couple of clicks and I'm guaranteed to own the figure at the price originally intended. I'll stop there.

The packaging here is similar to other recent Ringside exclusives such as WALTER and Bray Wyatt. It's a box without any true way to hang it. Some collectors are against this, others love it. I, personally, enjoy the way that the boxes look and were I to buy any extras for autograph purposes (sadly not an option with The Warrior) I'd be very excited to add them to the signed collection. The window of the box is in the shape of the Warrior's famous face paint. The extra hands are visible in the window but don't detract from the presentation. You know that they're there, but they aren't enough of a focal point that they look strange.

Something else that you may notice upon looking at the figure boxed is the WrestleMania XII logo behind The Warrior. Much to my surprise this is a tri-fold cardboard backdrop of the entrance from the 1996 event. Very unexpected and cool. Mattel did not need to include this, but they did. I applaud things like that, especially when they're a nod to wrestling history. If you follow our social media you saw just how cool the figure looks "taking off from the gate."

We've seen the tooling of much of this figure elsewhere before, but the head seems to be completely new. It's a great face with a very intense Warrior look. If it has been used before I don't remember it. Sometimes it's hard to pinpoint on figures that include face paint. The blonder hair was definitely accurate for the era. The blues and oranges are particularly striking as far as the gear goes and The Warrior has his arm tattoo as he did in this era. We've seen the tattoo a few times before on Mattel figures and I can think of at least one more figure where, should the look be produced, it will pop up again.

The duster is a slightly more plastic-y material than the last few we've received. I guess it's actually a very thin vinyl. The colors come across well on it which is probably why the material was chosen. The wrist gauntlets are removable should you choose to do so as you're switching out the hands. Speaking of the latter, we get three different sets: fists, gripping hands and open hands. All are appropriate for The Ultimate Warrior but I'll always get a thrill posing him as he's pressing his hands to the Heavens. Very few wrestlers were more intense and simultaneously made millions believe in a completely off-the-wall character.

I think that you can tell that I really like this figure. The sad part is that it would have the potential to be the best version of The Ultimate Warrior produced by Mattel if they hadn't made so many other great ones. This may be a very event-specific attire, but it would fit into any collection or display. The Warrior is iconic no matter what he's decked out in. And as many as we've already received, I can think of so many more that have yet to be produced. If you know me, you know I'm thinking Dingo Warrior all day. We've sort of missed out on The Blade Runners at this point, but you never know what could happen in the future.

The initial shipment, though delayed, is arriving to collectors at press time. He's still available on back-order. While most Ringside Exclusives become desirable after a period, if you ask me this one is a slam dunk. I've said it before...get it now. And Always Believe.

The Ultimate Figure Of The Year!

2020 was a year of firsts. Could the final one be that this is the first time that a Figure of the Year choice of mine sees its review while simultaneously receiving the prestigious honor? I do believe so. If you're unfamiliar with the process, a brief reminder includes that the Figure of the Year must be a figure that I've purchased. It is, after all, my personal choice. Everyone could, and should, have their own selection. Another factor is availability. If it's difficult to find and can't enter as many collectors hands as it should, why bother? The Mattel Harley Race is a great figure, but that alone would've disqualified it years ago. Third, and most simply, it has to be a great figure.

This is a figure I'd never imagined would have been made. Real life death is a subject often avoided in toys, and in a way this figure represents that most final and morbid concept. In other ways it's a remembrance of a man in his very final public appearance, capping off a momentous return to the company that made him a household name. Yes, my choice for 2020 Figure of the Year is Mattel WWE Legends Ultimate Warrior. 

I knew as soon as the figure was announced that it was going to be a favorite of mine. For starters, it's a bit of an odd inclusion as mentioned above. It depicts a wrestler outside of his active years which is something that I would love to become a small trend. Bruno Sammartino is known to a generation in his look as an older gentleman and elder statesman of professional wrestling. A similar figure would be momentous, but that's another story for another entry. There are also some unique accessories included as well as an almost photorealistic quality to the figure that makes it a no-brainer.

That being said, the choice was not an easy one. It was a year of great figures, many of which you saw reviewed on this site. Had this figure not been released or had it been disqualified for reasons about to be discussed, Superstar Billy Graham would've been the winner. It was another figure that many of us thought we would never see in the Mattel line, it was probably the best representation of the man to date, and it was a two-for-one figure seeing as you could either have it be '70s SBG or the '80s version.

What the figure had going against it was the bane of so many Mattel WWE figures: distribution. Let's all repeat after me: "Store exclusives are the downfall of the Mattel WWE line." Between a bungled online pre-sale, the precedence of previous store exclusive figures being a pain to locate, and the fact that this figure had a built-in popularity factor, things weren't looking good at first. Thankfully and amazingly it seems that everyone who wanted the figure got it. I, myself, needed a few to satisfy my needs and had no problem doing so. I even ended up leaving some on the pegs. The others in the set, Paul Orndorff, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, and Eddy Guerrero were obtainable as well.

The packaging remains as it has since the Legends series was revived. It's a mix of the current design with the stylization of the original Mattel WWE Legends packaging from a decade ago. The figure is positioned perfectly, as if the Warrior is indeed giving his final speech on Monday Night Raw. Accessories included are the WWE microphone (with scratch logo as opposed to the "Network era" version), removable "Ultimate Warrior" mask, and cloth duster as well as an alternate set of hands. 

Does it get any better resemblance-wise? Wow. While a child may not understand that this is The Ultimate Warrior, any of us who remember the emotional WrestleMania XXX weekend would have no doubt. The suited body is reused, but who cares? It works perfectly fine. You wanted a re-sculpt? I think you may need to limit yourself to "Hot Toys" or one of those statue companies if that's the case. The mask fits snugly just as it should without any holes or additional support needed. The duster is thin, but if you ask me that only eases putting it on and taking it off. The detail on it is out of this world. You didn't realize that this is the Warrior? Check the back of the duster. There he is in all of his glory.

If by some chance you haven't found one, this is one you'll want to obtain soon. The Legends are only restocked so many times and I don't see this figure being remade at all. While we still have plenty of other Warrior figures coming along, they will all almost assuredly be from his active years. This, on the other hand, is The Ultimate Warrior who I met, stood in the presence of, and talked with about WrestleMania VI, Pittsburgh, and being a fan in general. It's a connection. It's a snapshot of a man's final hours. It's a masterpiece.

That wraps it up for 2020 on the blog. You may or may not have noticed that there have been weekly entries for the past several months. Between the influx of product released that I've wanted to review and the fact that I've felt that the world simply needed an escape with frivolous writing such as this, it just happened as a fun accident. I don't know if the trend back to weekly will be continuing into the new year, but you can bet that there will some great output in 2021 nonetheless. The Dream and P.S. are literally dancing in the streets and ready to join the blog, if you will... 

MUSCLE-ing Into The Ring

Going "retro" is of course the modern day trend. Every company wants to capitalize on generations who now have disposable income (ha!) to spend by recreating the toys and memories of their childhood. Mattel got in on this with wrestling fans by releasing the Retro line, mirroring the Hasbro WWF line. The last published entry on this blog showcased Series 8, 9, and 10 of that line, which as of press time of this article seem to be the last that will be produced. But that wasn't the only route that Mattel took to get into your wallet as well as your childhood wrestling memories...

Enter Super7. In the past several years this company has taken the action figure community by storm. They have adopted a variety of licenses and created action figure lines that never were, should have been, and in some cases extended others. Together, Super7 and Mattel released a collection of 12 WWE Legends M.U.S.C.L.E. figures. Each packed three to a card, there are four sets altogether. Fans of the original M.U.S.C.L.E. figures probably felt that their minds were read. '80s WWF stars as the most portable "wrestling" figures of the era? It's a natural!

If you weren't familiar with the original M.U.S.C.L.E. figure line, you probably at least remember seeing a handful of them floating around. The acronym stands for "Millions of Unusual Small Creatures Lurking Everywhere." If that sounds like something straight out of Japanese culture, that's because it is. The M.U.S.C.L.E. line was the U.S. version of a Japanese line called Kinnikuman. While the latter was much more of a cultural phenomenon with stories, cartoons, etc., both versions were centered around the tiny figures, some of which were even based on real wrestlers such as Terry Funk and Dusty Rhodes.

Neither of those legends are featured here, but it's still quite a Hall of Fame lineup. Among the three packs of four figures we have Mean Gene Okerlund, The Iron Sheik, Macho Man Randy Savage, Jake "The Snake" Roberts, Ric Flair, Sgt. Slaughter, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, Rowdy Roddy Piper, Andre the Giant, "Million Dollar Man" Ted DiBiase, Junkyard Dog, and The Ultimate Warrior. Each figure is assuredly recognizable even being that small and molded in the famous M.U.S.C.L.E. pinkish beige. Many have accessories molded on which adds to the fun. With the cast of characters from that era, however, it's hard to make anything but recognizable characters. Not one person could argue that if you did twelve current stars in the same style, those figures would take a bit longer for anyone to differentiate.

The card backs are a heckuva lot of fun, too. They are designed to be in the same style as the Hasbro WWF figure card backs, and they actually do the job ten times better than the same effort in the Mattel Retro line. The colors, the stars, the logo (albeit WWE-ized) are all here. Not putting the Retro line down now that it's ostensibly finished, but if we came so close here, why could we not have gotten the same effort there? The backs of the cards feature cartoon versions of two of the three characters included in a "showdown," complete with fightin' words. A nice little addition that wasn't necessary and is much more welcome than an ad for some app game or other nonsense.

I like these little guys. I'm sure this is it for the WWE sets. The packs can be found at fairly deep discounted prices if you look, but that doesn't mean that the M.U.S.C.L.E. fun has to end there. In addition to the non-wrestling licenses that Super7 has added to the M.U.S.C.L.E. line, they've put out a few packs featuring the Legends of Lucha Libre. Also worth mentioning is the fact that Super7 just announced that they have acquired the license to produce figures for New Japan Pro Wrestling. Will that line spill over into some M.U.S.C.L.E. figures? Seeing the origins of the figures as chronicled above, it would almost be coming full circle.

The Rainmaker, Kinnikuman style?