When Immaculate WWE was announced, I knew we were going to be in for fireworks to close out the 2022 card year for wrestling. Historically, Immaculate has been a very popular set with a legacy Panini status, and has delivered some of the most expensive cards available on the market today. In the NBA and NFL, this set is frequently anticipated by premium collectors for the high end content it contains each year, and for WWE, that looks to be the same exact formula.
Because Immaculate is built in a super premium configuration, it was always going to be controversial, just like every set like it always is. The takes were going to range all over the spectrum, and it was clear that the growing divide between modern collectors who enjoy the Panini releases and those that dont would continue to be a factor. Popularity aside, I think expectations were as high for this product as they were coming into the release of Prizm, and for the most part, it really feels like they delivered.
I wanted to take some time to walk through what I found to be successful and what was not, as well as some context of what collectors can expect going forward in the market.
Relic Cards Deliver Historic Highs
Traditionally, the relic cards in Immaculate have always been a main event draw. Hats, shoes, jackets, game balls and many other pieces of memorabilia have been cut up for inclusion in the set. This content has become a huge attraction point because the cards look so different as compared to normal jersey and patch cards.
In this year’s WWE set, we got some of the most insane relic cards I have seen in sports, not just for WWE. Because WWE is known for the colorful shirts they sell as a main feature of their business, cutting them up for use in Panini sets has raised a number of eyebrows in the way the cards have been done. Since the first relic set was released in Select, Panini has shown they were shooting for the stars with the way they are incorporating colorful pieces into their cards.
When you combine those incredible pieces with on card autographs, this whole set just sings with cards that will be statement pieces in almost any PC. There are so many small time cards that will have exponentially higher value on the secondary market just because the relic is a whole face, or something crazy. That’s a big deal for WWE.
Add in that there are also a bunch of Immaculate level unique relic pieces too, and it gets better and better. Leather jackets, basketball shorts, flip flops, its all here. Even though all of it is player worn, this is what the hobby has gravitated towards – cards that look good on display.
Verdict: BIG win
Multi-signed Cards Bring the Heat
If you have been a fan of Immaculate for the last 10 years, the multi-signed cards are a huge reason why the set has reached legacy status. Usually, the cards have great pairings, and in many cases are exceptionally scarce and hard to pull. They have usually been hard signed as well, so its easy to see why many collectors must acquire them for their collections.
Its a bit more complicated in WWE, because in the history of the brand, I can only think of one product that had multi-signed cards andt wasn’t a sticker based release. For a few years, Transcendent collection from Topps had dual autographs signed on card, and the 4 horsewomen oversized quad autograph. That’s all I can remember off the top of my head. It also means that triple and quad hard signed autograph cards are some of the most under-represented cards in WWE.
Immaculate not only delivers hard signed dual, triple and quad autographs, for the first time in WWE we have hard signed dual autograph memorabilia cards as well. Factor in that the 1/1 parallels of this set have shown that they have dual logos, and the stakes become impossibly high.
I think the groupings for these cards were done by someone who wasnt afraid to pull out the big guns, especially for some of the quads that feature DX and the pillars of the Attitude era. Although many are redemptions, there are a few live examples and they look great. I popped for the card featuring Alexa, Bayley, Asuka and Carmella all with their MITB briefcase photos.
Verdict: BIG win
Redemption Cards Create Issues With Wax Rippers
There has been a lot of talk online about how many redemptions are part of this release, and I must say, its a valid point. Redemptions are hard to stomach when a product costs more than $2k per case to rip, and its excruciating to wait for a giant hit for months on end. Nothing I say here will be able to change that.
More importantly, some of the redemptions in this set were also redemptions in Impeccable, which came out months ago. That means in the timeframe between products, those people still havent signed. They arent small names either, with Triple H, Randy Orton, Roman Reigns and others all having major issues getting their cards done. Adding in new redemptions from Hogan, Undertaker and others makes the concern more apparent.
Because these names are big value, and the cards they are holding up are big value cards as a result, collectors have a right to be concerned. At the same time, this is also a natural byproduct of hard signed autographs, and I would much rather wait on a redemption than have that person left off the checklist.
Traditionally, big on card signings are done at events like Wrestlemania and Royal Rumble, because the WWE has usually helped to facilitate making their stars available to sign. If the person isnt at these events, they need to be sent their cards to sign, or be made available at other opportunities to get stuff done. Most of the time that falls on the superstar or their agents to get the signings done, and that can take a while.
For those of us who have spent time in the mainstream hobby, redemptions are a bane of many collector’s existence, but its part of the game. Additionally, the cards that have been redemptions for WWE have been filled more quickly from Prizm, Select, Revolution and other sets, so hopefully the waits wont be long.
Verdict: Loss
Sticker Autos Are a Drag
The hobby loves autographs. Loves them to a fault. Because the demand for autographs is so high, and the production schedules run year round, there isnt always an opportunity to get all autographs on card. Similarly, the companies have shown that they arent always prioritizing hard signed cards because it can create issues with redemptions and timing.
That being said, super premium products are expected to deliver above any other type of product, and Panini absolutely does not have a good track record of having all autographs on card. Usually the only sets that have this feature cost an insane amount of money per box, with even National Treasures featuring stickers in some variety.
WWE being a niche brand means that its likely stickers will creep in places where they arent in the bigger sports. In this set, there are stickers for 4-5 subsets, and that has left a sour taste in collectors mouths as they chase PC cards and rip wax.
Not much else can be said here, and its unfortunate. But the expectations go well past what we are seeing in WWE.
Verdict: Loss
Nickname Cards have No Inscriptions
When Dolph Ziggler previewed his signing a few months ago, we found out we were getting the famous nicknames cards we have seen in many other sets Panini has done. He signed some great inscriptions, which is a piece of unique autograph content I have wanted for ages.
As we saw FOTL and Hobby start to make its way out, it became clear how few of the wrestlers on the checklist got the memo. Most cards just have a normal autograph, and I could not be more disappointed in the one set I was looking forward to. Hopefully in future years, the instructions are much more clear.
Verdict: BIG Loss
Chase Cards Are On Fire
In the NFL and NBA, the chase cards drive product values. Whether its a big rookie, or a 1/1 logo, the chase is what keeps people diving into breaks and hitting refresh on eBay for weeks on end. This is one area that Panini has looked to improve across their entire calendar, and for the most part, have been ultimately successful more than I could have ever expected.
Immaculate is a place where the top cards in Wrestling have been on full display. Every set in the product has some aspect of a chase to it, and with the relic cards driving the majority of the readily available chase elements, it didnt leave much room for error in the bigger elements.
One card that everyone wanted to see live is the booklet featuring the entirety of the Bloodline. Over the last 2 years, Roman Reigns has been the top heel in Wrestling and is involved in the best story in wrestling. It should come as no surprise that this card is one of the top chases in the product. It has 25 copies and no parallels, so collectors will have to battle as the examples are pulled. Its a landmark card, and like the 10 signature cards from Topps 2021, this is among the most autographs that have ever been featured on a wrestling card.
Additionally, most of the relic autograph cards have 1/1 parallels, which all feature some sort of insane swatch or WWE logo. The base autograph memorabilia set is seemingly built around WWE logo relics in the cards, and the dual auto mem cards seem to feature two of the logos. Obviously, this type of content hasnt been available before with on card autographs, so its not surprising how many collectors are hunting these down.
Verdict: Win
There is no doubt that this product has both highs and lows, but I will say that the highs are among the best we have seen in wrestling cards in a long time. Maybe ever. I think Select was a more complete product top to bottom, but Immaculate delivers in a way like I didnt even expect. Pure fun, huge chases, and a checklist full of cards that appeal to every level of the hobby. Cant beat that.