Losing "Number One"...

In 2017 we had a rough week in the first quarter of the year. The wrestling world lost both George "The Animal" Steele and "The Russian Bear" Ivan Koloff within days. As we enter the second quarter of 2018, we have a mirroring situation losing both Bruno Sammartino and "Number One" Paul Jones.

When I first met Paul Jones, I basically only knew his work as manager of "The Paul Jones Army." His group was a rather ragtag bunch, but offered a savage display of heels as opposed to their fellow NWA "bad guy" group, the "classier" Four Horsemen. Jones managed Abdullah the Butcher, Ivan Koloff, the Powers of Pain, Manny Fernandez, and Ravishing Rick Rude among others. Jones, in his almost-Nazi looking attire, barked orders like a general. His feud with "Boogie Woogie Man" Jimmy Valiant? Endless yet entertaining.

It was the NWA Fanfest deemed a "Tribute To Starrcade." Jones was among the first stars that I ran into that weekend back in 2004. "Number One" had a question and answer session that first night, in which it was apparent that he was beloved by many of the Carolina fans, many of which he was on a first name basis with. As my friend and I stood outside of the room waiting to enter the Q&A, Jones, wearing a Stetson, approached us and asked where we were from. Replying "Pittsburgh," Jones quickly retorted, "Well, I won't hold that against you." He was quick to add, "I'm only joking around with you guys," almost as if he were afraid that we were offended. We were not, we had just met "Number One."

I was fortunate enough to see him a few other times at the famous Fanfests and have various items autographed including photos, Wonderama trading cards, and some classic magazines including several issues of the treasured Mid-Atlantic Championship Wrestling title. One of the latter had a great cover featuring Jones and one of his many partners, The Masked Superstar. After I had it signed by both, I was able to get a photograph with both gentleman and myself holding the magazine.

After that very first meeting, I went back and sought out footage of Jones in his wrestling heyday in both the Carolinas and Florida. It's a shame that Jones will mainly be remembered as a manager, as he was quite the in-ring talent. Seeing these matches, it's easy to see why he was still so popular at the conventions with the fans who saw him live in-ring.

Whether you saw him as a wrestler, a manager, or just a retired wrestler that you met at a convention, you remembered Paul Jones. He was quite a character, and someone seemingly born to be in the wrestling business. It just seemed to be in his blood.

"Number One" Paul Jones

1942-2018

Eternally Our Living Legend...

Just a few weeks ago, a thread on a popular discussion forum caught my attention. The subject was the popularity of Bruno Sammartino. I felt the need to chime in, as I feared that the Pittsburgh portion of the legacy of "The Living Legend" would be ignored. While his hero status in the Northeast, especially New York, Philadelphia, and Boston is always mentioned, Pittsburgh is sometimes bypassed. Sure, the former three cities were WWWF strongholds when Bruno ruled, but there was a difference...Bruno BELONGED to Pittsburgh.

In that thread, I mentioned that it was not unusual for Pittsburghers who grew up watching Sammartino to mention his name in the same breath as other sports heroes such as Roberto Clemente. In fact, the surnames need not be mentioned. Denizens of The Steel City treat their heroes like members of the family. "Roberto" and "Bruno" would be as welcome in their homes just as much today as they would have been fifty years ago.

Now, nearly sixty years since he first captured the hearts and imaginations of the fans who went to the Pittsburgh Civic Arena or tuned into WIIC-TV for "Studio Wrestling," Bruno Sammartino has crossed over. No longer can fans line up to meet this mythical-seeming man at a local Italian festival or sports memorabilia show. The mothers and fathers, explaining to their children in tow how Bruno beat the likes of Crusher Lisowski, George Steele, and Killer Kowalski from pillar to post, will no longer be able to shake this living superman's hand. The man is gone and with him an era.

I can still remember finding a carded example of his first action figure, from the LJN WWF Wrestling Superstars line, for $15 at a local sports memorabilia show. As much as I wanted to open it, my dad told me not to as I would be able to have it autographed someday. While my dad himself never did have the chance to meet Bruno, the figure did end up signed. My dad also never had the opportunity to attend a card headlined by Bruno, despite the story that my grandfather often said he would take his brood to the matches. This is why it meant a lot to me when it was announced that Sammartino would be joining the WWE Hall of Fame in 2013. Myself and many others already had tickets to attend the event in New York's Madison Square Garden, but the event did not sell out until this particular announcement. Therefore, in honor of my dad, I attended what would end up being Bruno's last sellout.

He was a superhero without a cape. A humble family man thrust into one of the biggest spotlights ever shone in the world of professional wrestling. And as much as he preferred life with his family, it would surprise me to ever hear a story of Bruno turning down a moment with a fan. The star who waited until the last autograph was signed? That was Bruno.

While others might envision "The Living Legend" entering the pearly gates to greet wrestlers gone by, I would doubt that very much. To Bruno, wresting was a business. Instead, I see Sammartino rushing to see his beloved parents once again. His mother, without whom he would not have survived a childhood marred by World War Two, would be his number one priority. With this reunion in mind, I'm sure that our Italian strongman was not afraid to pass over.

Thank you, Mr. Sammartino. Thank you for brightening the childhoods of my parents, countless Pittsburghers, and millions all around. Thank you for giving their parents and grandparents a hero to root for each and every week, even when their lives were less than hopeful. The opportunity to chant "BRUN-O" in Madison Square Garden just around five years ago is a moment that I will always cherish as a wrestling fan...and a true Pittsburgher.

Bruno Sammartino

1935-2018

Post-Mania Blues? Look To The Figures!

While it isn't quite 1985 or 1999, wrestling is popular again. There is a lot of variety to choose from in the market. It's that "something for everyone" feeling that opens up a boom period. That being said, with WrestleMania in the books, it's time for the year-long build to start over from the ground up. For regular wrestling fans this is often considered a downtime. If you're a collector, never fear. Mattel is here.

Now eight years into the license, Mattel is stronger than ever with their WWE releases. The vast number of talent available to them, be it WWE and NXT superstars or Legends, is a great help. After what I will always consider to be a shaky start, Mattel truly starting coming into their own once they balanced what they are able to produce with what fans and collectors want. Considering the way that the figures have been flying off of the shelves, many of which gain traction on the secondary market, they seem to have found the right formula.

Mattel has changed the packaging of their lineups nearly every year. The 2018 design is simple and elegant yet catches the eye. The latter is due to Mattel finally allowing the figures themselves take the spotlight, especially in the current Elite packaging. The toy itself should be enough to make a sale. After all, we generally aren't paying for the packaging. A larger ""window" on the box also allows autograph collectors to get a bigger, more satisfying signature.

Store exclusives have allowed the release of many figures that, for whatever reason, the company would not put in their regular lineups. Though the demise of Toys "R" Us will greatly reduce these exclusives, Wal Mart and Target along with online retailers will still see their share. The Target "Hall of Fame" lineups and packaging have been very popular. The "Build-A-Figure" sets as well as those enabling fans to build set pieces seem to be remaining with Wal Mart. The latter two will include the first ever figures of JJ Dillon and Alundra Blayze respectively.

The NXT line, also exclusive to Target, has also introduced many new names into the fray. With the massive amount of talent under contract to WWE, who is to say that some of these names will ever actually get another figure? Things happen. Plus, what's cooler than a rookie figure in unique, eye-catching packaging? It was recently revealed that Paul Ellering will receive a figure in this line. This is the second legend, after Larry Zbyszko last year, to receive only their second figure in their career thanks to Mattel. Both had their first in the Remco AWA back in 1985.

We've seen a lot of great figures this year, and I thought that I'd already had my choice for "Figure of the Year" (Give me a break!). But with all of the product yet to come, I'm just not sure. My five all-time favorite wrestlers will finally be fully represented by Mattel with the release of an amazing looking "King" Harley Race. In addition, Bobby Roode will be getting a "Glorious" third release and the very first figure of "The Leader of The Four Horsemen" will be some tough competition for my first choice. One thing is for sure: collectors are ready. But are their wallets?

MultimediaMania

As the world gears up for WrestleMania XXXIV (we still use the Roman numerals around these parts), it feels like time again to look at the memorabilia of the big event. Instead of keepsakes sold to promote the show or at the event itself, these are items from after the fact. These are the vessels in which fans can take the show home themselves and treasure for a lifetime. These are the pieces of  physical media on which WrestleMania can be played over and over again. It's the entire WrestleMania event that you can hold in your hands.

If I had to bet, I would say that WWF WrestleMania hit more VHS tapes in Pittsburgh before anywhere else. Why? After the closed-circuit feed of the inaugural WrestleMania failed at the Pittsbugh Civic Arena (nearly causing a riot in the process), the WWF presented much of the show on the city's ABC affiliate WTAE around a week later. Surely many Steel City fans pushed the record button on their VCRs to capitalize on this momentous event. Vince McMahon's introduction for this broadcast, done from the set of TNT, recently surfaced on YouTube. A few more weeks would pass before Coliseum Video released the official VHS of the event, which also found its way to Laserdisc as one of four WWF offerings in that form of media. The Laserdisc, the size of a vinyl record, presents the famous Hulk Hogan and Mr. T cover art in a way that the smaller VHS couldn't.

Coliseum Video would continue to present the shows, albeit with some edits, on VHS through 1997. One show that saw few edits but featured a lot of added content on the Coliseum Video release was WrestleMania IV. The show was released as a double VHS set, but the box itself was not to be outdone. Housing these two tapes was a package which opened up into a cardboard "pop-up" of The Hulkster himself. Even thirty years later, few fans would be able to resist just how cool this addition was. The Coliseum Video exclusive interviews and features on this set also truly add to the shows and give it an even more epic feel.

1998 saw WWF Home Video take over for Coliseum Video, and the first thirteen WrestleMania events were re-released in a box set under the new label. The set featured dubs taken straight from the original pay-per-view broadcasts, often with portions of intermissions and merchandise commercials that had been long eliminated from home video versions. While the picture quality suffered in this release, there are zero music edits. Yes, even "Girls Just Want To Have Fun," "Easy Lover," and other unlicensed numbers are all there. I'm still unsure how they got away with that one, but I've always been proud to own the set.

In 1999, the WWF released its first DVD in the form of WrestleMania XV. A few years later came a DVD anthology that was released several ways. These sets were very disappointing thanks to intense, and often unnecessary, music edits as well as blurred WWF logos and a very bland packaging design. They are not unwatchable, but I largely ignored them for years, instead favoring homemade DVD transfers of the 1998 VHS anthology. A limited edition version with a leather outer box signed by Vince McMahon was just about the only decent variation on this otherwise bleak release.

WWE continues to release its biggest annual event on DVD and Blu-Ray. While physical media was supposed to be dead by this point in the digital age, it continues on. There will always be fans like me who enjoy having a tangible item in their hands. Is it any wonder that vinyl records have made a comeback? How about WrestleMania back on Laserdisc? Stranger things have happened...

Shake It Up!

Bobbleheads. Nodders. Whatever you want to call them, it's hard to imagine a brand in sports or entertainment that hasn't seen a few created in the images of their respective stars. Pro wrestling is no different. While WWE has had their share of these collectibles over the years, it's a few that were outside of that famous marketing machine that are most interesting. Some collectors may not even realize that a few of these exist...

Where else would we start on this blog than with The American Dream? Yes, Dusty Rhodes has a Bobblehead. This particular doll was a promotional item at a Florida Championship Wrestling event in Punta Gorda, FL on July 30, 2010. The Dream was in attendance that night and thus many of these are signed on the base. FCW would, of course, later morph into NXT where it is well known that Rhodes played a big part in the training of the future stars there.

The early days of Total Nonstop Action Wrestling saw a variety of stars pass through the TNA rings. One of those was D'Lo Brown. If anyone was made to be a Bobblehead, it's the former Nation of Domination standout. After all, his head bobbing back and forth became a trademark. This Bobblehead was available exclusively through TNA and provides possibly the best likeness of any D'Lo figure to date.

Roll out the barrel, The Crusher is here. Though he has yet to have an actual action figure, The Crusher received a Bobblehead in his famed hometown of Milwaukee. On February 21, 2016, the Milwaukee Admirals hockey team gave away these Bobbleheads to the first 5,000 fans at the game. Lee Jeans was a sponsor, which is prominently featured on the base as is Da Crusha's trademark beer barrel. The dollies had to be going wild over this one.

The latest Bobblehead to be featured here was a giveaway on August 26, 2017 at a Gwinnett Braves baseball game. The subject? Their play-by-play announcer Tony Schiavone. Of course, wrestling fans remember him fondly for his work in Jim Crockett Promotions, the WWF, and WCW. Along with his dog, Bug, Tony sees his first representation as a figure here. Only 2,500 fans received this doll at Coolray Field on what might have been the greatest night in the history of Bobbleheads...

Announcers. Legends. European Champions. You never know just who in wrestling will receive a Bobblehead next. They're great collectibles that fit well in any collection...and cause a whole lotta shakin' goin' on!

Wrestling MarketWatch: WWF Wrestling Superstars '89

The legendary final series. The "black cards." Or, as they were deemed on the cardbacks, "Wrestling Superstars '89." They were the last hurrah of the legendary WWF Wrestling Superstars line by LJN. "Those big, rubber wrestlers" as they have been referred to so many times. The last series, distributed by Grand Toys of Canada, made it here and there but certainly not everywhere. I can recall seeing some of them at a Circus World store at Ross Park Mall outside of Pittsburgh. Others were only able to obtain them through "The Wrestling Ring" mail order store that famously advertised in the wrestling magazines of the era.

The limited distribution has caused their value to only rise over the years. The astronomical prices for carded examples are well-documented, but how about loose versions? This time in MarketWatch we look at recent selling prices for five of the figures in out-of-the-package status.

*As it was just as his rise to the top began, many fans recall searching far and wide for the first action figure of The Ultimate Warrior back in 1989. Just as all versions have since, this first Warrior figure reflects the color and intensity of the character. What kid wouldn't want this one? Best of all, it's in a pose that could easily recreate slams, clotheslines, and body tackles just as the Warrior was known for. The future WWF World Heavyweight and Intercontinental Champion recently sold for $250.

*Though they were frequently on the opposite sides of the ring, the Warrior and rival Ravishing Rick Rude also saw very different debuts in the figure world. While both saw their first figures in this series and were highly detailed, the comparisons end there. As mentioned above, the Warrior's figure was easy to play with thanks to the pose. Rude's figure, due to the way it was sculpted, was more of a statue. With his hands at his hips, Rude just stood there. The addition of the tattoo, however, is very cool. Rude's lack of playability may still affect his pricing, as it recently sold for between $60-$100.

*Another great ring villain debuted as a figure here, that being the Polynesian superstar Haku. Prototype pictures, as well as the included poster, indicate that this was originally planned as a figure of King Haku. The crown and royal-themed trunks were dropped before production. It would be almost two decades before Haku received another figure, at which time he became part of the Jakks WWE Classic Superstars line as both King Haku and Meng. This original Haku has always been one of my favorites and was sculpted to appear as if he was about to drop one of his legendary headbutts. You may have to drop more than that to own him, as the former king recently sold for $230.

*Just as Ax was released around a year earlier as the only LJN produced member of Demolition, The Warlord follows here without Powers of Pain partner The Barbarian. LJN also seemed to predict the future as they inexplicably put The Warlord in short trunks which he would not begin actually wearing for a few more years. The paint on the figure is fantastic and makes you wonder what an LJN version of The Barbarian would have looked like. Both The Barbarian and Smash along with Brother Love, Bad News Brown, and The Bushwhackers were planned per cardbacks. The Warlord recently sold for between $100-$200.

*Then a new enemy for Hulk Hogan, most famously in a cage on Saturday Night's Main Event, the Big Boss Man is a true gem of the entire LJN line. He carries a big stick and towers over many of the other figures. His sunglasses are on, but he can definitely mix it up with the best of them. The blue of the shirt is very vibrant and the paint detail truly stands out. Although One Man Gang had been produced, it's a shame that an LJN version of Akeem did not happen to create The Twin Towers. The Slickster is there to manage, however, stylish hat and all. The Boss Man recently sold for $250.

Rounded out by Andre the Giant wearing his one-strap black singlet, the final series of LJN was a great way to go out. Later in 1989 the Hasbro WWF action figures would begin being designed thus launching a new generation for wrestling toys. Still, it's a shame that both couldn't have continued in some way. After all, they were completely different scales.

Some would not even deem the LJN Wrestling Superstars as action figures. I certainly would. Any kid of the '80s could tell you that these were figures that saw plenty of action. Most, even missing some paint, have survived as mementos of a great era and some great childhood play times.

Don't Go Messin' With A Hall Of Famer

Several years ago there was a feature on this blog entitled "Hillbilly Jim...Hall of Famer of Humanity." It took a look at the large, country superstar when it seemed as if he would be the only cast member of WWE Legends House to not enter the WWE Hall of Fame. Nearly two and a half years later, Hillbilly is about to join his legendary pals.

So much has been written about what a nice guy Hillbilly Jim is. He's just a genuine soul in an industry where there are many on the opposite spectrum. To watch him with fans young and old is a joy. While others on the Legends House series were working the cameras, Jim was being himself. A man who is simply happy to have lived a life that he enjoyed every day of.

Now, over WrestleMania XXXIV weekend, Hillbilly will have several more special moments. The WWE Hall of Fame inductees of each specific year almost always take part in multiple events throughout the weekend, but you have to imagine that Hillbilly will be all over. For years, Jim worked as a goodwill ambassador for WWE, especially leading up to WrestleMania where he would tour the country to spread word of the event. Now, he gets to enjoy the grandest stage of them all once again, and this time again in the spotlight.

While Hillbilly was involved in WrestleMania II, III, & IV, it's probably his appearance at XVII that sticks out the most. Though his six-man tag involving midget wrestlers at III is always remembered, his inclusion in the Gimmick Battle Royal at XVII was moving. Hillbilly, looking in incredible shape, entered the Houston Astrodome to a tremendous pop. His music and dancing may have even spawned the best reaction of all the participants.

Is it any surprise? Sure, it was nostalgia at its finest. But ask any child who grew up watching even a bit of wrestling in the '80s and they can tell you about Hillbilly Jim. He was a friend to The Hulkster! He was a hero battling the likes of Brutus Beefcake, King Kong Bundy, Nikolai Volkoff, and other notorious villains. He was even immortalized in the Rock n' Wrestling cartoon show, which briefly appeared in Hillbilly's WWE Hall of Fame video.

The one lament is that Hillbilly Jim's famous self-vocalized theme song, "Don't Go Messin' With A Country Boy," is often edited out of WWE programming these days and was not included in the video. It would be nice for WWE to license the song one last time as a tribute to one of the biggest characters, personalities, and hearts that the company has ever known.