Before you automatically tune out, I hope you give this post a chance. I have never wrote about WWE cards on this site before, mainly because I never really was into the brand. When my 8 year old son got into Wrestling at the beginning of last year, I couldnt help but be drawn back into the storylines.
Like most American children who grew up during the 80s and 90s, I was enthralled by the titans I saw on TV every Monday night. I remember my dad even being a bit interested, as Minnesota was a huge territory during the beginnings of pro wrestling in the 60s and 70s. We went to a number of events, had every video tape, and may have caused some household damage when my brother and I did some flying elbows off my parent’s bed.
These days, things are much different – especially with moving away from all the scandalous experimentation of the Attitude Era of late 90s WWF insanity. No more blood, no more middle fingers, and no more T&A. All of this is probably for the better, as WWE has signed a network deal for the first time in a long time to begin broadcasting on FOX later in 2019.
So, where does that leave us with Topps and their long term deal to be the exclusive trading card partner of WWE? Right now, its about as niche an audience as you can find, but like many of their entertainment based properties, it has its hardcore fanbase that does have a lot of money to throw around. We have seen major success with their Star Wars brands, and I would say that their investment in stuff like UFC and WWE really does have a good enough following to check out if you are a fan of either.
Like Star Wars, Topps is about to release a WWE sister product to Transcendent Baseball, which has had quite a bit of success during the 3 years it has been released. Although not as expensive (thank god!), it should end up very close to the top of the list for any product of any sport released during 2019.
There is a reason why its so expensive, and like Baseball, the chase items are so unique to this release that it could whip up quite a feeding frenzy among the collectors who chase WWE cards around the world. Not surprisingly, the biggest names to sign for this product are from the Era we all grew up with, many of whom have never signed for a WWE product in the past.
Included with a ticket to Wrestlemania in April, and a VIP party invite at the event, there are 50+ autographs per box. For the first time, collectors are going to get on card autographs of current stars like Ronda Rousey and Paige, as well as two people who may be ripping people’s wallet to shreds over the next few months.
The first is Vince McMahon, who I had heard was on their radar for this set, and looks to have gotten done. Vince is basically the man responsible for everything wrestling is today, and the current Chairman of the WWE. Not only is he a tough auto in general, he is one that everyone will want for their collection. I was shocked to see him on the sell sheet, and by god, I was broken in half when I saw the next guy joining him.
To this day, Stone Cold Steve Austin is probably the most recognizable star associated with the heyday of professional wrestling. One could say Hulk Hogan is on that level as well, but recent events have hurt his legacy thanks to some awful and despicable racial comments leaked last year. That being said, Austin has only signed once for a WWF or WWE themed product, and that was during the 2000s, when Fleer was on the verge of bankruptcy. These cards are IMPOSSIBLE to find, and when they do come up, sell for a shit ton of money.
Austin is and was my favorite wrestler, and though he had a shorter career, the things he did for the business are undeniable. In an argument of who is the best ever, between him, the Rock and John Cena, the answer is yes. Unlike Rock and Cena, Stone Cold really never made the cross over into popular culture the same way. Injuries, persona, and lots of other reasons contributing, likely. Regardless of who had the most successful acting career, Austin and his “Austin 3:16” t-shirts forever dominated my childhood. Although Rock and Cena had more of a popular culture experience, their biggest exposure came outside of wrestling. Austin made the jump WITH his wrestling persona, and that is why many people still look to him as the biggest the industry has ever seen.
To see that Austin will be joining McMahon for this set as a hard signed subject makes me geek out like nothing I have ever done for a WWE product before. Both his and McMahon’s cards will travel well into a range that has been rarely seen before, and we havent even covered some of the cut autographs that are on the sheet as well.
The main issue with WWE legends has to do with a very very sad fact – many dont live that long. Whether its the hard life catching up with them, drugs or alcohol, many die very young in life. Andre the Giant was probably the biggest star of the business prior to Hogan, and during the years of Hogan’s meteoric rise, he was a major player. If you watched the recent HBO documentary, you know how his health issues related to his size factored into his early death, but his status as a legend remains one of the best in the history of the business. His cut signature could be one of the top cards in the product, and that’s saying a lot.
We also see that Rob Schamberger has done some exclusive art for the set, which is exciting in its own right. If you arent familiar with his work, he is basically the resident sports artist for the business and has had some beautiful pieces in a few places, including Topps WWE Slam – the digital app Topps has released for their license.
Overall, I dont think I have been this excited for a product since starting to collect wrestling cards, and I will likely be one of those collectors lining up for group breaks when they go down mid February.
Check out how awesome this looks, and post a comment if you have any feelings.
