Championship belts of the BCA era

Championships are forever linked to those who fight for them.

If you're a professional basketball team like the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA, you overcome sweltering (if not fading down the stretch) Heat in order to claim the vacated title of champion.

Professional wrestlers travel the same weathered path, and so do their action figure counterparts to some extent.

If you are the puppet master of your own wrestling figure federation, you know how important it is (even if only for an audience of one) to have a reputable champion, or multiple champions.

Medals and trophies might suffice for others in the amateur ranks but, no, your guys need to wear gold around their waists, or at the very least have it slung over their shoulder.

So, I think we're all in agreement that championship belts are crucial to branding your federation and establishing your place among the all-time greats (or as far as it reaches your bedroom door).

Where would we be without them? Printing out paper belts? Constructing them out of cardboard? Construction paper?

Not that there's anything wrong with that, but we're talking advancements in technology and an era in which we have (well, had)...Attitude.
For their Bone Crunching Action figure line of the 1990s, Jakks Pacific afforded us only a few choice boxed sets, but they would prove more than filling for collectors with access to them.

More specifically with access to Toys"R"Us stores, as each one of these was exclusive to the retailer.

Beginning in the fall of 1997 with the first Championship Title Series boxed set, Jakks gave us a line-up of champions (albeit outdated) each wrapped up in their respective title belts.




The belts remain a special part of the line's legacy due to their limited run (never to be seen again), as well as their supremely-detailed-for-their-time appearance with both raised and colored plates for the WWF, Intercontinental, European, and Tag Team Championships.

Jakks went back to the drawing board for reasons unbeknownst to me and concocted a much simpler sculpt of soft, rubbery straps with the designs now instead printed across the front.

They would make their debut in the fall of 1998 with the Off the Mat boxed set featuring four of the WWF's biggest names in street attire, or clothing that would be worn while "off the mat."




A new era of Attitude brought with it conceptual changes for the look of the championship belts, from a splash of blue and purple for the WWF and Intercontinental straps (respectively) to extended Tag Team straps.

Following in the footsteps of the trailblazing, eyebrow-rais...nevermind, Off the Mat boxed set, Jakks gave us more belts in the fall of 1999 than we had seen in the previous two years combined.

First, an introduction to the world of Hardcore and four representatives from the "movement" took shape in the form of yet another four figure boxed set with a theme of champions abound.


Don't you think it would have been more apropo for each of the Hardcore champions to appear battered and bruised in the boxed set?

It might add to the novelty of the set, especially if Jakks threw in a few supporting accessories (Mankind's Socko, Al Snow's Head, Boss Man's Nightstick, Holly's...umm, bad attitude? No, seriously, how about a breakaway table?).

A second Championship Title Series boxed set (as chronicled in a previous VJB post) would appear not too long after with the only occurrence of Stone Cold Steve Austin's Smoking Skull WWF Championship late in the BCA line.




Finally, the "Total Attitude" Grapple Gear boxed set issued re-releases of weapons and accessories including the aforementioned Attitude Hardcore, Tag Team, Intercontinental, and WWF Championship belts.




There were rumors of an additional Off the Mat #2 boxed set being in the works, but nothing came out of the speculation.

In the end, the five boxed sets outlined above were the only remnants to speak of, leaving some with a desire for more and others with a feeling of satisfaction for having been given anything (compared to the Hasbro WWF years).

A total of 21 belts were produced, though that doesn't take into consideration the thousands of sets that stocked Toys"R"Us shelves in all.

We have the luxury now of tracking down 1 of 1,000 belt variants in the Mattel WWE line and having near-fully-colored belts released for singles figures as part of the Defining Moments, Elite, and Legends series.

It's been a long time coming, but the BCA belts are still champions in my book.

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

- Alex