Category Archives: Prizm WWE

Reviewing Long Term Holds for the Modern WWE Market Given Current Outlook

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Lets look at the environment right now, because its not a pretty picture all around. Stock markets are down, crypto is way down, inflation is way up, and an international conflict is causing all sorts of problems across the world. This has led to a hobby downturn over the last quarter that looks to be the first true test of the boom since 2020. Crypto crashes have happened before and will happen again, and the stock market was up so big before, this could be a cooling period to reset things. Cards have been up, up, and very up during the last few years, and aside from a few small dips, have rarely had issues in the long term outlook. This looks a bit more serious.

In discussing the boom on this site over the last few years, I have mentioned that when things start to regress a bit, niche cards like WWE would be the first to feel the effects. Prizm was already coming down, but for the first time we are seeing most of the entire WWE spike cool a bit. This has sent some of the investors to the exits, but others have hunkered down a bit and bought the dip. Given that this economic and hobby downturn could be extended in length, here are some of the things I wouldnt sell off just yet.

Anything of the Rock

This is one of my favorite subjects, because the Rock is the most famous person involved in the WWE market. He may not be the top wrestler of all time, but he is the most influential person to ever be involved in wrestling, having become the one of the most sought after movie stars in the world. He also has a TV show that chronicles his youth, and has been toying with a political career as well.

For this reason, he has become the most valuable wrestler in modern cards (he was a generation past everything vintage). Not only that, but his cards from Chrome and Prizm have set modern sales records across the entirety of this niche area of the hobby, and Im still confirming details on his 1/1 Prizm Black which has the potential to break every possible record for wrestling cards overall.

I dont think there will be any doubt that success in WWE hinges on the Rock, and his stuff should be held as tightly as possible – especially shiny stuff. With recent big sales in Goldin’s spring auction and gigantic $20k+ private sales of his Gold Prizms, the Rock has staying power that I dont think will ever be replicated. Unlike Hogan, he has very few of the outside of the ring issues that can limit potential, and his featured place atop US pop culture will give him legs that most wrestlers dont have.

Big Wrestling Rookie Cards

One thing that has come with new people joining the WWE chase is that concepts from the big 4 sports have come along with them, including the increased value of rookie cards. The good thing about WWE programming is that it is designed to draw you in and create a week to week story you must follow. Cards have a very similar effect, and combining the two means that people will likely be sticking around with wrestling cards, even if the market dips.

I have collected sports cards since 1987, and I always loved the rookie cards of my favorite players, just like every other sports collectors. I was shocked to find out how much it wasnt a thing in WWE, as collectors seemed to value name and rarity over rookies. Now that this concept has changed dramatically, I dont think it will stop.

Sets like 2013 Topps, 2014 Chrome, and 2015 Chrome and Undisputed feature huge first cards of today’s top stars, and I see those being very valuable long term regardless of what happens in the economy. When the existing wrestling collectors started adapting their collecting habits to match incoming new eyes, the toothpaste was out of the tube – you cant put it back in.

Over the last year, I have seen rookies from Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks and Seth Rollins shoot up in value, mainly because of how the market has shifted to be more focused on rookies, and these cards shouldnt be among any that snap downwards in value the way some of the lesser stuff might.

Unopened Chrome and Finest Wax

When Topps decided to invest in their WWE license for the first time back in 2014, they ran a test product in WWE chrome. It was released as standalone product for the first time, and offered the first all chrome set since the heritage sets in the 2000s. Because there wasnt an established legacy market yet for wrestling cards, pre-orders were small and the run was less than 300 hobby cases, with some estimates around 250. That’s the smallest run for any chrome product in the history of the brand.

Considering Chrome has been around for decades, the actual scarcity of the first standalone Topps Chrome branded WWE product is a huge deal. Its also why cards from the Rock and Roman reigns were setting records at the beginning of 2022. There just isnt any of this stuff to go around. Since the chrome spike started, box prices have gone from $100 to $1500 in cost, and the scarcity will prevent those original chrome boxes from dropping, regardless of what happens with the cards inside.

Similarly with 2015 Chrome, which was a larger set and a larger run, the wax has spiked to an insane degree. This set also features more modern superstars like Bliss and Flair, along side more fabled veterans like Rock and Hogan. There were more parallels available too, with Red Refractors, Atomics, and others making their first appearance. Even though there is a bit more of 2015 to go around, its still a minuscule amount compared to other sports. Like 2014, the actual scarcity will contribute to long term increases in value as people chase the big cards.

As Chrome came back to WWE with Finest in 2020, the legacy brands had a renewed interest with collectors and investors alike. For the first time, WWE wax prices SHOT up to double what they originally sold at, and have since doubled again. Finest was a new offering for WWE during that run, and with the Topps license ending in December 2021, it wont be made again until Fanatics takes back over in 2026/27. That creates a short run of both Chrome and Finest to drive up wax prices long term.

Superfractors and Prizm Blacks

Even before the boom came to WWE, the market was driven by rare cards. The rarer the card, the higher the expected value – just like in the major sports. The difference here is that the comparative value of the superfractors to other rare cards wasnt there. Now that the new crowd has invaded the ranks, they bring their affinity for shiny stuff to the market with them. Superfractors have shot up in value, because it is the card to own in many of the sports out there.

With the release of 2021 Transcendent, WWE was exposed to the first of the super-premium versions of the supers, and as expected, the market responded in kind. These cards are the nicest wrestling cards ever produced, and will sit at the peak of swag mountain for anyone holding them long term.

As 2022 Prizm hit the market, a new era of insanely valuable 1/1 cards came along with it, including public sales at and above $15k, as well as private sales well into the $20k range. When the Rock’s prizm black 1/1 eventually sells, it could be the among the most expensive wrestling cards ever sold.

Because these cards have legacy implications across the mainstream hobby, its clear that both the superfractors and Prizm black 1/1s will continue to have extreme value above and beyond other WWE cards, and even some of the major sports investment pieces. These cards are really the first modern examples to cross over, and I dont expect there will be an additional drop above and beyond what is happening in the greater hobby environment.

Big Transcendent WWE Cards

When Topps announced they were bringing the ultra premium Transcendent brand to WWE, I was floored. At the time this came around in 2019, the highest price a box of WWE cards ever sold at release was like $250, with Undisputed topping the charts every year. I never thought that anything in WWE would ever move with a box price of $12,000.

An interesting thing happened. Every break sold out, every box was opened, and Topps did three separate releases of Transcendent with three VIP parties to boot. Because Transcendent MLB has become a staple across multiple configurations, WWE Transcendent cards attracted an audience that wasnt focused on WWE. It also featured content that had never been offered before in the WWE market, with premium autographs, framed sets, and incredible looking unique cards.

We saw this explode in 2021 with the above mentioned superfractors, as well as 1/1 oversized framed art cards by Garbage Pail artists. Many of the top pieces sold for multiple thousands of dollars, despite the fact that the Panini takeover was looming. Because only 150 boxes of Transcendent were produced during the 3 year run, the set has a place that is unlike any other WWE product out there. More importantly, its likely that 95% of the wax has been opened, if not higher, which means sealed boxes wont exist the same way it does for other products. Every card is out there, every big hit has been pulled, and most of them are being held in PCs that will never see the light of day.

Because of that, many of these big Transcendent cards will achieve huge prices when they eventually do sell. To add fuel to that fire, every big name that has been a part of wrestling, except for the Rock, was in this set, including cut autographs of people like Andre the Giant and Macho Man.

The great thing about WWE is that so many of us grew up living in the world of wrestling, even if we left sometime during our transition to adulthood. That nostalgia drives a ton of buys in cards overall, and it wont be any different for these cards. The market will always have its ups and downs, but man, I hope people see past the dark clouds in the sky and realize there is still a lot of sunny days in the future.

2022 Panini Select WWE: 5 Things to Watch

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Coming off a landmark release with WWE Prizm, we are finally getting the third WWE product in scope for Panini with another shiny product. Select has long been a collector favorite for a number of reasons, but most recently turned into a lower budget outlet for collectors to get their fix of chrome style cards. Because Prizm is the flagship set for Panini, it has left Select to occupy a secondary position with Mosaic and Optic in the other mainstream sports. Curious to see what we get to see with the first version of Select in the wrestling market. Here are a few things to watch as we get closer to release.

First Cards for Big Names and New Gimmicks

As part of the preview, we are already guaranteed to see Ronda Rousey make her Panini WWE debut. As a worldwide household name and current champion, Rousey’s presence in the set was definitely expected, but no less exciting. Her cards are highly collected by a number of big WWE community members, and I would expect her to have a focus similar to Brock Lesnar as we get into the thick of things. Unlike Lesnar, Rousey hasnt had other Panini cards before, so her debut could bring new value.

Similar to Rousey, its possible we get to see another debut with Select. Depending on Production timeframes, we could get to see the first WWE cards of Cody Rhodes in a very long time. After spending years on the independent scene and a few years with AEW, Wrestlemania saw the American Nightmare back home to the place he began his career. If included, he will also be the first person to have cards in all three manufacturers who have made wrestling cards – Topps, Panini and Upper Deck. Im especially intrigued to see this fun fact in action, and feel that his cards could be sleeper hits with crossover collectors.

In addition to debuts for new names, we should see our first chrome cards of major gimmick changes, like the heel Big Time Becks gimmick for Becky Lynch, and others. Because of the hype surrounding Prizm, some of the misses there were overlooked, including the absence of Macho Man and Ric Flair, who will both hopefully have cards in this set.

More Affordable, More Fun, Better Designs?

There were a number of Wrestling collectors that revolted against Prizm because wax prices skyrocketed leading into release. Even now, Prizm is the most expensive readily available Wrestling product ever made, with only Transcendent eclipsing the cost. Like we see with most Panini products, online dealers could cause problems with setting cost on Select Wax as well, depending on how they feel the market can support high wax costs.

So far, we have already seen the speculative price for Revolution WWE climb to astronomical levels, despite very little evidence that the product will do much to support a price like that given the content included. Being that Select is meant to target a different portion of the hobby, Im hoping the cost to rip it will be much lower than what we saw with Prizm.

Similarly, I find Select to be the best looking Chrome style product that Panini makes. The parallels are done better, the designs are cooler, and this could be the first product from Panini that offers the relic and relic autographs that were absent for Prizm and likely absent for Revolution.

We are also getting our first dose of some of the crazier stock patterns with retail exclusive Tiger Stripe and Elephant parallels, but seeing the cool photos that they are using in the set will make a number of these cards much more collectible.

Base Variations = More Big Hits

For Prizm, most of the value comes out of the rare base parallels that are available through the checklist. We are already seeing a preview that mentions a 300 card set, all of which have multiple border variations to collect. There are 4 types of borders, including one that is a retail exclusive. Each of these borders should have a parallel structure meaning there will be 3 more golds to chase, and 3 more black 1/1s to chase as the boxes get ripped.

Because the scarcity isnt going to be the same, the value of these alternate base formats should make them much more affordable to collectors like me who want to catch them all. Prizm golds and blacks have already staked their claim as some of the most expensive wrestling cards of all time, and for most of the WWE faithful, were out of reach. These could be MUCH much different.

Can the Checklist Measure Up?

When I first saw the post on Panini’s site that gave us the goods for WWE Prizm’s massive checklist, my jaw hit the floor. It was clear that aside from a small number of key omissions, if there was a wrestler that was important to WWE, they were in the set. First time autographs of guys like Batista and Great Khali were interesting additions as well, and that’s just the beginning.

Now we look to another set, that operates in a very similar space to what we got with Prizm. I dont think there are many people who are expecting the checklist to be as strong in that respect, but there is a lot of expectation that Panini continues their momentum. I already mentioned Flair and Savage, but people like Sable and Vince are also prime targets for fun checklist targets.

On the flip side, if Panini fails to offer a strong checklist, the product itself could be seen as Diet Prizm, and will drop lower than most are expecting.

Stickers Versus On Card Autographs

If I saw one major complaint other than pricing, it was Panini’s use of sticker autographs in Prizm. For most, on card autographs are the only acceptable signed cards to add to their collection, and personally I dont think they are necessarily wrong. Production timeframes from the beginning of the license on 1/1/22 to release right after Wrestlemania in April, likely prevented on card autographs from being done, but Select definitely has a longer lead time to make it happen.

As part of the preview, we are seeing stickers as part of the retail autograph set, which isnt necessarily an indicator that all cards will be stickers. That being said, it doesnt look good. Panini needs to find more ways to include on card signatures, even though the plan is probably to debut them in Immaculate or another high end set.

Topps found a way to make almost all of their sets feature aspects of hard signed cards alongside the sticker autos they used, and I cannot stress how much I want this to be a focus for Panini moving forward.

Im a huge fan of Select overall, and think this year’s design looks tremendous. I really hope the delivery is as good as the preview, as we saw execution dip with Prizm flaws that were rampant. I feel like this will be a redemption story for those mistakes, but we will have to wait and see. Hopefully the rest of the WWE market is ready for another chance at some awesome cards.

Is There a Six Figure Card in 2022 WWE Prizm?

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As we look at the last month since release, the first Panini WWE set is insanely top heavy. Much like most of the other versions of the product in the NBA and NFL, the major hits in WWE are getting values on the secondary market usually reserved for the four major sports. Multiple giant sales have broken modern records, and that should not be surprising.

When it comes to the Rock, Hulk Hogan, Stone Cold Steve Austin and Roman Reigns, there are a number of superstars that have the potential to occupy the top tier of values for this product. The main question I have is around the top of the mountain. As people continue to rip, and more of the bigger product hits are found, will there eventually be a six figure card that comes from this set?

Before you laugh at my thinking here, lets walk through some of the points as to why its possible. First, the Rock’s Gold Prizm /10 cards (so far) have all sold over $20k. Shawn Michaels Prizm Black 1/1 has had a reported sale from the seller at $28k. Bret Hart’s Prizm 1/1 Black was reportedly sold at $20k. All of these cards were sold raw. Given these examples, there are a few cards already that should sell for more than these, especially if they are 1/1 copies of the top tier subjects.

Right now, in my opinion, the Rock’s 1/1 Prizm Black is the top modern wrestling card there is. I think it will go for more than the 2014 Topps Chrome Superfractor and the 2015 Topps Chrome Superfractor, but those two cards are close in value to make this an even more interesting comparison. We also know that the Rock’s Prizm card is likely still out there, I think its unlikely that the others arent in someone’s personal collection or lost to the ages.

Given the other sales, its definitely possible to me that with the right circumstances and the right buyer, the 1/1 Prizm Black is a six figure card. Here is how I get there. First, it has to be a PSA 10, which is a pretty big stretch considering quality issues with the product. There are a lot of blemishes, scratches and dents we have seen on Prizm cards, and this one could have all those too. Given that a Lewis Hamilton superfractor recently sold at 900k at PSA 7, a top grade isnt required, but its important.

Secondly, I think the buyer and seller need to go through very visible channels – likely outside of eBay. The Rock has already had record sales through major auction houses, and I think that if this card is graded and sent to a place like Goldin Auctions, PWCC or Heritage Auctions, there are more premium buyers that can see it and bid on it. There are also situations in the past where a buyer wants to set up the market with a sale that sets a precedent. We saw cards from both MLB and NBA set records because a buyer saw potential in the market. Right now, the WWE market is still one of the most inexpensive to change. I mentioned on a few podcasts that it wouldnt take much to tip a few dominoes. This card could do it all at once, and the right buyer might recognize that fact.

In terms of other factors, there are quite a few that could contribute to this card’s value skyrocketing in value. One is the Rock coming back to WWE to face Roman Reigns, which has been a rumored main event for Wrestlemania 39. Since 2019, the Rock has not been to a WWE event, after appearing at the first Smackdown on Fox. Because he is one of the most in demand movie stars in the world, his ability to work the required build to a match like that is pretty hard to manage. If he comes back and the match is on, both stars could see gigantic attention and even more increase in value across the board.

Another factor is time. This might be the most important part of all of this post, because time will do two things. It will get people wondering where the card is, and it will give the market time to mature a bit. Right now, we are seeing hobby box prices fall, and bulk singles trying to climb above a low floor. With the typical Prizm bounce back already starting, its possible that time could give more opportunity for a larger price as people see more public sales increasing.

Lastly, is the other big cards having big public sales. Hulk Hogan and Roman Reigns both have 1/1 Black Base cards I expect to sell for record prices. We have already seen the Stone Cold Steve Austin Black 1/1 Surface. If those cards are pulled and sold in a public setting with gigantic numbers, it will help prop up the sale of the Rock’s big card. If his card is pulled and sold ahead of other product hits, it might take a resale or two for it to get to six figures.

When reviewing the outline here, there are a lot of things that need to go right for the Rock and wrestling cards to achieve the heights that I am hoping it reaches. It might take more than time to get this card to its highest potential value. With the hobby on a downturn leading into the NFL season, still hampered by product delays, grading backlogs and scandals across the nation, non-WWE related things might prevent long term growth in Prizm’s biggest hits. I want to see it get there, especially with the buzz that was generated when his Bumblebee Tuna Miami Hurricanes card sold in the high five figures back 2020 and 2021. The Rock is the biggest star to come out of WWE, and one of the most recognizable names in the world. I hope this is the starting line for a marathon of fun with wrestling cards, and we all know marathons take a long time to finish. This finish could be a big one.

Quality Issues with WWE Prizm Continue to Be a Major Problem

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When Panini announced that they had acquired the WWE license, many collectors were excited at the potential massive growth that was going to come to wrestling cards. Others were not thrilled that prices for wax and certain singles would be jumping in price. Some collectors were concerned that Panini’s history of problems with customer service and QC would be a detriment to the brand. I want to focus on the problems today, because there are some big ones with Prizm that are hurting values and brand perception within the product.

Centering Issues

We all know the way that cards are made and how challenging it is for the manufacturers to avoid issues with collation, condition and overall quality. Prizm’s rush to the press and into packs seems to have caused some issues with a few aspects of the release.

Even though I have a horrifically negative view of the grading business and their intrinsic conflicts of interest, grading potential has a huge impact on the way the Prizm market functions. No matter how many times I stomp my feet over how much of a problem grading is for the hobby in general, it wont change the impact it has on the value of any given product.

One of the most easily identifiable challenges with Prizm is the centering on entire runs of the product, including the expensive White Sparkle variants that were offered in packs through dutch auctions. For almost every vertically oriented card, massive centering problems have drawn the ire of collectors all over social media. Panini has had problems with this in the past, and the ongoing issues with responses from customer service to everyday collectors makes getting compensation for factory defects even more of a problem.

The General Customer Service Problem

One could say that grading potential is not a part of the manufacturer’s commitment to delivering quality in their product, but when entire print runs have issues, Im not sure that argument has water. The rush job of Prizm WWE likely had huge impact on these things, and with other sets still pending from mid 2021, it could be impossible to reprint or correct without throwing a wrench in the rest of the calendar. Being that Panini sees that millions of dollars is on the line with delivering their backlog, certain aspects of the business are facing a “damned if you do and damned if you dont” scenario.

With that scenario in place, there remains a bunch of questions about how Panini could let it get to this point with so much growth in the market over the last few years. The answer likely hinges on a few levers, and one of them is profit margin, or the fact that these things sell out despite the issues. The second is that this has been their business model since the beginning. I have said a ton of horrible things about Panini over the years, and many of them are echoed by many other collectors who feel the same way. The fact of the matter is that to the customer – it seems as though the corporate policy is to only spend money on things that make money, instead of providing a better overall experience for their customer across all aspects of their engagement.

Given the resources that Panini has acquired through the boom, hiring more people to make the ship run should have been a huge focus in a very public way. If the business wants to keep that planning private, then the actions should speak for the plan. I have seen no indication on social media that any positive impact has been achieved, and because of the sales volume, they might not see a need to address it.

Many corporations use this model to success, but they are also the businesses with the lowest brand loyalty numbers, and lowest net promoter scores around. Comcast should come to mind immediately, as should EA games, and things like airlines. Businesses that only try to add profit by adding to sales, rather than loyalty and experience driving more sales per customer.

We have already seen heavy indicators that the hobby market trajectory has started to trend downwards, and Panini also knows that come 2026, everything goes away. Thanks to Fanatics, Panini has seen a bleak license-less future in the major sports, and could be doing everything in their power to build as much of a war chest as they can before they are forced to the curb. However, with downturns in process, they might see this approach come back to bite them.

Factory Blemishes

Usually when someone buys a couch and it has a tear in the fabric, the company will do something to help the customer get full value for their purchase. Here, that isnt and hasnt been the case. I have already heard of major pulls from the product not being able to make even a raw equivalent grade due to problems with dents, scratches, and other defects to the cards, and that is a huge problem.

Imagine pulling a five figure card, only to see it cant achieve its full value potential because it isnt able to hit the stupid grading standards set by the hobby’s secondary market. Its like buying a luxury car and seeing that there are paint defects all around it as you leave the lot.

This goes back to customer service, which I know many people have tried to engage with as they find these issues in the wild. It has caused a huge amount of anger and frustration, and so far nothing has come of it, because as described above, what can come of it with no ability to reprint or fix a card? Similarly, there is no guarantee of condition out of the pack, so no real responsibility to address the issue.

The funny thing is, Panini has offered graded cards in a packed out product before, and their relationship with the grading companies is deep rooted. Every person in their product development is quite aware of the importance here, but might be powerless to fix it. That situation, in itself, is a gigantic problem for their employees and their company.

Upside Down Stickers

I love autographs, and over the last 15 years, I have come to tolerate the need for stickers to make autographed trading cards. Production timelines are tight, flexibility is needed, and subjects are notoriously hard to deal with. If I have an opportunity to choose hard signed autographs over stickers, I always choose hard signed. Most people do.

Prizm was subject to a license that began 4 months before release, and a history of sticker autographs across its run. Similarly, Prizm has never been about the autos, so Panini rarely saw it as a focus area for improvement. What they didnt understand was how dependent on autograph cards the WWE market remains to be, and the lack of hard signed cards has been a problem for a landmark set like this.

Even more problematic is multiple examples of upside down stickers on cards, or autographs signed in a foreign language that requires a vertical reading path. If the autographs were truly meant to be a focus, these things wouldnt be a problem.

Examples include Asuka, Sheamus and Xia Li, all of whose stickers arent applied correctly, or cant be applied correctly. This takes away from the value of the card, and highlights the success Topps had building WWE products for decades. Since 2018, Topps has switched from a sticker focused autograph presentation to almost entirely on card, and the market has reacted kindly. We will have to see how this plays out in future WWE products, but right now, its a big question mark.

Impact of the Problem

Right now, Prizm WWE has shown to be one of the most top heavy products ever made. The biggest hits in the product are breaking sales records left and right, while the rest of the checklist holds onto its value with a flimsy disposition. Unfortunately, with challenges adding fuel to the fire around condition and other controllable mistakes, values have continued to come up short on cards that should be more expensive.

The impact is huge, because comp related dominoes fall differently according to sales done on the tentpole cards holding up a set, and these issues documented above can have long lasting impact for many cards that should be more valuable.

When wax is as expensive as it is, customers expect a certain delivery of value. Instead they are treated with factory problems, no customer service presence, and many mistakes that could have been avoided. Its not a good foot to start on.

My Sleeper Picks for WWE Prizm Deal Hunting

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Like I have done over the last few months, I have started building stashes of some superstars that I feel are flying under the radar a bit. Because of the top heavy nature of the product, there are an absolute shit ton of great deals that can be had for very affordable prices regardless of your budget. I want to spend a bit of time walking through the people I have been targeting, as well as some I am planning on going after. We all want to get the Rock and Bron Breakker, but there are so many other people who deserve the love.

Trish Stratus and Lita

As important as the women have become to WWE’s success, it wouldnt have been possible without both Trish and Lita’s contribution during the end of the attitude era and throughout the reality era. I have picked up some of the higher numbered parallels of both, with Blue, Purple and Orange still being very inexpensive compared to similar stars on the same level. Both have autographs in the product, but picking up a blue for 10-20 bucks seems like a no-brainer.

Carmelo Hayes

Right now, Bron Breakker is the rookie of choice for this product, but I am loving Carmelo Hayes on NXT 2.0. His first cards are right here, and as he always says, Melo dont miss. Unlike some of the other people on this list who have already carved out their legacy, he has yet to really get established in any real form to understand what his long term trajectory will be like. As with every member of the developmental roster, risk is heavily assumed. I think this guy has the tools to be successful anywhere.

Walter/Gunther

When it comes to the black and gold era of NXT and NXT UK, I literally made an appointment to watch every Walter match. He is a monster of a man, and he wrestles with such a style that really isnt present in the WWE system, outside of some of what Drew McIntyre and Sheamus are doing right now. I have bought a few of his cards just because I love his character and presentation, but I seriously think he has some potential to be a long time top of the card heel in the near future. His cards are cheap still, but in terms of a long term hold, Im in. The name change sucks, but it wont even be a thought long term.

Asuka

What is not to love about her? Not only has she accomplished everything there is to accomplish in WWE, but her colorful personality and impeccable work in the ring should have gotten her a lot more. After being injured at Money in the Bank last year, she is finally back, and I cannot be more happy. Her cards have already jumped since the return, but her Prizm stuff is still pretty easy to come by. I wish there was a color blast for her, but maybe we can get it year two. The only drawback to Asuka is that she is already an older star at 40 years old, but as we have seen, age is just a number with her. She hasnt shown it at all.

Rhea Ripley

For someone that has had as much success so early in her career, Rhea Ripley has cooled off a bit with collectors mainly due to the amount of cards she has had in recent products. She is under 25 and already working like a top star, about to open up a new persona as a top heel under Becky Lynch on RAW. While prepping for this run, Rhea has been stuck in tag division obscurity, but I feel like she is about to explode. Ive been picking up her stuff for a while, and her Prizm stuff is no exception. Mark my words, she will be an all timer when it is all said and done.

Seth Rollins

Its hard to put the drip god on this list, because he has been creeping up in value since the beginning of the modern boom. That being said, his cards are still dirt fucking cheap for someone who has been setting the tone for WWE success since 2013. They have purposefully kept him away from a title reign of any sort to ensure he had time to redefine his presence, but I fully expect the story is there for him to take one of the belts off Roman if they want to build to that. Even without another title run, Rollins has already done more on the biggest stage than most of the major prospects driving value in this set. Invest in the visionary!

Austin Theory

Lets lay out the last few months of what Austin Theory has accomplished. Featured with Vince McMahon on TV? Check. Won a US Title? Check. Stunned by Steve Austin at WM after a featured match? Check. This kid is getting the treatment, and I am excited for his future. Although he might actually be the most expensive star on this list, its worth a look to see if you can get some deals on his Prizm parallels. He is as young as Rhea Ripley is, and just set the record for the youngest US title holder in WWE history. If you arent paying attention to him yet, you should be.

Drew McIntyre

Like Rollins, I feel like McIntyre has gotten lost in the shuffle with collectors. He has accomplished a lot, and is still young enough to really make a huge push towards a stint in the main event again. Like Asuka, McIntyre did what he could to carry things through the thunderdome era, but once in front of crowds again, he has been tangled up lower down the card with people not on his level. A rumored push to work with Roman has been everywhere, and I feel as soon as this week we could see him get a shot. His cards are affordable for any collector, and he deserves a lot more value across the board.

If you are one of those collectors that is still ringing the bell around Prizm not being something that everyone can participate in, you are not seeing the massive opportunity to get involved with some of the people on this list, plus others. Sure, Roman Reigns is expensive as hell, but the investment potential in other superstars dwarfs the fun factor of wheeling and dealing with this level of stuff. Just keeping your ear to the ground and following the dirt sheets can give some key indicators on who is next to get the rocket strapped to their back. Prizm provides so many new ways to engage with Wrestling cards, and I have had an absolute blast working in a new environment. Hopefully others have as well.