Nothing is more exciting for wrestling card fans over the last few years than checklist release day, mainly because it means a product is actually coming versus being delayed. It also gives us a place to see what is included in the different aspects of the set, with so many people scrambling to see if their targets made the cut.
Yesterday, in a likely attempt to change the narrative of the big announcement earlier on in the day, Panini lit off a Wrestlemania sized pyro display with a Prizm checklist even I wasnt expecting.
For a lot of reasons, this set will end up being a landmark product that we likely havent seen since 1998 WCW, and that’s coming from one of the biggest Panini haters on the planet. I mentioned Lucas Kinser’s appearance on a podcast earlier this week, and he mentioned that this was coming. He is no Don King, because this checklist looks better than his hype job led us to believe.
Base Set
Unlike almost every WWE product of the past, Prizm depends more on the rare parallels of the base set than anything. The rare parallels of these cards will likely end up being some of the most valuable WWE cards of all time, and that includes the vintage stuff that people have been spending huge money on since the boom began.
We see here that there is just about every single name on the list that needed to be there. The Rock, Stone Cold, Roman Reigns, Andre, Ultimate Warrior, Hulk Hogan, John Cena, Undertaker, etc. All the names from my ranking list, plus a few I didnt expect. The only person that I was shocked not to see was Randy Savage, who isnt included for some reason.
There is also only one McMahon in the entire product, and its not Vince or Stephanie. Vince had a shot to be another top tier name in the product, but was not included to my surprise. Other than that, there really isnt a big miss, which is great to see. From a base standpoint, this might be the most complete WWE checklist ever produced.
One of the other big aspects of Prizm is the Rookies, and holy shit they went fucking nuts with them. That is not only a great sign, but also a source of underrated value that I didnt expect. Wrestlers that only recently debuted on NXT 2.0 are included to my absolute shock, including the big names that are already driving the show. Bron Breakker will be the gem, but guys like Carmelo Hayes, Meiko Satomura, Cora Jade, Tiffany Stratton, Gigi Dolan, Jacy Jane and Grayson Waller are all targets. Even guys like Harland and Joe Gacy have a card, which will be their first.
Then there is Gable Steveson. Not only is Gable Steveson an absolute mind blowing name to have included here, he is one that could skyrocket into the top tiers of the checklist. Steveson is a gold medal winner, an NCAA champion and a guy that WWE is banking on as the next Kurt Angle / Brock Lesnar type. Seeing that they have access to Angle as well, there are some fun things that be expected. Steveson is about to debut on RAW, and I would not be surprised to hear that his cards end up as some of the most valuable.
Another surprise comes in the inclusion of Chyna, who is a beloved WWE superstar despite long term struggles with her life outside the ring prior to her death. Because of her controversial nature, Chyna hasnt been featured on many official WWE cards. She has a card in Prizm, and Im guessing that will be one to chase.
To close out this section, if they are on a WWE contract right now, they are in the set. The entire roster of RAW, Smackdown, NXT and NXT UK are all there. This has never happened in this way before. Legends and current stars in a list fashion rather than a selected few.
Autographs
Here is where I expect to have a lot of fun, even though Prizm isnt about the autographs. Usually, its the autographs that draw the house, but in this product they are secondary. That doesnt mean they didnt go balls to the walls with the names on this list, because they absolutely did. Everyone that needed to have autographs here are included with reckless frequency, including a few that could bring some scary huge money.
There was a hope among wrestling collectors that the Rock would be included for the first time in over 20 years, something I thought would be a mistake for a product like this. Panini wasnt able to make that happen, but other legends like Austin, Undertaker, Hogan, Bret Hart, Triple H and Michaels are all included. John Cena, Goldberg, Lesnar and other current legends are there too.
Then there are two names we absolutely need to discuss. The first is Batista. If you go back to my original post about who Panini needs to chase, he was on that list. For a number of rumored reasons, Batista doesnt sign cards for WWE. He never has in the history of his tenure there. Somehow, some way, Panini got him in this product.
The second is Gable Steveson again, who will have his debut autograph card in this product to match his base card. Again, this is a gigantic addition to the checklist, and I was floored by his inclusion along side the other stars.
Other rare signers like Paige and Rob Van Dam are here too, people who rarely sign for sets like this. Paige hasnt had a readily available card since 2015, and her last autograph card was 2019 Transcendent. Paul Heyman is signing here for the first time since Undisputed a few years ago, which I know a few of my buddies will be excited about.
Lastly, we were warned about the dual autograph cards being ridiculous, but I dont think anyone expected to see what we are getting. Pairings in this set are unlike anything we have ever gotten before. Stone Cold and Bret Hart, Undertaker and Roman Reigns, Austin and Michaels, Lesnar and Angle, it goes on and on. For a product that rarely focuses on autograph content, they didnt hold back.
The main differentiator here is availability, because the autograph checklist is humongous. If they are part of WWE, they are signing cards. That means along with the chance to pull Bron Breakker, you have the chance to pull Corbin or Shinsuke Nakamura, who are prolific signers that no one wants to get in their box. Like I said, this isnt a product to rip like a previous WWE product, so expectations of value delivered need to be widely adjusted.
Configurations of Product
Just from seeing the listed parallels, we can also glean that there are a number of configurations for this product that suggest a widely printed run. This run might be more than UFC, which is something that I definitely didnt expect. Base cards will be plentiful, and there is no doubt in my mind that set collectors need not worry about picking one up.
We see that there will be a Panini Direct White Sparkle config for packs bought through the app, as well as a TMall exclusive Lucky Envelope, which I had as an unlikely addition. There is a huge Asian market for Wrestling, and this option could be big for a retailer that specifically services it.
There is also a premium box set, which has become a favorite of collectors for a few years now. This product will include a Champion autograph, and a 7/10 chance of pulling someone really freaking great. Im going to try to get my hands on one for sure.
We also see retail specific Prizm parallels are back, and I think that for many collectors out there, the retail configs might be the ones most accessible. I think its important to figure out a way to engage if you are looking to do so, and retail is a great option.
Color Blast
In the other Prizm products for the major sports, Color Blasts are huge money rare inserts that might drop one every few cases (dont quote me on this). There are rumors usually of print runs below 50, but they are not serially numbered. For this set, the focus is entirely on current guys, which is hugely disappointing, but I guess not surprising. Cena and Goldberg are interesting additions, and with Roman should be the most expensive.
Maybe next year we will see the Rock and Hogan, which might be high four figure cards. Panini does need to save some for the sequel, and that’s where I think there were some calculated situations that are in play here. Nothing to sink the set, but some intrigue to further the attraction for year two.
Conclusions
When I got this in my hands for the first time yesterday, I audibly gasped a few times. I was not expecting to see the depth we are seeing here, and its clear that Panini is investing a lot up front in Prizm to make this set worth people’s time. We have yet to see if that will continue, but hopefully it will. If they were looking to make a splash in light of the news yesterday, they succeeded to a higher degree than even I thought they could.