Wrestling Merchandise Of The 1990s

A nostalgic photographic look back at some of the best and most bizarre wrestling merchandise of the 1990s.

A lavishly illustrated look at the highly collectible iconic Hasbro wrestling action figures of the 1990s.

Ever since the “Monday Night Wars,” where WWE and WCW battled for wrestling supremacy (with the WWE coming out on top), there was now only one game in town. If fans wanted to watch wrestling, it was WWE or bust. That is no longer the case. Wrestling’s New Golden Age is both a historical look at the sport, while showing how everything has finally come full circle. Going back to the past, the sport was originally territory-based, with wrestlers traveling across the country from promotion to promotion. From the East coast (Jim Crockett, WWWF) down to Texas (World Class) and all the way up to Canada (Stampede), wrestling was run on an individual level. But once Vince McMahon Jr. came into the picture, that all changed. While the territory system is long gone, indie wrestling is bigger than ever. Whether it’s ROH, CZW, NXT, NJPW, or any of the other numerous promotions, wrestling has a new face. With information spreading online through social media and video streaming, fans are able to watch wrestling on a consistent basis, as opposed to only when the WWE is on TV. They not only have more options, but are able to watch wrestlers travel up the ranks to the “big show.” Now when a wrestler from the indie’s makes his WWE appearance, he already has a gimmick, a storyline, and a faithful fanbase. As can be seen with CM Punk, Daniel Bryan, and many others, the independent promotions are the new face of professional wrestling. Featuring interviews with wresting stars, including Jake Roberts, Jim Ross, Rob Van Dam, Matt Hardy, Tommy Dreamer, and numerous others, Wrestling’s New Golden Age shares how the wrestling world has finally come full circle, to the joy of fans across the globe.

Regardless of what was going on in the real world, the early 1990s was a great time to be a child. Suspended belief with the tanned heroes of the wrestling world that came to life with the release of the WWF Hasbro wrestling figures. In the real world of wrestling it was a period of change for the WWF and this was the same with the action figures. LJN had just lost the contract for the figure and although they looked good they didn't look too much like their real-world counterparts. Along came the WWF Hasbro figures and change all that. Like most men in their early/mid/late 30's I grew up with the wonderful world of the WWF. These were the days when every wrestler was a superstar (unless they were 'currently in the ring') and became names you'd know and love almost 30 years on. The majority of these heroic superstars were immortalised forever in wrestling figure format. This book brings together the love, appreciation and obsession for these figures. As you look through the pages you'll reminisce about those feeling of running to your local store to see which figures feature in the aisles. Looking for that elusive figure you've been hunting for. The elation of finding them and the struggle of who will be your next champion. With this book, the Unofficial Wrestling Figure Retrospective 1990-1994, all those memories come flooding back. Find out what happened to the Rhythm & Blues Greg Valentine. What about the mythical Brutus Beefcake Red & Yellow figure? I'm sure someone said something about The Beverly Brothers tag team? The fabled Orange Card series? All this and a whole lot more can be discovered inside this book... So read it now, before it pins you 1-2-3!

Wrestling Figure Checklist is a signature look into the world of professional wrestling and its action figures. Unlike any other wrestling figure checklist out there, this publication uniquely presents almost 10,000 different action figures, playsets and accessories in rough chronological order of their release, designed to show the reader the evolution of wrestling figures from their inception in the 1960s, all the way to the end of the 2010s. The idea behind this is to allow the reader to go back to a certain era, and to see what they toy aisle would look like at that respective time. And it's not just America, this book also explores the world of Japanese and Mexican figures as well. Even if you consider yourself a wrestling figure historian, you are bound to expand your knowledge with this one-of-a-kind book! This publication contains many wrestling promotions, including: WWE and WWF, TNA, WCW, ECW, AWA, NJPW (Japan), AJPW (Japan), NOAH (Japan), AAA (Mexico), and CMLL (Mexico). On top of this, also the many manufacturers, including: Mattel, Jakks Pacific, Hasbro, LJN, Toy Biz, Marvel Toys, Remco, Character Product (Charapro), Mogura House, Kelian, The Original San Francisco Toymakers, Just Toys, and Galoob. Whether you want to expand your knowledge, find out what figures you are missing, or find out all the figures of a particular wrestler, your journey begins here.

Professional wrestling revels in its exaggeration of masculinity. This hyper-masculinity is evident in the physical appearance of wrestlers, the sexuality-charged and violent moves used in and out of the ring, the role assigned to women and the extensive use of weapons such as chains, barbed wire and steel folding chairs. This study explores the link between watching televised wrestling matches and increases in verbal aggression, rebellion and propensity toward violence and retaliation. Wrestling is placed within the larger context of popular culture and other hyper-masculine entertainment. The book begins with a brief history of professional wrestling, a summary of the criticisms of the sport, and a discussion of the author's research methods. One chapter discusses how gender socialization plays a part in the effects of wrestling on its viewers, arguing that wrestling goes beyond the image of physically violent acts to models of interpersonal behavior. The expansion of wrestling into storylines outside the ring includes problem situations involving class, race, homophobia and nationality, to which violence is often presented as a solution. The book concludes with an investigation of the attractiveness of wrestling and its ability to lure fans back year after year.

How fan passion and technology merged into a new subculture Long before internet archives and the anytime, anywhere convenience of streaming, people collected, traded, and shared radio and television content via informal networks that crisscrossed transnational boundaries. Eleanor Patterson’s fascinating cultural history explores the distribution of radio and TV tapes from the 1960s through the 1980s. Looking at bootlegging against the backdrop of mass media’s formative years, Patterson delves into some of the major subcultures of the era. Old-time radio aficionados felt the impact of inexpensive audio recording equipment and the controversies surrounding programs like Amos ‘n’ Andy. Bootlegging communities devoted to buddy cop TV shows like Starsky and Hutch allowed women to articulate female pleasure and sexuality while Star Trek videos in Australia inspired a grassroots subculture built around community viewings of episodes. Tape trading also had a profound influence on creating an intellectual pro wrestling fandom that aided wrestling’s growth into an international sports entertainment industry.

From the host of the critically acclaimed pro wrestling podcast Straight Shoot, this graphic novel history of wrestling features the key grapplers, matches, and promotions that shaped this beloved sport and form of entertainment. As a pop culture phenomenon, professional wrestling--with its heroic babyfaces and villainous heels performing suplexes and powerbombs in pursuit of championship gold--has conquered audiences in the United States and around the world. Now, writer/podcaster Aubrey Sitterson and illustrator Chris Moreno form a graphic novel tag team to present wrestling's complete illustrated history. Featuring legendary wrestlers like Bruno Sammartino, Hulk Hogan, and The Rock, and modern-day favorites like John Cena, Kenny Omega, and Sasha Banks, the book covers wrestling's progress from the carnival days of the Gold Dust Trio to the dominance of the WWF/WWE to today's diverse independent wrestling scene, and it spotlights wrestling's reach into Mexico/Puerto Rico (lucha libre), the U.K. (all-in), and Japan (puroresu).