Thursday, May 28, 2009

What if...the Brawl for All tournament was a success?

In the summer of 1998, the WWF held a tournament featuring wrestlers on their roster voluntarily competing in legit shootfighting contests that were not fake or pre-determined.



"Dr Death" Steve Williams is/was regarded as one of the real tough guys in the wrestling business, and many believed he would enter and win hands down. His presumed victory, on the part of WWF officials, would then place him in a position to succeed or become "over" with the fans of the Attitude era.

Some suggest that Williams' victory could have led to a small feud with Stone Cold Steve Austin, supposedly, on the basis of Austin sharing the same name of Steve Williams outside of wrestling.

Brawl for All was, by all accounts, a failed concept and resulted in actual injuries to the competitors (Hawk, Droz, Savio Vega). Unexpectedly, Bart Gunn (formerly of The Smoking Gunns, then with The New Midnight Express) knocked out Dr Death in their third round bout, eventually leading to Gunn's victory over Bradshaw in the finals, where $75,000 and $25,000 were handed out, respectively.

Gunn's victory over Williams was frowned upon by officials as their plan had been ruined; Williams competed in only a few wrestling matches (mostly squashes and dark matches) during his WWF tenure, before making his final appearance in late March of 1999. Bart Gunn faced off against pro boxer Eric "Butterbean" Esch at WrestleMania XV after his Brawl for All victory, and was disposed of in approximately 30 seconds. Gunn soon after left the WWF for Japan.

Had the tournament been a success with thrilling match-ups, few injuries and Dr Death as the sole survivor, the WWF may have capitalized on it more than simply a match with Butterbean at WrestleMania XV. According to reports at the time, Jakks Pacific was considering either a Brawl for All 4-pack or separate Brawl for All line during the BCA era.

The 4-pack would have consisted of Bart Gunn, Bradshaw, Droz and The Godfather, with a pair of boxing gloves included (not sure if they were to be kids size or for the figures, though). The separate line was rumored to have Dan Severn and Dr Death in it, too.

Also, a Butterbean figure was planned even before the tournament in late 1997, but none of the ideas mentioned ever made it to the prototype stage.

Several of the participants in the tournament received figures regardless, including Severn and Dr Death, but neither were particularly good sellers. If Williams had won the tournament, it could have resulted in more of his figures on the shelves, which may or may not have been a good thing.

Bart Gunn never received his long-awaited BCA figure, but chances are it would have been more likely had he not upset Williams (and WWF officials, one might say), but that wasn't the case with the Brawl for All tournament.

I don't know if wrestling figures in boxing gear would have been a success then, but Jakks was still willing to experiment with the WWF line and could have given us some cool accessories to go with the "brawling" figures.

It's an idea that I'm sure has been presented by many before me, but the Brawl for All tournament, as awful as it was overall, could have changed the dynamic of Jakks' focus at the time, as well as the WWF, if things had gone as planned.

But, as Vince McMahon often used to say, "Anything can happen in the World Wrestling Federation!!!"

...Dr Death Steve Williams learned that the hard way.

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

- Alex

Monday, May 25, 2009

Figure Review #3 - Superstars Series 3 Mankind

Long before fans associated him with Mr. Socko and his three reigns as WWF Champion, Mick Foley donned the persona of a deranged individual with a tortured past and a knack for physically abuse himself.


Mankind debuted the day after WrestleMania XII on April 1, 1996 in the WWF after two successful runs with ECW and WCW.

He feuded with The Undertaker upon his arrival (as well as introduced the first ever Boiler Room Brawl match), earned his first WWF Championship title shot against Shawn Michaels at IYH: Mind Games (and lost), and gained the support of fans as he juggled three different gimmicks (the other two: Dude Love and Cactus Jack).

Unquestionably, Foley/Mankind was one of the most influential people/characters in the success of the WWF in the late 1990s.

So, as should be expected, it didn't take long for Jakks Pacific to give him his first WWF wrestling figure.

In the beginning, there was Superstars Series 3 Mankind, and it was a great start for one of the most unusual characters of his time.

An entirely new body mold was created for Mankind, and it was re-released several times due to the popularity of the figure and, well, Jakks attempting to get their money's worth out of it. Many collectors would agree in saying that Mankind's first figure is/was one of the best representations from the BCA era.

And, again, it's worth noting that these were the pre-Real Scan technology days and parts were sculpted (often) without anything to fall back on. Certainly, this is one BCA figure that is hard to deny as one of the overall best produced.



Head:

All things considered, the original head sculpt for Mankind is impressive and features plenty of small details, from the shading of his beard and the receding hairline to the excellent painting of the Hannibal Lecter-inspired mask.

However, the cheesy smile detracts from the other great aspects of the sculpt, so I cannot give it a great score. Grade - 3.5/5

Torso:

A larger sculpt would seem necessary since Foley wasn't exactly light as a feather, but Jakks was still experimenting with new molds at the time and were giving their best effort with what was available to them (foreign concept now, eh?).

Great detail again here, but I won't penalize this time around (except that it could have been a little thicker). Grade - 4.5/5

Arms:

The one major flaw here is the elbow pads, which Mankind did not wear, but the Mandible Claw finger mold on his right hand and scars on his upper left arm, as well as the forearm hair on both arms, more than make up for the one negative aspect of these parts. Grade - 4/5

Legs:

One could make the case that the legs should have been thicker because of Foley's actual size, but it cannot be disputed that the boot mold, and painting thereof, is phenomenal. The sculpt of the legs and knee pads are not substantially different from your average BCA figure of the first few series (smaller than they should be), but they are passable and easily overlooked with this figure. Grade - 3.5/5

Accessories/Other:

A silver WWF stand is included with the figure, but that's about it. A removable mask or cloth top would likely be preferred by collectors of today, or even fake strands of Foley's hair, but accessories were few and far between during those days.

As I've done with previous reviews, I'll take into account the many details Jakks provided for the figure which deserve recognition (such as the mask, Mandible Claw, scars on his left arm, boot straps, etc). Grade - 3.5/5

OVERALL: 19/25 - Thus far, this has been the highest score (tied with Funk/Hart figures) that I've attributed to any BCA figure, and it is quite deserving. The head sculpt could be improved, the elbow pads removed, and the overall mold thickened some, but it is an otherwise excellent representation or first crack at Mankind's debut look.

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

- Alex

Saturday, May 23, 2009

Back Carding Pic of the Day!

Just for fun, take a look at this back carding from the Grudge Match Series Taka Michinoku vs. Brian Christopher 2-pack, released in 1998.

There is a great variety of lines from which to choose, including Bone Crunchin' wrestling buddies and the Ripped and Ruthless series, which was the Unmatched Fury series of its day.

Also, see if you can find any prototypes that were changed before the final product.

- Alex

Other Owen Hart Figure Ratings

I thought it would be worth reviewing the other Owen Hart BCA figures mentioned in previous posts (again, excluding the S.T.O.M.P. Series 2 figure), so I decided to group them together and provide my scores in a summarized review.

Actually, my rankings as listed below need to be adjusted, since the DTA Tour Series 2 Blue Blazer figure scored lower than the 2 Tuff Series 3 and Superstars Series 6 Owen figures by the time I added up the numbers.

Also, the Grudge Match/Championship Title Series Owen figure (same as B097, without the HF jacket) was bumped up into a three-way tie with the Superstars Series 2 debut Owen figure.

Basically, this is how each fared out of a potential score of 25 (five categories for Head, Torso, Arms, Legs, and Accessories/Other).

1. Hart vs. Hart Family Feud KB Toys Exclusive 1 of 12,000 2-pack (with Bret Hart) = 19/25
2. Best of '97 Series 1 (with Hart Foundation jacket) = 18.5/25
3-5. TIE - Superstars Series 2 ("King of Harts"), Grudge Match Series 1 2-pack (with HHH), Championship Title Series #1 4-pack (with 'Taker/Rocky/Bulldog and belts) = 17.5/25
6. 2 Tuff Series 3 2-pack (NOD "Danger", with The Rock) = 13.5/25
7. Superstars Series 6 ("Black Hart") = 12/25
8. DTA Tour Series 2 Blue Blazer (full, detailed review can be viewed further down the page) = 11.5/25

Eventually, I will attempt to review each S.T.O.M.P. series figure as a separate category, but not for now, so S.T.O.M.P. Series 2 Owen Hart will be saved for another time.

However, I do plan on giving another full review soon.

My next choice? Superstars Series 3 Mankind, which should be a good one.

Until next time, thanks for looking and have a nice Memorial Day weekend!

- Alex

Thursday, May 21, 2009

A repaint that should have been...

Looking back at the first few Jakks Pacific WWF exclusives, it makes me wonder why one particular 2-pack consisted of two re-releases instead of brand new repaints.


(Credit: Back To The Past Collectibles)

The 1 of 10,000 Shawn Michaels vs. Vader Grudge Match 2-pack features re-releases of their Superstars Series 2 figures, but it seems odd that this exclusive would not offer EXCLUSIVE figures, such as the Razor/Diesel and Bret/Owen sets.

Jakks could have easily re-released Superstars Series 1 Razor and Diesel and Series 2 Bret and Owen for those sets, but didn't and chose to produce one-of-a-kind repaints of all four.

However, the easy route was apparently taken with Shawn and Vader's figures, which could have been the perfect opportunity to capture their respective looks from SummerSlam 1996 in action figure form. The heated feud between the two culminated at the event, which saw HBK retain his WWF Championship.

Vader's repaint would not have consisted of much but a lighter shade of red (as was done later with his Live Wire Series 1 figure) for his mask, singlet and boots, and a darker shade of black for the rest of his attire.

Shawn's figure would have been the first and only of his BCAs to adorn black tights with white and black hearts. The wrist bands likely would not have been as detailed as the real ones worn. The WMXIV Singles Series (same as the box set) HBK BCA figure is about as close to this attire as was ever made, although the heart designs, outline and color of the tights is different.

In my opinion, it would have been a much more appealing exclusive with the attire pictured and described above.

I only wish Jakks had entertained the thought before deciding to re-release figures and label them as "exclusives."

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

- Alex

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

Figure Review #2 - DTA Tour Series 2 Blue Blazer

Enough is enough and it's time for a change!

Well, okay, the blog colors changed, but this next figure review will be the same as always.

Surely (I'm serious), everyone is familiar with Owen Hart and his career, which came to an unfortunate, tragic end on the night of May 23, 1999, as he fell from the rafters and suffered fatal injuries due to faulty equipment.
He was supposed to make a grand entrance as The Blue Blazer for his WWF Intercontinental Championship match against The Godfather for the WWF's "Over The Edge" pay-per-view event; Hart was rumored to have walked out as champion in the match, which never took place because of the fall.

The Blue Blazer gimmick dates back to the late 1980s when Hart first debuted with the company, but it lasted only a short time. He soon after embraced his family name and was recognized as the youngest of the Hart clan for the majority of his career.

However, the late 1990s saw many changes for the wrestling business with the Attitude Era, and Hart was no exception. On the heels of the biggest push of his career in late 1997, Hart participated in several feuds before kayfabe quitting the WWF and reprising the Blue Blazer gimmick in the fall of 1998.

Many believe the return of The Blue Blazer was a form of punishment or done to humiliate Hart, yet he worked with it and made the best out of a poor situation.

Jakks Pacific had plans to release an action figure of The Blue Blazer in their Don't Trust Anybody (DTA) Tour Series 2 singles set, exclusive to Wal-Mart stores, due to the popularity of the character. The untimely death of Hart led to an increased demand for the figure which, coincidentally, arrived at stores around the same time.

The figure of Hart as The Blue Blazer remains one of the most popular BCA figures among collectors to this day, although the value has dropped significantly over the years.

Being that it was a store exclusive and the only figure of The Blue Blazer to date, it was sought after for many years and some claim it to be one of the best BCA figures ever produced.

As I mentioned in the first review, these were the pre-Real Scan technology days and parts were sculpted without anything to fall back on. Jakks Pacific put in a good amount of effort for this figure, but I'll explain why I don't believe it is one of the best representative of the BCA era.




Head:
Some credit is due for Jakks' willingness to tackle this particular gimmick, but the head sculpt is not as good as it could have been. In fact, it is simply the Slammers Series 2 Patriot head repainted as The Blue Blazer.

Despite the mostly accurate paintjob, I have to give this a low score for attempting to conceal an old sculpt and repaint it as something new. Grade - 1.5/5

Torso:

Jakks is not afraid to paint "outside of the lines", which can be good or bad, depending on how you look at it.

I understand what Jakks was going for here, but it comes across to me as a bit sloppy and lazy, again, on their part. The skin tone is also much lighter than Hart's actual tanned body at the time. Grade - 2/5

Arms:

Fairly good choice of parts (no wrist tape, open hand/closed fist combo), except for there being the outline and detail of elbow pads painted over with the regular skin tone.

Tackiness personified, and the arms are a little too muscular for Hart. Grade - 1.5/5

Legs:

The boots are tongue-less, the boot laces aren't painted, and the sculpt of the knee pads is too small.

However, the parts are passable and at least some detail on the boots was added as opposed to none at all. Grade - 2.5/5

Accessories/Other:

The blue cape is truly what makes the figure special. Without it, there is not much to look at or, rather, worth looking at.

It isn't perfectly accurate, but it's the effort that counts in my book; undoubtedly, this portion of the review will receive the best grade. Grade - 4/5

Also, note that there is no WWF stand included with the figure and the random wrench accessory does little to improve the figure's grade.

OVERALL: 11.5/25 - Some might be surprised at the low score given, but I feel it is appropriate given the repainted Patriot head, flesh-colored elbow pads, painting out of the lines of the singlet top, lack of detail on the boots, and several other factors.

It is worth buying to keep MOC, as I have for one I received as a gift ten years ago, but don't expect anything great if you open it to display loose.

The cape is better suited to BCA figures, so avoid buying it to use with your RA or DA figures of today.

Yet, there is no denying that this figure's appeal will transcend any small score I or anyone else will give it in a past or present review.

Finally, I still can't believe it's been ten years. Rest in peace, Owen.

- Alex

Monday, May 18, 2009

Hart Foundation Jackets

As a follow-up to the Owen Hart post from yesterday, here are pictures I have saved to my computer that were taken by someone else of the exclusive Best of '97 Series 1 Hart Foundation jackets.

Jakks had a small window of opportunity to release Jim Neidhart, but he was gone from the WWF by the time these figures were released in late 1997-early 1998. A box set featuring those four, or substitute Neidhart for Pillman, seems like it could have been planned at one time or another, but it was never to be made.

Still, one of the greatest factions of the 1990s (and some might argue of all-time) were represented in one singles set with these sleeveless, removable Hart Foundation jackets.

They are hardly comparable to the detailed cloth jacket accessories of today, but it was a worthy attempt by Jakks Pacific despite the group being disbanded at the time of their release.

Thanks for looking, and have a nice day!

- Alex

Sunday, May 17, 2009

The Best BCA Owen Hart Figure?


If I had the time or interest in doing so, I would review every single BCA figure produced for this blog.

However, I prefer to focus in depth on one figure at a time (two max), such as I did below this post with the Flash Funk review.

I planned on reviewing the ever-popular DTA Tour Series 2 Blue Blazer figure next, but I thought I would give a brief overview of each of Owen Hart's BCA figures and select the one I believe is the best of them all. I will exclude the S.T.O.M.P. Series 2 Owen figure, as it represents a fictional attire and is better grouped with similar S.T.O.M.P. series figures instead of the original BCA line.

Here is a list of all of Owen Hart's BCA figures, by the way.

1. Superstars Series 2 ("King of Harts")
2. Superstars Series 6 ("Black Hart")
3. Hart vs. Hart Family Feud KB Toys Exclusive 1 of 12,000 2-pack (with Bret Hart)
4. 2 Tuff Series 3 2-pack (NOD "Danger", with The Rock)
5. DTA Tour Series 2 (as Blue Blazer)
6. Best of '97 Series 1 (with Hart Foundation jacket)
7. Grudge Match Series 1 2-pack (with HHH)
8. Championship Title Series #1 4-pack (with Undertaker/Rocky Maivia/British Bulldog & first Jakks title belts)

It is worth mentioning that the Championship Title Series #1 4-pack attire was re-released in the Best of '97 (HF jacket added) and Grudge Match Series 1 sets. The basis of that attire was a repaint of the original Jakks Owen Hart figure from the Superstars Series 2 set.

The 1/12,000 exclusive is a separate repaint with painted-on cast on Owen's left forearm to depict the attire he wore in early 1996. Only five of Owen's BCA figures feature him with long hair; the short hair sculpt was introduced around the same time for Superstars Series 6 and 2 Tuff Series 3 (also used for the S.T.O.M.P. Series 2 figure).

And, of course, Owen's Blue Blazer gimmick from the DTA Tour Series 2 set was a repaint of old parts (including the Slammers Series 2 Patriot head), with added blue cape.

As far as the best overall representation of Owen Hart, his debut Jakks figure from the second assortment of the primary Superstars line would be the winner. From the long hair and scowl on his face to the detailed black singlet, pink knee pads and fully-decorated boots, the Superstars Series 2 figure would be the figure of choice if you were to look to buy one BCA Owen for your collection. However, the best Owen figure has to go to either the Best of '97 Series 1 figure with removable, sleeveless Hart Foundation jacket or the 1/12,000 exclusive with painted-on left forearm cast.

Both have great detail and are slight improvements over Owen's first figure, but it's difficult to choose one over the other; it really depends on which attire you prefer, and if you would rather display Owen with the Hart Foundation in 1997 or as a member of Cornette's Camp from 1996.

I've never cared much for the short hair sculpt of Owen (which was repainted and used later for Jeff Jarrett), and the figures with that particular look are missing a lot of detail. For more on why the Blue Blazer figure is probably one of the most overrated figures in the history of Jakks Pacific, check out my next figure review coming soon.

So, here is my ranking of the best Owen Hart figures (1- best, 8- worst), as listed above.

1. Hart vs. Hart Family Feud KB Toys Exclusive 1 of 12,000 2-pack (with Bret Hart)
2. Best of '97 Series 1 (with Hart Foundation jacket)
3. Superstars Series 2 ("King of Harts")
4-5. Tie (same figure as 2, w/o HF jacket) - Grudge Match Series 1 2-pack (with HHH) & CTS#1 4-pack (with 'Taker/Rocky/Bulldog and belts)
6. DTA Tour Series 2 (as Blue Blazer)
7. 2 Tuff Series 3 (NOD "Danger", with The Rock)
8. Superstars Series 6 ("Black Hart")

Here's a picture of all of my loose BCA Owen Hart figures, excluding the DTA Tour Series 2 Blue Blazer, which is pictured elsewhere.

From left to right - Superstars Series 6, Superstars Series 2, Best of '97 Series 1, 1/12,000 KB Toys Exclusive 2-pack w/Bret Hart, 2 Tuff Series 3.

That's it for now, but thanks for looking and have a nice day!

- Alex

Thursday, May 14, 2009

Favorite Superstars Series 1 Figure Poll

Series 1 Undertaker is my favorite, what about you?

Place your vote in the poll located on the right side of your screen today!

Oh, and check out the figure review below, too. :-P

- Alex

Figure Review #1 - Superstars Series 5 Flash Funk

Ooohh, Flash, you are sooooooo funk-ay!

...Indeed.

Flash Funk, a.k.a. 2 Cold Scorpio, debuted in the WWF at Survivor Series 1996 as the original Godfather with his hoes ("Funkettes", if you will).

He could wrestle and, on top of that, dance; what more do you need?



Funk/Scorpio competed for the WWF during the mid-to-late 1990s so, as was customary at the time, he received a wrestling figure courtesy of Jakks Pacific. He was featured in the main Superstars line, the fifth assortment released in 1997, and was released in a blue jumpsuit with removable blue entrance hat accessory. Originally, the figure wore an orange jumpsuit in one prototype from what I've heard but not seen (that I know of).

An entirely new body mold was created specifically for Funk (not Terry), and it was NEVER used again for any other BCA figure. The Flash Funk character did not survive on TV and, despite rumors of an upcoming 2 Cold Scorpio BCA figure in 1998, it was Scaggs' (REAL NAME ALERT!!!11) only Jakks Pacific WWF/E wrestling figure from his tenure with the company.

These were the days prior to Real Scan technology and parts were sculpted without anything to fall back on. Jakks Pacific put in a lot of effort for this one particular figure at the time, and I believe it paid off.


Head:

Again, the majority of BCA heads were not pretty and only a few were a good representation of the actual person.

The skintone is way off for the lighter-skinned Funk/Scorpio in real life, but the sculpt is decent, if not a little too round. The mustache is also too thick and stubble would have been the preferred choice here. Overall, though, it isn't terrible for its time (maybe it is now), but it was Jakks' one and only attempt and I thought they did a fair job. Also, notice the painted ear ring, which is a plus. Grade - 2.5/5

Torso:

Skintone is off and there are some checkered details missing from the suit, but it is an otherwise excellent torso mold for Funk. The open chest with painted cross and chain draped over it really complements the figure, and I find it hard to give this portion of the figure a bad grade. Grade - 4/5

Arms:

It is hard to distinguish where the forearm ends and the wrist begins, but the arms feature designs on the shoulders and a silver-painted ring on his left hand. I would have liked if there had been actual gloves separated from the suit instead of as one whole part, but I'll take it as is. Still very nice detail. Grade - 3.5/5

Legs:

Similar to the arms, there are some designs, including "FF" on the outer portion of Funk's right leg, but the real story is the sculpt of the boot covering on each leg. Really good job here by Jakks that simply wouldn't have cut it if there had been metallic blue painted over regular legs in tights. Also, I love the silver painted on the front and heel of the boots, which could have been skipped over if Jakks had wanted. Grade - 4.5/5

Accessories/Other:

"FF" hat that Funk wore during his entrance is included, and with plenty of detail to boot. A fur coat would have made this a must-have figure, but it isn't necessary for a figure that was mass released/produced in a large quantity. I'll also factor in the silver WWF stand and the various painted items molded to Funk (ear ring, cross, etc), but the hat was a nice touch. The entrance coat would have topped it off. Grade - 4.5/5

OVERALL: 19/25
Definitely a figure worth owning for all of the small details and exclusive parts made just for Flash Funk; it may end up being his one and only Jakks figure, so buy it if you haven't yet (what are you waiting on? He's funky, people!).

More pictures of Superstars Series 5 Flash Funk can be viewed at this link:
Thanks for looking, and have a nice day!

- Alex

Check out my BCA collection!

Here's a link to a thread I created on the Loose Jakks Database boards with pictures and some description of my BCA collection:

http://loosejakks.proboards.com/index.cgi?board=wwecollectionboard&action=display&thread=1145&page=1

Sign up and contribute to the LJD site, too, while you're there.

By the way, more posts will be coming in the next few days, so keep an eye out for them.

Thanks for looking, and have a nice day!

- Alex

Monday, May 11, 2009

$15...heh

I remember back nearly ten years ago when I walked into Planet Wrestling, one of my favorite hobby shops to frequent as a kid, but I'll never forget the ridiculous prices for new, in-stock wrestling figures. I believe a manager, or possibly even the store owner, once explained to me how they were able to obtain brand new sets months before Toys-R-Us or any other major retailer.

I was familiar with online stores at the time, but I never purchased anything for myself until at least two to three years later. So, essentially, Planet Wrestling was my only option for buying newer figures until they could be found at retail much later, and for much cheaper.

This one day in particular stands out for me as I had money (well, my parent's money) burning a hole in my pocket and me and a friend were there to see what was available. All of the newest figures were always displayed on a wall behind the cash register (side note: damn me for not ever purchasing that signed OSFTM ECW Axl Rotten figure when I had the chance, multiple times, but always passed on it), and I saw before me the newest BCA singles series - Breakdown In Your House.

I only remember there being two choices that day - Droz or D'Lo.
















Why my only two choices were between those two, I'll never know, but I digress.

Anyway, I knew I didn't have enough money for both (again, crazy, insane prices), so I'm about 47% sure I bought Droz that day. The reason why I say that is because I distinctly remember the kitchen sink accessory that was included with "Puke" himself. Needless to say, my friend bought nothing that day, and he may have been the smarter one because of it.

I spent $15 on the following Droz figure back in the day (not my picture, but credit to eBay seller johnlorei), and prices for wrestling figures may be inflated now, but there is no way I can justify the purchase other than for being an impatient kid, and an impatient kid with money to spend that didn't mean much to him.

I always try to look for good deals now, so I don't think I'll ever fall into that trap again.

But, Droz did come with the kitchen sink, after all.

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

- Alex

Saturday, May 9, 2009

What if...Superstars Series 8 B.A. Billy Gunn was released?

As always in the action figure world, there are some that reach the prototype stages and don't make the final cut for whatever reason; wrestling figures are no exception.



Billy Gunn was coming off the heels of the biggest push of his career when he was crowned King of the Ring 1999, and he was destined for superstardom. Obviously, WWF management soon realized that Billy Gunn's star fell quicker than a hiccup when he was not able to garner an adequate reaction from the crowd. He didn't have the charisma to get himself over to the next level, but that didn't stop Jakks Pacific from capitalizing on his short success as a singles performer.

Yet another Billy Gunn repaint was scheduled for Superstars Series 8, this time in sparkling silver trunks, but it was replaced soon after by the first non-Slammers Kane figure. The eighth assortment was rebranded "Team Corporate" and featured six wrestlers/personalities involved with the popular stable of the time, headed by WWF owner Vince McMahon.



At first glance, the Billy Gunn prototype is nothing special, and one could argue that the figure would have been a re-release (or released at around the same time) as the 2 Tuff Series 4 Gunn figure, in sparkling black trunks. Only a few of Billy Gunn's BCA figures included full detail on the trunks, knee pads and boots (2 Tuff Series 1, Signature Series 2, Sunday Night Heat Series, etc), and the prototype shown so many years ago is missing all of the boot detail like the majority of his figures (Fully Loaded Series 1, 2 Tuff Series 4, Grudge Match w/Shamrock, etc).

It wouldn't have made much of a difference if another Billy Gunn repaint was released, but what would have happened to the first non-Slammers regular Kane? Jakks was planning on releasing it soon because of the demand for Kane figures at the time, so I have no doubts that one would have been made available not long after.

Besides, if Jakks had decided to include Billy Gunn in Superstars Series 8, I would have preferred pink trunks over silver or black, since he wore brighter colors more often.
Replacing him with Kane was the best possible choice, in my opinion, which is one of many reasons why you won't hear too many "what ifs" about the Billy Gunn figure among Jakks collectors.

Well, that and the fact that no one cares about Billy Gunn.

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

- Alex

Friday, May 8, 2009

LVJR - KOTR Grudge Match 2-pack

Hey guys,

The first installment of my "Latest Vintage Jakks Receiving" posts will also be the first post of the new blog.

I purchased this 1999 King of the Ring Grudge Match 2-pack featuring X-Pac vs. "Double J" Jeff Jarrett on eBay 9 days ago for only $6.99 shipped. The double pack represents the real life (well, you know what I mean) feud between the two on WWF programming.


X-Pac is merely a repaint of the BreakDown In Your House series figure in street gear, and "Double J" is a re-release of his Shotgun Saturday Night Series 2 figure in ring gear. It comes with an exclusive trading card depicting their feud on TV, and once retailed for $9.99 in stores ten years ago.

My take: Only purchase this set if you are a BCA completist, as the original releases come with better accessories.

Fun fact: The t-shirt worn by X-Pac was only released once for his BCA figures, so it is limited in that sense.

Thanks for looking, and have a nice day!

- Alex