Top Ten List #3 - Least necessary to the BCA line

Who are the least necessary characters to be included in Jakks Pacific's BCA figure line?

It's a question that I've often pondered, but never really put a lot of thought into until now.

Why now? Ehh, I don't know, it just seemed like the right time.

So, I thought I would compile (or stretch to make it) a top ten list of the personalities that I consider least necessary to the BCA line.

The criteria? I've focused mainly on the length of time each individual spent with the WWF during the BCA figure era (mid-'96 through late '99).

This isn't about the least popular figures during that period, because we all know Dr Death and Jacqueline would be duking it out on top if that were the case.

Instead, the purpose of the list is to showcase poor timing on Jakks' behalf as the names listed below aren't needed quite as much as the rest.

I guess you could call them The Expendables, just without the steroids and fledgling movie careers. ...Okay, half the steroids.

Starting with...

10. Ultimate Warrior (Superstars Series 2, Survivor Series 4-pack repaint)

Figuring out how the list will begin is always a tough decision for me to make. I chose Warrior to go here because there aren't really any others after him and his is a good place to start.

His debut Jakks figure in Superstars Series 2 came at just the right time since he had parted ways with the WWF in the summer of 1996. However, his on-screen appearances were sporadic before leaving and I'm not sure Jakks had an effective way of leading in to his new figure's arrival with all that was going on behind the scenes.

09. Razor Ramon and Diesel (Superstars Series 1, Superstars 2-pack)

The same could be said for the then-soon-to-be Outsiders. Hall and Nash skipped town to go where the big boys played (no, not MacFarlane) and their debut Jakks figures and subsequent releases came AFTER they had left.

Now, the reason they aren't ranked higher is because their inclusion in the breakthrough first series of the Jakks Pacific BCA figure line was crucial then and they remain among the most sought after to this day (among their BCA contemporaries). That being said, maybe it was the WWF's fault for allowing Jakks to continue production on figures for two gimmicks without faces to represent them (until, of course, the fakes arose from the ashes).

08. The Executioner (Buried Alive 4-pack)

I want to tell you a story about a place you don't wanna be and, no, I'm not talking about Badstreet, USA. It's being called upon to don a ridiculous gimmick for yet another gimmick feud between the Undertaker and a mid-card heel (Mankind) during mid-90s WWF.

None other than Terry Gordy of Fabulous Freebirds fame answered the call and would be immortalized in one of Jakks Pacific's finer boxed sets - Buried Alive, alongside Mankind, Paul Bearer and Undertaker. His lone BCA figure commemorates the Buried Alive pay-per-view event from October 1996, but The Executioner would be disposed of rather quickly by Undertaker at the December '96 In Your House PPV, It's Time, spelling the end of Gordy's tenure with the WWF.

His wrestling action figure, much like Razor and Diesel, would be a hot topic among collectors due to its limited run, but the gimmick itself lasted just long enough to qualify for a footnote in WWF history. A smidge...and, yes, I'm using my fingers to demonstrate this point.

07. The Sultan and Bob Backlund (Managers Series 1 2-pack)

Yes, another grouping or sharing of the same spot in this list, but why split up the pack that gave us pre-Rikishi and post-Backlund in a Pee Wee Herman suit?

It's a wonder that Jakks didn't try to squeeze in an Iron Sheik since he was a co-manager alongside the equally-crazed Backlund for The Sultan. He had a somewhat memorable feud with Rocky Maivia (pre-The Rock) culminating at WrestleMania XIII in an Intercontinental title match, but that's all there is to it.

Nothing more, nothing less from this flash in the pan gimmick, and maybe it's better that way.

06. The Jackyl (2 Tuff Series 2 2-pack)

His managerial stint in the WWF did not last very long, but it was enough to earn Don Callis his one and only wrestling figure in a 2-pack alongside Kurrgann. It's a great sculpt, as I mentioned here, but it came long after the two had split and, presumably, The Jackyl was managing the early tandem of Farooq and Bradshaw.

That doesn't mean the figure wasn't worthy of being made, but Jakks Pacific likely had a rough time keeping up with the ever-evolving WWF landscape.

05. Honky Tonk Man (Ringside Collection Series 2)

When your most memorable moment from a late 90s WWF run is managing Rockabilly and doing color commentary while dressing in full character like everyone's favorite drunk uncle at Christmastime, that probably isn't a good sign for future action figure releases.

Don't discount the desperation of Jakks Pacific, though! Honky's first and only Jakks BCA figure came in the Ringside Collection Series 2 assortment and, while it's an adequately detailed figure, its mid-1998 release date still doesn't make a lot of sense.

That's to say that a guy with a goofy 1980s gimmick wasn't already behind the times when the Attitude era rolled around, but even moreso with his BCA figure.

04. Blackjack Windham (Tag Team Series 1)

Barry Windham is the son of Blackjack Mulligan, in case you didn't know, and Bradshaw's storyline relation to Blackjack Lanza is what brought the two together to form The New Blackjacks.

I think Wikipedia says it all with this description: "The team never reached the success of their predecessors."

Windham would later join Jim Cornette's NWA invasion of the WWF in early 1998, but neither re-incarnation could be considered a success by any means.

03. Dr Death (Superstars Series 7)

I touched on the Brawl 4 All tournament in a previous post, and it's safe to say that this destroyed any and all chances Steve Williams had of getting over.

If anything, Bart Gunn deserved a BCA figure that neither Jakks nor WWF ever planned on making. According to former Jakks employee Serge, Titan Sports did request a Dr Death Steve Williams figure to be included in the main Superstars line.

How did that go? Well, since you asked politely, let's just go with "not good" and assume that Jakks learned their lesson...for the time being.

02. Yokozuna (Special Edition Series Exclusive, Red and White attire)

Nobody was more intimidating in an early 90s WWF squash match on Superstars than Yokozuna. I guess you could say the same if you were to be on opposite sides of the ring as an even larger Yokozuna circa 1996.

Sadly, the sideshow element of his appearances became more of a factor as he grew in size, and not even not-so-subtle attempts at encouraging him to lose weight (carrying him out on a forklift because of a storyine broken leg, anybody?) worked with the Polynesian monster.

His most memorable moment came with a planned spot during the Summerslam 1996 Free-for-all match against Stone Cold Steve Austin where the middle rope broke during a Bonzai Drop attempt. Did it send a message to fans that Yoko was morbidly obese at that point? Sure, but it had little effect on the man himself.

Jakks still gave their best effort with a limited edition Special Edition Series figure in 1998, and an exclusive repaint, but their choice of Yokozuna to headline the KB Toys-exclusive series at that point in his career was...odd.

01. Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw (Superstars Series 4)

There's barely a paragraph to be squeezed out of this portion of Bradshaw's career on his Wikipedia page, so what more is there to be said?

His debut Superstars Series 4 "Bad Boys" figure doesn't quite fit in with the likes of Steve Austin, Faarooq and HHH's debuts in the WWF line, so maybe Jerry Lawler is better in comparison.

Not to say that Lawler belongs on this list with all that he went on to do in the WWF vs. ECW feud a year later, but he DID pour Jim Beam down Jake Roberts' throat in King's most prominent feud from 1996.

What did Justin "Hawk" Bradshaw accomplish in '96? Well, he lost to Jake Roberts at the May 1996 In Your House PPV, Beware of Dog, and he defeated Savio Vega in his only feud of note at the next In Your House PPV, International Incident, in July.

Yep, Savio Vega.

Jake Roberts > Savio Vega

Pouring Jim Beam down someone's throat after a match >> Branding someone in ink with a "JB" symbol. Oh, and feuding with Savio Vega

Jim Beam >>> Savio Vega

Wait...how the hell did we get here?!?

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

- Alex