5 Wrestling Toys You Probably Forgot About

 

'Twas the night before Christmas and an article idea popped in my head. With many Kid's gleaming tomorrow when they open their gifts and see toy's they've wanted, and many wrestling fans will be unboxing championship belts, video games, and the latest WWE elite figures. What about the wrestling toys produced over the years that have been forgotten as time churned on. So I did my research and here we are, 5 wrestling toys you probably forgot about.

5. ECW Hardcore Accessory Pack

For a company that was known for a "extreme" style of wrestling it's only right their toys sold the same image. So alongside ECW roster stars like Rob Van Dam, Taz, Shane Douglas, Sabu, and The Dudley Boy's among others, and accessories like a ECW steel cage ring. Original San Francisco Toy Makers produced an accessory set, full of everything a kid would need to make their toys "extreme". Guardrails, bat, crutches, ladder, shovel's and it was a frequent weapon used in ECW, it was likely in the pack. Unfortunately the figures and the accessory pack weren't big sellers as ECW was scratching and clawing to get in the action figure market.

4. Hulkamania Playset

In early January of 2010 Eric Bischoff and Hulk Hogan debuted in TNA as on-screen figures and to help run the company. And they put their fingerprints all over the TNA brand, so leave it up to one Hulk Hogan to translate that into a playset. Not just any playset, the Hulkamania playset ring with a Hulk Hogan and Sting figure included, and Hulkamania stickers for the center of the ring and around the ring. With a tiny TNA sticker included, by 2010 Hulk Hogan was a legacy figure and not someone kid's of that day were clamoring to be like or have his merch. It's no wonder it has been forgotten through time.

3. WCW Bashin' Brawlers

In the 1980's and early 90's at the height of their popularity the WWF had Wrestling Buddies. Pillow figurines of wrestling stars essentially nothing more than a punching bag for kids to live out their wrestling dreams. In the late 90's when WCW still had some goodwill with fans along with their toy partner ToyBiz updated the concept with Bashin' Brawlers. The same type of pillow shaped figures of wrestling stars, and this time they talked when you squeezed them yelling out their catchphrases. I had one of Macho Man, and honestly wish I kept it for nostalgic purposes. However these type of toys were not cool in the edgy era of the late 90's and disappeared. 

2. WCW Thumb Wrestling

Imagine this, it's the late 90's and a toy executive comes up with the grand idea of taking a simple game as old as time and updating it for the new millennium. As such, we got a WCW branded thumb wrestling game. Assisted by electronics, this toy featured a handle on both ends with a "ring" in the middle and sound effects. Whether it was by one of four wrestlers voiced for the game and once a thumb was pinned, 1-2-3 was heard. Maybe it was innovative, maybe it was too far outside the box, maybe the WCW brand was so toxic by then people didn't bother. Either thing it was here today, gone tomorrow.

1. Hero Heads

Man WCW was a roll with forgotten toys. WCW's Hero Heads is a 100 % 90's product and many people don't remember it. The toy was a foam head of WCW figures attached to the end of a plastic baseball bat. I'm guessing the intention was to have the two heads swung at each other with as much force as possible. I find it hard to believe after a couple of swings the figures were damaged. And there were only 3 wrestlers to pick from Sting, Hulk Hogan, and Vader. Needless to say these did not last very long on the market.