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MEMORIES:
kendra remembers...In the 80's ,my brothers had plenty of these guys and the most awesome WWF wrestling ring.They were so into ... More »
Posted on 05/27/08
PHOTOS:
Manufacturer:
LJN, Hasbro, Jakks Pacific
Special delivery from slam central! If your action figures need to flex their biceps and grimace menacingly, you’re not looking at any pansy G.I. Joe or He-Man. It’s the World Wrestling Federation action figures that have that championship belt – Hulk Hogan, Andre the Giant, and “Rowdy” Roddy Piper.
The WWF took professional wrestling – a sport that had been around for decades – and parlayed it into an entertainment empire. Wrestling impresario Vince McMahon played up ongoing rivalries, soap opera storylines, and lots of smack talk to draw his audience into the fascinating world of his wrestlers. Stars such as Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka, The Junkyard Dog, Randy “Macho Man” Savage and Tito Santana were transformed into larger-than-life characters, and their fights and exploits entranced millions of kids.
LJN and McMahon’s Titan Sports Inc. introduced the first line of WWF action figures in 1984 to help build excitement for the debut of “Hulk Hogan’s Rock ‘n’ Wrestling” on Saturday mornings the following year. The dolls didn’t have the joints and poseability of other action figures such as G.I. Joe, but they were perfectly able to stage smackdowns and talk trash with the help of their kid owners. Knocking down Andre the Giant with an atomic elbow drop was a joy that young WWF fans always looked forward to.
As the stars of the WWF changed, so did the line of action figures. JYD, Hacksaw Jim Duggan, and others were taken off the shelves and replaced with Jake “The Snake” Roberts, The Ultimate Warrior, and Yokozuna. WWF broadened their line of merchandise to include wrestling rings, thumb-wrestlers, soft “Wrestling Buddies”, along with albums, movies, and more.
After a slow period in the early ‘90’s, pro wrestling became huge again. Hasbro and Jakks Pacific introduced a brand new line of figures such as The Undertaker, Mankind, Sable, The Rock, and Stone Cold Steve Austin, and the old-school, classic figures were still available for collectors and fans. And new generations of fans keep the faith, as long as that faith contains brain-busters, piledrivers, and bad attitudes.
