What if...a BCA Mike Tyson had been released?

Once the news broke that famed boxer "Iron" Mike Tyson had signed a deal with the WWF in January of 1998 to appear at WrestleMania XIV (14), rumors began spreading about the possibility of a Tyson figure in Jakks Pacific's WWF BCA line.

He had signed one of the heftiest contracts in pro wrestling history to date, so it should have been assumed that the WWF would capitalize on their union to promote the sale of merchandise.

Unfortunately, it wasn't until the Rocky movie line debuted in 2006 that collectors would be able to purchase a Jakks Mike Tyson figure, in a removable, cloth gray suit with black trunks underneath. He's also sporting the face tattoo, which is but a reminder of the downfall of Tyson's career.

It wasn't known at the time whether Tyson's introduction to the BCA line would be as part of the mass-produced Superstars series or as a limited commemorative figure. Either way, had the WWF jumped on its release as soon as possible, it could have been a great seller and released in many variations.

A 2-pack commemorating the first altercation between Tyson and Austin (and Mr. McMahon as the mediator) would have been an interesting set. Tyson's affiliation with DX could have been well-represented in a three or four figure boxed set. A 3-pack featuring Austin and Michaels in their respective WMXIV attires and Tyson wearing a cloth DX t-shirt (with cloth Austin 3:16 t-shirt in his hands) would likely have been the most popular option.

Another idea that had potential and was rumored at the time was a Managers series 2-pack of Mike Tyson and Don King, which could have been fun just to see Jakks' interpretation of King's wild and crazy hair.

Tyson's debut Jakks release took more than 8 years to produce and came courtesy of his bit part in the most recent Rocky Balboa film for the Rocky line in 2006. It was released on a single card and the WrestleMania XIV logo was nowhere to be found.

Yet, I believe Jakks made this figure to, well, make up for the fact that collectors of the BCA era were screwed over.

Yep, the ol' "WrestleMania XIV Screwjob."

...Okay, maybe not that serious, but it still could have been real, dammit!

Let's just hope there aren't any plans for "The Hangover" action figures courtesy of Jakks Pacific, since we could be waiting a while for Tyson and his ferocious pet (not Don King).

Until next time, thanks for looking and have a nice day!

- Alex