From The Musty Yellowed Pages--Memphis Action Ringside Program 11/9/1977

Just like the existing promotions of today, each wrestling territory had its own flavor. I’ve always considered myself a lucky wrestling fan in that I can really find something to like in any style of the sport we love. Watching classic wrestling I can flip from show to show, promotion to promotion, style to style without a second thought. One area that has always stood out to me was Memphis. It was almost the perfect blend. You had great stars, a wild fanbase, hard-hitting wrestling and even a solid dose of what we would now call “sports entertainment.” Some of the content may not have held up as is the case in many other promotions, yet simultaneously a lot of the product was ahead of its time. I’ve also been very fortunate to have met many of the key players from the glory days of the promotion. Jerry Lawler, Jackie Fargo, Lance Russell, Jerry Jarrett. The list goes on and on. Now, if you want a true history lesson in Memphis wrestling you’ll take some advice that I’ve given before on this blog and head over to MarkJamesBooks.com. In addition to being a great guy (and Hall of Famer!), Mark is the absolute authority on Memphis and its many wrestling greats. In fact, he has co-authored many of their autobiographies!

Today we’re going more for some fun nostalgia than a history lesson. There were various types of programs published by the Memphis promotion over the years from the digest-sized “Slam-O-Gram” to the “Action Ringside” programs. It’s an example of the latter that we’re paging through here. On the Action Ringside covers you’ll often see one of the iconic names of the promotion in a black and white photo. On this example we have Jerry Lawler, Jimmy Valiant, Superstar Bill Dundee, Norvell Austin, Dennis Condrey and Phil Hickerson. The date? Nearly forty-five years ago on November 9, 1977. The location? Evansville, IN. Always the trooper, it appears that The King was doing double-duty in our huge Double Main Event. One match was slated to be Lawler and Dundee taking on Jimmy and Johnny Valiant while Lawler would also team with Norvell Austin to go against Phil Hickerson and Dennis Condrey. Midnight Express fans would take interest in the latter as the match features pioneering members of the team on opposing sides. The card was also set to feature The Great Mephisto against Scott Casey, Mr. Wrestling against Ken Dillenger and Terry Gordie against David Shultz. The spelling was a bit off but that last listed match obviously features Terry “Bam Bam” Gordy (at just sixteen years of age) against “Dr. D” David Schultz. If that was an opener you get the feeling that it did its job in getting the crowd going. 

This is one of the thinner Memphis programs that I’ve come across. Really it’s a total of six pages if you include the front and back cover. Still, the promotion smartly used every bit of space on each page. Interestingly, the program only advertises and promotes the wrestling stars, shows and other inter-promotional interests. There aren’t any ads for local sponsors such as restaurants, retail stores or insurance agencies as you’d often see in other territorial programs. The Jarrett-Welch promotion wanted to promote one thing: wrestling. It certainly shows here. I’d definitely be interested in locating some of the materials from the Dundee-Lawler Fan Club that is advertised. If the quality of the membership card was anything like that of Jimmy Valiant’s (which is almost vinyl and still shines), there very well could be some sitting around in a dusty Tennessee attic. The other Samoan tag team of the ‘70s, Tio and Tapu, are shown here as well. 

The next two pages are chalk full of photos and interesting bits. David “Shultz” is shown along with Mike Stark. The duo was said to be forming a team. Territorial wrestler Bill Howard is shown as “Ratamyas.” Most interesting is the half-page ad announcing that The Gentry’s would be “coming here soon” in concert with special guest Jerry Lawler. It isn’t truly clear if they’d be coming to Evansville or not, but we all know where this would end up. As prominently shown, Jimmy Hart was a member of the group best remembered for their hit “Keep On Dancin.” The rest is history. At nearly 80, Jimmy Hart is still one of the hardest working men in pro wrestling. He makes countless appearances and in addition to being one of the nicest people in the business always makes sure that fans walk away with a smile on their face. He’s gotten a huge kick out of the many Memphis items that I’ve brought to signings over the years. I could definitely do several entries just on “The Merchandise of The Mouth,” and in fact I already have. We finish off this section with the written word of “Kangaroo” Al Costello seemingly telling us that wrestlers are not bigoted. Costello managed the team of Condrey and Hickerson on this night. 

We close the book with a photographic look at four “Fan Favorites” as the page proudly proclaims. Fresh-faced youngsters are featured, to be sure. We’ve got Scott Casey, Bill Dundee, Robert Gibson and our teenaged sensation Terry Gordie. Dundee, likely the oldest of the bunch here in his 30s, definitely looks to be channeling Elvis here as he often did, just months after the passing of “The King of Rock n’ Roll.” Robert Gibson, mustache and all, is definitely doing his best to be the number one heartthrob in the territory here, years before The Rock N’ Roll Express would be born in this exact promotion. Casey is mainly remembered for his work in Texas and his WWF run (highlighted by his 1988 Survivor Series appearance) but he’s missing his familiar mustache here. Perhaps Gibson borrowed it? Last but not least we have the man who would become a Freebird in a few years. Honestly, he looks like a thicker Bryan Danielson here! Terry Gordy was a young prodigy of the mat game, for sure. 

It appears that Lawler and Dundee bested The Valiant Brothers that night while Lawler and Austin lost to Hickerson and Condrey. It also seems that Schultz did double duty just like Lawler and defeated both Scott Casey and Terry Gordy, individually. Finally, Mr. Wrestling beat Ken Dillenger. From anything that I could find it seems that this was indeed Tim Woods under the mask. You can never be too careful with identities in these “wild west” days of a notoriously carny industry. These results (and the substitution) are all what was noted by the original fan who owned this program, so it may not be spot on. Sounds like a fun show, though! Where do I buy my ticket?

The Centerpiece Of The New WWF Generation

What were you doing twelve months ago? If you’re reading this blog there’s a good chance that you were thinking it would take forever for a year to pass. That’s because, again, if you’re reading this blog there’s a good chance that you were smart enough to back the Mattel Creations WWE New Generation Arena set. We were told all along that it would ship in August of 2022 and sure enough the arrivals have begun. I never seem to win the shipping time lottery, but for whatever reason my orders were among the earliest to ship. This is usually not the case and quite honestly I was due. The large online wrestling figure store that’s barely two states away from me takes at least two weeks after everyone else to get my orders to me so believe me, I suffer enough. 

Now what is currently shipping is everything that’s in the main box. The entrance way, the ring, Diesel, Doink and even the ring skirts are all here. What isn’t here is the item that, to some, is the highlight of the whole deal, 1994 Macho Man Randy Savage. Since the figure doubles as commentator Savage it’s presumable that is why the commentary table and chairs set will be shipped with him. What did ship here all fits into one big box. The outer case that it fits into is just like how it would’ve shipped to the store. Seeing as some won’t see the item as “complete” without it, you may want to hold onto that box. It should also be noted that once you open the shipping case the whole set is really no longer sealed. There’s a tremendous “display box” like you would purchase off of the shelf were it sold in stores but the ring pieces are packed into smaller bags and even the Diesel and Doink figures aren’t taped shut. Doink has those annoying plastic tab holders around his ankles like many Mattel figures do but really once you open the case nothing is truly sealed. This may be of some concern to boxed collectors, but I never found much use in keeping the Ultimate figures carded/boxed with all those heads and things floating around. Really though, you’ll soon see why there’s not much to be concerned about with this set even if you end up not liking it. 

For me the highlight is the entrance way. No, you’re not getting the actual WWF logo. I think if you’re not over that fact after two decades it may be time to get out of the hobby. What you are getting is the type of add-on/playset that most of us have wanted for thirty years. I know I wasn’t the only one who made a cardboard facsimile of the famous neon WWF entryway shortly after it debuted at WrestleMania VIII. It just looked cool. Now we have it. It lights up. It has a variety of lighting patterns just like the real one. While I wouldn’t say it was worth the $250 to back this thing all by itself, it definitely eats up a good $100 chunk. This thing is substantial and large. In fact, it may even be a bitter bigger to scale with the figures than the real one was to the real superstars. In any case, this alone could be the centerpiece to an amazing looking shelf display surrounded by figures. In case you have one on the way be sure to have four AA batteries on hand to get started. I considered embedding a video to show how cool the lighting is, but rather just head on over to Instagram (@jws_wrestling_memorabilia) and check it out there! 

Next up is the ring itself. Honestly this is my least favorite portion of the deal and I kind of figured that it would be. I just cannot warm up to any “Real Scale Ring.” They’re always just too big if you ask me. This one does have some features that I like as well as some things that I don’t care for. I will say that it was one of the easier scale rings to assemble. The easiest was the Raw ring that Mattel lied to us in order to get us to purchase by saying that it would be the only way to ever get “old man” Elite Goldberg. Well, that turned out to be a joke. Nonetheless the ring didn’t have much assembly required. The worst are the Jakks and Jazwares versions where it takes two hours to set the damn things up. I think I may have assembled the Classic Superstars versions twice a piece. The Jazwares AEW version that I was forced to buy in order to get the first female referee figure? That one was assembled for the photos on this blog. I don’t expect to deal with it ever again. 

The frame of the ring Is easy to build and the faux-wood (they’re plastic) planks are made to resemble how a real wrestling ring is assembled. I do like how the pieces are rather nicely separated into individual bags which were mostly in cardboard dividers. The wooden planks are in three sections and they do seem to stay in. The canvas mat wasn’t too bad to deal with either. There are still wrinkles like all of these mats, but I like how holes in the canvas attach to plastic hooks on the bottom of the framework. I like the color blue chosen for all of the visible plastic pieces. Ignoring the skirts this really could be any era of WWF ring. That’s a very good thing. I didn’t fiddle with mine too much but I didn’t like how the skirts rise above the side of the apron. Again, it may take some fiddling but they protrude just a bit too much at the top as shown in the pictures. That being said, it’s cool that we have basic WWF, In Your House and WrestleMania to choose from. 

The one thing that I couldn’t believe, in a bad way, was when I opened the turnbuckles. While I did appreciate that one of each four turnbuckles is connected to the ropes making it easier to space them out (something that’s always been an issue on most Real Scale Rings), I could not believe that one of the red turnbuckles has a huge, unsightly materials tag sewn right on. It just hangs there. Now most will just cut the thing off, but this has never been on any ring before to my knowledge. It’s completely unsightly. I have yet to attempt to remove mine, though I will and hopefully without doing any damage. It does ensure that most of these that are assembled and go on display will never truly be “mint” as no one is going to want that thing showing. Mattel, what were you thinking here? 

Like I said, it’s one of the better Real Scale Rings but I’d have preferred a bit smaller. The assembly is actually a tad fun in a sense and I can already envision some wrestling figure photography being done with partially assembled rings. A fight breaks out before the show and spills into the arena where the ring crew is setting up? I’m ready to do it. Also it should be noted that two of the cardboard trays that the pieces ship in are the small “crowd” backdrops that were promised later in the hype phase. They’re fun and what I’ve included in the photography here. They’re not as detailed as the third-party crowds that I usually use in my reviews, but I didn’t want to confuse people into thinking that those larger backdrops are what’s included here. These smaller ones would also work great next to the entry way on a shelf display as mentioned earlier. Tons of possibilities for display and play! 

Now onto the figures! We have two definitive “New WWF Generation” characters in Diesel and Doink the Clown. As noted earlier “Macho Man” Randy Savage in his WrestleMania X/commentator outfit will be shipping to backers at a later date, so I’m sure I’ll throw a review up for him as well just to complete the set. Let’s face it, he’s going to be another highlight in the ever-growing Mattel Macho collection. While Diesel was “The Leader of The New Generation,” I feel that we’ve gotten enough of him. The fact that it’s “Ultimate” really means zilch to me. It’s an excuse from them to charge more for a couple of extra accessories. That being said, this one came out far better than I’d imagined. The faces are dead on and it truly does resemble Kevin Nash in the era when “Diesel Power” was running roughshod over the WWF, if not so much at the box office. He headlined my first live attended pay-per-view (SummerSlam 1995) as champion and for that I’ll always have a soft spot for the “Big Daddy Cool” era. In fact, despite its numerous flaws, “The New Generation” is just about the last era that I’ll re-watch with any frequency as I find most of the Attitude Era impossible to get back into all these years later. 

While Randy Savage was the most hyped in the lead up, I think Doink the Clown is the figure that will lead to the most regret from anyone who didn’t back this thing. This figure is great. It is indeed Matt Borne as only he wore this guise. It’s early Doink. The Doink that tripped up the Big Boss Man. The Doink that beat Kamala. The Doink that injured Crush! You get three heads and three hairstyles. I’m not so sure that it was advertised, but just like the first Mattel Doink release, the “wigs” are all interchangeable. Add that to the mallet that was present in at least one early promo photo and his jacket with the “squirting” flower (no, it doesn’t really squirt) and you truly have the Ultimate Doink. Savage will indeed be popular but due to the nature of the release of this set monetarily speculation has been the name of the game here. My bet is that Doink will be the star of the secondary market show. There are plenty of Randy Savage figures to go around and 1994 was hardly a key year for him. They never have any need to release this Doink again. My bet would be seeing another release of the most common Doink look (the first Mattel release) down the line with updated removable hands, etc. If you truly want original, evil Matt Borne you had to have backed this set. 

It's interesting to think how there will be just as much complaining about obtaining this set as there would be for a store exclusive, yet everyone had exactly the same opportunity to get this as anyone else. You backed it? You got one. You backed five? You got five. Make no mistake, the secondary market prices will only rise for this. The ring itself and Diesel will be the easiest to obtain. The ring will be released in other forms, though not necessarily the classic blue. Diesel isn’t different enough from other releases to warrant super high prices, though the “Ultimate” label is a necessity for some. The entrance, Savage and Doink are the gold here. In a way it’s a cautionary tale. If there’s something you feel that you’re ever going to want, you do what you have to in order to afford it when available for the initial price. There’s a similar crowd-funded item from a completely different toy line that I didn’t take advantage of. With the prices of that item now, the only way that I’ll ever own one would be in some form of re-release. Thankfully that company made it clear that they reserved the right to re-release the item down the line. Will they? Who knows. Mattel made it clear with this set, however, that apart from the ring coming back in some form the rest of it is one and done. Is it worth the prices that they’ll be selling for? Absolutely not. But it was definitely worth the $250. I’m confident that my readers were smart enough to back this thing and with you all I share my congratulations and have but only one other thing to say: let’s play!

The Wrestling Classic Figure Review--Hasbro WWF Jim "The Anvil" Neidhart

The Tank! He quit professional football because it wasn’t rough enough for him! You know who I’m talking about. The Anvil himself. Though he passed away several years ago, Jim Neidhart has never left the minds of wrestling fans. From his 2019 WWE Hall of Fame induction as a member of The Hart Foundation to new merchandise to his future-Hall of Famer daughter Nattie, The Anvil remains a beloved legend of the ring and is destined to remain so. The beard. The laugh. The brutish physique. Even the little pink hat from that second WWF Tag Team title reign. All iconic. All Neidhart. 

Today we’re looking at what was the first figure that I personally ever owned of Jim Neidhart. While he did have an LJN Wrestling Superstars figure that I acquired later, I still remember walking into the Greensburg, PA Toys R Us somewhere between December 12^th-December 13^th 1992 (my 10^th birthday was the 16^th) and being shocked to find an all-new Hasbro WWF figure series including Neidhart, Virgil, The Mountie, The Warlord and Sid Justice. Jaws dropped. Birthday money was spent. A good time was had by all…or at least by me. Many fans count their first exposure to these five figures as part of the beloved “Undertake Em All” ad that hit WWF Magazine in early 1993. I guess I lucked out by finding them early, though even at this point generally you had to grab what you saw as there wasn’t any guarantee that you’d run into them again. 

While four of these were completely new additions to my roster (Sid was no stranger to my figure world thanks to the Galoob WCW Sid Vicious figure), The Anvil was my favorite. Not only was it a dead-on likeness from top to bottom, but we finally had the second half of The Hart Foundation tag team. The issue many have with the figure is that it reflects Neidhart’s time in “The New Foundation” with Owen Hart, rather than Bret. Gone was the familiar pink and black attire and replacing it were baggy blue pants with yellow trim and black and white checkered boots. A matching Owen was to come in late 1993, but this attire wasn’t exactly from a memorable run for either. Years later we would all learn that an original Hart Foundation version of The Anvil had been in the works but was changed as his role did in real life. 

Personally, I’ve always loved the figure. The attire never bothered me with how well they captured his body type and the absolutely perfect “Real Wrestling Action” used for the figure. The facial sculpt is the perfect blend between realism and that slightly cartoonish Hasbro look. I’m also certain that I’m not the only one who had no issues teaming this figure with Bret. Did it matter that they didn’t exactly match? Not when there are tag teams like Demolition, The Natural Disasters and Arn Anderson & Barry Windham (my own personal Galoob-born Brain Busters-esque duo) to battle. Eventually The Nasty Boys would join that lineup, but I covered why they were late to the party several years ago in another edition of The Wrestling Classic Figure Review. 

By the time “New Foundation” Owen Hart came along I don’t remember teaming the two very much. I certainly paired “The Rocket” with Koko B. Ware to recreate their team of “High Energy.” Koko’s Hasbro actually wasn’t too far off from matching anyway. The “punching” arm of The Anvil eventually came fairly loose and I ended up buying a second on eBay in the late ‘90s. Further on down the road I picked up a carded example and was able to get it autographed shortly before Neidhart’s passing in 2018. Like nearly every Hasbro WWF figure, the price of a carded version has elevated in recent years with the average cost for Neidhart settling around $250. 

For those still looking for true “Hart Foundation” Hasbro figures, Mattel has announced that they will be part of the next WWE Retro four pack along with manager Jimmy Hart and Nikolai Volkoff. The Anvil prototype looks fun and is a must-have, but I think I’m remaining partial to the original in the case. 

Yeah, baby!

Just When You Thought The Legends Line Lost Its Way…

I may be in the minority, but I wasn’t too thrilled when D-X found their way into the Mattel WWE Legends line. Certainly they made their impact on the business in that era, but they just aren’t my cup of tea. There was a time when I was frantically pre-ordering every figure in this series that was announced, but that has dwindled in recent waves. With the announcements at San Diego Comic Con my love and utter amazement for the line is coming back. Paul E. Dangerously and The Samoan Swat Team? With variants as The Headshrinkers? Are you kidding me? The Dingo Warrior? Even WCW AJ Styles brought me the tingles. Deep dives are what we all love and Mattel is once again truly bringing Legends to the table. I will say that my most recent purchases may not be that deep and one is even slightly out of my preferred wheelhouse, but they’re FUN. And, I’ll go as far as to say that one is the definitive version of this particular legend. 

Mattel WWE Legends 15, exclusive to Target of course, consists of Lex Luger, Stacy Keibler, X-Pac and Kane. While I’m a fan of the latter two I just don’t need any more figures of either at the moment and I obviously would’ve preferred others in those two slots. Luger and Keibler are a different story. I’ll get into my enjoyment of the Luger figure in a bit, but Stacy might be considered an odd one for me. While she’s definitely not what most think of as a wrestling legend, she certainly made her mark on the business. Aside from always seeming like a sweetheart of a person, Stacy certainly had the look and charisma to leave a lasting impression. While she didn’t exactly change the business, I’d consider her a minor draw and was definitely a big part of the huge WWF/WWE Divas marketing push of two decades ago. 

One thing I will address early on is how easy it has become to collect these Legends waves, even the so-called chase figures. Ever since last years debacle of Brutus Beefcake and Diamond Dallas Page never making it to brick and mortar Target stores, the availability of all of these figures has taken a complete turn. It’s a wonderful thing. I’ve never been one to champion making anything out of reach for any collector. No one will deny that there is a certain thrill in having something that was limited, but I can’t think of a single figure in history that I would choose that status over it being readily available for everyone. Ultimately toys are meant to be played with. Every child, and adult, who wants these figures should have them. It’s just the way that it is. 

Kicking it off with Stacy Keibler who, due to the aforementioned “deep dives” recently taken by Mattel, I’m actually surprised isn’t labeled “Miss Hancock” on the package since that’s really the gimmick that this figure represents. The bio on the back does indeed mention the name, however, and I’d argue that her WCW run was a tad more memorable than her WWE days even if she had more exposure (no pun intended) in the latter. With Stacy you get two heads (alternate hair), her eyeglasses, alternate hands and Miss Hancock’s ubiquitous clip board. This figure actually gives me visions of what could be if Terri Runnels were signed to a WWE figure deal. After what we’ve gotten and what’s upcoming, I truly feel we’d see Alexandra York in figure form. But going back to Stacy, I do believe that this is only her fourth figure in history. I can only recall three previously made (by Jakks) and I did in fact purchase them all. The “wrestling gear” Stacy was pretty coveted at one point and Jakks always seemed to do a good job with her. For their first venture down Keibler Lane, Mattel is continuing that legacy. 

Flexy Lexy brings a whole different discussion to the table. I truly feel that this is the definitive Lex Luger figure to date. When I say that I’m thinking more of the chase version here, but aside from the color of the trunks they’re both the same. Being an ‘80s fan, the chase clad in orange is my preference. Both include alternate heads, alternate hands and a soft goods nWo shirt. While the shirt doesn’t really work with the orange version, throw it on another figure. It doesn’t ever hurt to have extra shirts, especially soft goods ones worn by many different stars. The previous Mattel Lugers have been good but very era-specific. The best was the “Bash at the Beach” version from a three pack with Sting and Randy Savage. That Luger had the Sting face paint. The Narcissist was a solid figure but comes from a very short incarnation of Luger. The “All-American” version was good but honestly should be redone and with the current “New Generation” kick that Mattel is on, such an undertaking wouldn’t surprise me at all. The only “generic” Luger figure was a basic and really reflected the late ‘90s more than anything, though it could be fudged. 

This chase Luger really gives us the earlier Lex we’ve been needing. The interchangeable heads add to it greatly as Lex was known to wear a ponytail even in the ’80s. Throw any of the NWA/WCW belts that Mattel has fast been releasing and you’ve really got a great looking figure. Would I have chosen blue or green as opposed to orange? I don’t think that I would have. While I’d welcome any color of trunks for a future release, I’m always a fan for bright colored figures since it’s something that’s seriously lacking in the present day. For my money this is…The Total Package. 

I had to do it. 

I feel that the Mattel Legends are finally getting back on track as far as what us true old school fans really want. I commented to my friend that, after the great things we saw at SDCC, perhaps Mattel is taking note of what the smaller, “boutique” companies are appeasing us with. Whether or not they’re even paying attention to that is anyone’s guess, but some great new names and “deep dives” (sick of that phrase yet?) do have me wondering. At press time both Lex and Stacy are available to order through Target. Again, the newly found availability of these legends is tremendous. I feel that I run into the chase versions as much as I do the regular and both myself and my friend received one of each with our initial pre-orders. I feel like I’ve said it in virtually every figure review as of late, but it’s a great time to be a collector, especially of the legends we adore.

The Very First Action Figure Of Dino Bravo

One of the more popular topics on the blog over the years has been the discussion of wrestling stars from the past who have never received an action figure. With the blog running over thirteen years now, many of those “problems” have been remedied. The latest also happens to be one of the most requested. Despite having a career that spanned over twenty years and being with the World Wrestling Federation during parts of their two most legendary figure lines, Dino Bravo was a poster child for wrestlers who were never immortalized in plastic. His controversial and macabre death could well have played a part as it seemed that his family had no issue with Dino joining the ranks of the figure world. Now, like so many other once figure-less wrestlers, Bravo is benefitting from the “boutique manufacturer” era of wrestling figures and can finally be added to collections. 

From Zombie Sailor Toys “Wrestling's Heels & Faces” line comes “The Canadian Strongman” Dino Bravo. Another offering in the style of the beloved Hasbro WWF collection, the line is a mix of legends and indy talent. Bravo joins Earl Hebner and Sabu as the other legends in the first wave. The company is promising many more names to come including another star who previously did not have any figure releases, Paul Roma. The first wave did suffer from delays and finally started arriving to collectors around thirteen months after the initial pre-order. 

As the figures are to reflect the Hasbro WWF line, so does the card back. Artistic renderings seem to be the name of the game as far as the pictures on the retro card backs from any manufacturer. It’s likely due to licensing issues regarding the original photos. Thus far "Wrestling's Heels & Faces" may have the best styled card back in the world of retro figures. The card itself is as sturdy as an original Hasbro and is correctly sized. The font is exact thus making the file card look great. The facsimile signature is there just as it should be. One thing that always bothered me when looking at carded Hasbro-style customs was the lack of a true facsimile signature. The customizers would go to all of the trouble of perfecting the rest of the package and then…type the name on in some sort of brush script font. So far all of these smaller outfits making these licensed retro figures have taken the time and done it right. It isn’t hard to do if even I did it in the banner of my blog many years ago. 

My one qualm with the card backs is the pushing of designer Ron Rudat all over them. It’s nice that he designed the original Hasbro WWF line and is involved with these as well, but it simply isn’t a selling point for anyone beyond a very small handful. I don’t care who designed the thing as long as it fits in where it should. To be honest there are plenty of retro style figures out now that were not designed by the man and those items fit just fine with the classic Hasbro collection. All sources indicate that he isn’t really much of a wrestling fan and is much more proud of his work on the legendary G.I. Joe: A Real American Hero line. The design blueprint on the back of the card can also be done away with. It’s just unnecessary and if getting rid of all of it brings cost down, let’s have it. 

How about the figure itself? The major need is for a retro styled figure to look like it fits with the original Hasbro line. The likeness is just the right balance between realistic and Hasbro cartoonish. The pose, while not exactly one that looks like a re-used Hasbro sculpt, does pass as being from back then. The shine on the figure is just about right, too. Aside from the Mattel WWE Retro figures, none of these new kids on the block have “Real Wrestling Action” and that’s perfectly fine. The paint apps here are vibrant just as a Hasbro should be. What really sells me on Dino is his look from the side and back. Burly Bravo had massive shoulders than almost made him appear hunched at times. You know it's something that Hasbro likely would've picked up on and it's right here, too. The side view of Bravo's likeness is unmistakable here, also.

All in all, this is an absolutely high quality figure. It’s the first licensed figure of Dino Bravo. Of course you’re going to want it. It being this nice and fitting in perfectly where he belongs in the Hasbro world is icing on the cake. This particular figure is sold out but it hopefully sets a nice precedence in what we’ll see going forward in this line. If taking the “designer name” off of these things reduces cost, again, I’m all for it. A couple of bucks can make all the difference for me buying just one to open or buying two and keeping one carded for signing purposes (obviously not an issue with this figure).  I probably would’ve purchased an additional Sabu and Hebner for just that reason had the cost been a bit less. 

It would be nice to see someone market a licensed Bravo in the current scale, as well. I also wouldn’t mind seeing a dark haired Bravo figure at some point, but not in the retro style. It’s good to see these long-deserving men finally get their recognition and it's always nice to see properly licensed merchandise where the stars or their families get some extra earnings. The retro style seems to be key right now, likely due to the ease of producing them, but with so much great product out there I don't foresee anyone complaining. 

The Interview

I’ve said time and time again that I don’t like to make this blog about me. It’s about the memorabilia and the personalities who’ve inspired it. Sure my picture shows up now and then, but I like to keep 95% of the content as items that YOU yourself can own. With that out of the way, I thought it would be nice to go a different route. I’ve been interviewed several times in the decade plus since I began the blog, both in writing and audio. Some of those made it out, some didn’t. Since I do often get asked a lot of those same questions, I thought it’d be fun to throw a sort of “FAQ” out there. Remember when every site had a FAQ? It’s a collection of questions (and my answers) from several different interviews over the years. And yes, you get a generous dose of my mug, too.

What made you decide to start the blog?

The blog initially rose from the ashes of my newsletter. I published an online newsletter in the late ‘90s, when AOL was still a big deal. I had thousands of subscribers all over the internet, but since AOL was still so prevalent I did two versions, one with AOL supported “graphics” and one without. I loved doing it, but being high school age at the time I had all of the other time-consuming activities that come along with that, so it just sort of faded away. In the decade or so between the two I always had people asking what happened to the newsletter. I even had people asking friends of mine what happened. I knew I had to do something. Blogging was getting big and in 2009 I decided to return in that form.

Why wrestling memorabilia?

No one was writing about it then. In the late ‘90s especially, but even in 2009 when the blog came along it just wasn’t a thing. Everyone wrote about the latest episode of Raw or reviewed old shows. No one was doing memorabilia. Even today while everyone and their mother are talking figures, very few are doing the “deep dive” into other forms of merchandise. I’m very proud to say that the blog is still the only source of information on so many of the items that we’ve covered.

Does all of the memorabilia shown belong to you?

99.9% of it. Very occasionally I’ve done otherwise. For a small handful of entries I was provided with some photos by someone who was involved with an interview or what have you, but I’ve mainly stuck to my own items. When it’s not being photographed it’s just sitting collecting dust, so it may as well be useful. Also, it eliminates the issue of getting clearance from others to use the photos. The photos from the blog show up everywhere. If I had a buck for everywhere I’ve seen my “glamour shot” photo of Michael Hayes’ “Off The Streets” album… But ultimately I don’t mind. I enjoy a brief link posted if someone does use it. I never got into watermarking photos other than a few vintage shots that I’m fairly confident have been printed nowhere else.

How did you decide to go weekly?

I just sort of fell into it. At first it was whenever. Then it got into “Thursday at 7” to the point that I had people saying that to me at conventions. Now that was cool! A few years ago I quit doing it weekly. I try to do it twice a month, but sometimes it’s more and sometimes it’s less.

Why did you drop the weekly format?

I felt myself doing more and more filler content. Not that those entries weren’t as enjoyable, it always surprised me which ones drew more attention that others. I just felt that the old adage of “quality over quantity” was beginning to come true. I still cringe when I do so many modern figure reviews in a row, but sometimes it happens. The figure reviews, despite all of the other figure resources out there, still seem to get the most attention. When something begins to be less enjoyable to me, I send to shy away from it as I think most people do. The “no deadlines” format makes it much more enjoyable.

You’re well known for attending many wrestling conventions over the years. Why not more coverage on that?

I think that aside from “what happened to the newsletter?” this is the question that pops up the most. I’ve done my share, but when it came up that I was going to a show I’d always hear “I can’t wait to read the blog entry!” I loved that. Anytime that people actively want to read your work is an honor. I just didn’t want to get into reviewing the shows. I did a lot on the Charlotte Fanfests, both in advance and in retrospect, but they were different. I have countless stories from virtually all of the conventions that I’ve attended. I’m fast approaching the 20^th anniversary of my convention-going and 35 years of meeting wrestlers, so the stories are coming eventually. I’ve always thought they’d be best in a format different from the blog itself. Though I’ve strayed on occasion, memorabilia should still be the focus.

Can you at least tell us your favorite to meet?

It’s difficult. You’ve got the ones who gave an outstanding experience, you’ve got the personal favorites and then you have the ones who went beyond just the proverbial “meet and greet.” I’m a fan. Have I made a few paychecks from the business? Yes. But I am not nor will I ever be “in the business.” I have never been out to make friends with any of the stars, either. I show a lot of respect in my interactions, as all fans should, and that often endears me to the stars who are used to every sort of behavior that there is. Because of that, I do count some as friends. To answer the question (finally), I’ll give a safe and true answer: Rowdy Roddy Piper. They didn’t get any better as far as fan interaction. Bar none. I can remember something from each time that I was “In The Pit” with Piper.

How about your favorite piece of memorabilia?

I always go back to “Big Dust.” I have five all-time favorite wrestlers and I’ve said countless times that if I had to pick one it would be “The Dream.” He was such a unique person and equally as unique to meet. That being said, it makes sense that my favorite item is one of his. It’s a (larger than) life size standee for the Mello Yello advertising campaign featuring Dusty and the NWA collectible cans. Getting it signed was my second-to-last time visiting with The Dream and one of the most memorable, for sure.

Do you sell memorabilia?

Ah, here we go, one of the other most often asked questions. I do have an eBay account and have been selling for over twenty-five years. Although I do list “doubles” of things that I have in my own collection, it isn’t all wrestling. I very rarely, if ever, sell anything shown here on the blog. Would I for some crazy, ridiculous amount of money? Everyone’s got a price, but the amount that I would ask for my personal collection is far beyond what it’s worth. I hesitate to say even that much, but unless I can sell the whole deal and comfortably retire, it isn’t happening.

What’s in the future?

I think that the blog will always go on in some form. I’ve recently started vlogging and find it very enjoyable, though not as convenient to create as a traditional blog entry. The word “podcast” has come about both in my own mind and from others mentioning it to me. It’s intriguing, but I don’t know that it will happen. I’ve also noticed a troubling trend. It seems to me that the most success in recent years, between wrestling podcasters and wrestling entrepreneurs in general, has come to those who are assholes. I hate saying it so bluntly, but so many of these successful folks treat their fans/followers/paying customers like dirt and/or act like God’s gift. I don’t have to name names. I always based my writing style, especially here in the blog, off of three people. Two of them are/were outside of wrestling, but the third was the late “Wrestling Chatterbox” Georgiann Makropoulos. She was one of the kindest people you could ever encounter and, despite all of that, was a great success in the business for five decades. I wanted the blog to emulate her easygoing style and be sort of a “bright light” in the wrestling world. In the past five, six, seven years it’s obvious that it doesn’t work that way anymore. The fans would rather be called marks. That’s fine. I’m glad that so many readers reach out to me and let me know that they’re still with me after all these years. It means more than they know.

Any final thoughts?

Quite simply, thank you! Thanks to everyone who’s ever read any of my content, even if it was just something on social media. I didn’t get a chance to rant about that topic, but I will say that I most closely favor Instagram. Some may disagree, but I feel that it’s the least toxic of the bunch and I always enjoy coming up with new content for that account. The blog will continue to “enlighten and entertain,” as I’ve always said, for the foreseeable future in several different forms. You never know what will come up down the pike, so stay tuned!

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…