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8″ Series

Each superstar in the 8″ series was released with a unique biography card on the packaging and a small poster featuring an artists rendering of each individual superstar (until series 5 & 6 which used real life photography rather than the drawings).

Series 1

Andr the Giant (long haired version)

Big John Studd

Hillbilly Jim (with hat)

Hulk Hogan (with black strapped title belt)

Iron Sheik (varies with orange & yellow pant decoration versions)

Jimmy “Superfly” Snuka

Junkyard Dog (with dog collar and black, silver or red chains)

Nikolai Volkoff (with hat)

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper (with kilt – varies with red & brown painted boots versions)

Series 2

Andr the Giant (short hair version)

Brutus Beefcake

George “The Animal” Steele

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (varies with light & dark blonde hair versions)

King Kong Bundy

“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff

Series 3

Bobby “The Brain” Heenan (varies with monogram & non-monogram versions)

Bruno Sammartino

Captain Lou Albano (varies with white & red lapel versions)

“Classy” Freddie Blassie (with cane)

Corporal Kirchner (varies with bearded, stubble & clean-shaven versions)

Davey Boy Smith

Magnificent Muraco

Dynamite Kid

Jesse “The Body” Ventura (varies with blonde & red haired versions)

Jimmy Hart (varies with hearted & non-hearted megaphone versions)

Mr.Fuji (with cane)

“Macho Man” Randy Savage

“Mean” Gene Okerlund (varies with WWF logo & non-WWF logo microphone versions)

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

S.D Jones (varies with red & Hawaiian shirt versions)

Terry Funk (with branding iron & hat)

Tito Santana (purple trunks version)

Series 4

“Adorable” Adrain Adonis

Billy Jack Haynes (with hat)

Bret “The Hitman” Hart (varies with pink & purple tights versions)

B. Brian Blair (varies with tan & non-tan skin colour versions)

Cowboy Bob Orton (with hat)

Elizabeth (with gold or purple skirt)

King Harley Race (with crown)

Hercules Hernandez

Jake “The Snake” Roberts (with Damien)

Jumping Jim Brunzell (varies with tan & non-tan skin colour versions)

Jim “The Anvil” Neidhart (varies with pink & purple tights versions)

Johnny V

Ken Patera

Kamala

Koko B. Ware (with Frankie)

Outback Jack (with hat)

Ted Arcidi

Vince McMahon

Series 5

Ax

Bam Bam Bigelow

Hacksaw Jim Duggan (with 2×4)

Honky Tonk Man (with guitar)

Hulk Hogan (shirt version – varies with white & red shirt, with black title belt)

One Man Gang

Referee (varies with blue & white shirt versions)

Rick Martel

Slick (with hat)

Ted DiBiase

Tito Santana (Strike Force trunks version)

Series 6 – (Black Card Superstars 89)

Andr the Giant (black strap version)

Big Boss Man (with nightstick)

Haku

Rick Rude

Ultimate Warrior

Warlord

Series 6 – (Black Card Superstars 89 Re-Releases)

Hulk Hogan (shirt version – varies with white & red shirt, with black title belt)

Big John Studd

Brutus “The Barber” Beefcake

Bam Bam Bigelow

Honky Tonk Man (with guitar)

Jake “The Snake” Roberts (with Damien)

Demolition Ax

Randy “Macho Man” Savage

Miss Elizabeth (with gold or purple skirt)

Bret “Hitman” Hart

Ted DiBiase

Tag Team Box Sets

British Bulldogs (with 2 brown strapped title belts)

Brutus Beefcake and Greg “The Hammer” Valentine (with 2 brown strapped title belts)

Hart Foundation (with 2 brown strapped title belts)

Hulk Hogan and Hillbilly Jim (with 2 brown strapped title belts & Hillbilly’s hat)

Iron Sheik and Nikolai Volkoff (with 2 brown strapped title belts & Volkoff’s hat)

The Killer Bees (with 2 brown strapped title belts)

Strike Force (with 2 black strapped title belts)

Accessories

Sling ‘Em-Fling ‘Em Wrestling Ring (includes ring base, 3 ring ropes, 12 turnbuckles, 4 posts & 5 decals)

Cage Match Accessory (includes 4 connecting plastic blue cage panels)

Bendies

Single Figures

Andr the Giant

Big John Studd

Bobby Heenan

Brutus Beefcake

Captain Lou Albano

Corporal Kirchner

George “The Animal” Steele

Hillbilly Jim

Hulk Hogan (varies with red & blue knee-pad versions)

Iron Sheik (varies with and without boot laces versions)

Jesse “The Body” Ventura

Junkyard Dog

King Kong Bundy

“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff (varies with and without boot laces versions)

Nikolai Volkoff

“Macho Man” Randy Savage

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper (varies with and without boot laces versions)

Tag Team 2 Packs

Hulk Hogan & Junkyard Dog

Iron Sheik & Nikolai Volkoff

George Steele & Captain Lou Albano

King Kong Bundy & Big John Studd

Randy Savage & Jesse Ventura

Ricky Steamboat & Corporal Kirchner

Accessories

Cage Match Challenge

Thumb Wrestlers

Hulk Hogan vs. Big John Studd

Hulk Hogan vs. Iron Sheik

Hulk Hogan vs. King Kong Bundy

Hulk Hogan vs. Nikolai Volkoff

Hulk Hogan vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage

Hulk Hogan vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

Hulk Hogan vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Hillbilly Jim vs. Iron Sheik

Hillbilly Jim vs. Big John Studd

Hillbilly Jim vs. Nikolai Volkoff

Hillbilly Jim vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage

Hillbilly Jim vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Junkyard Dog vs. Iron Sheik

Junkyard Dog vs. Big John Studd

Junkyard Dog vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Junkyard Dog vs. Nikolai Volkoff

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. “Macho Man” Randy Savage

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. Nikolai Volkoff

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat vs. Jake “The Snake” Roberts

“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff vs. Big John Studd

“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff vs. King Kong Bundy

“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff vs. “Rowdy” Roddy Piper

16″ Series

Hulk Hogan (with title belt & Hulkamania shirt)

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper (with kilt, belt & Hot-Rod shirt)

Stretch Wrestlers

George “The Animal” Steele

Hulk Hogan

Junkyard Dog

King Kong Bundy

“Mr. Wonderful” Paul Orndorff

“Macho Man” Randy Savage

Ricky “The Dragon” Steamboat

“Rowdy” Roddy Piper

Prototypes, rarities, and errors

Various different prototypes were photographed in various LJN advertising and packaging, such as: an Adrian Adonis with scarves, Rick Steamboat with red trunks, Tito Santana with an entirely different mold, Fred Blassie with a painted cane and glittered jacket, Hillbilly Jim with a black undershirt, Jimmy Hart with a pink megaphone, Kamala with an alternate paint job, Haku as ‘King Haku’, Rick Rude with green tights and unproduced bendie figures of the British Bulldogs among others. To the left shown is a photographed prototype of Mean Gene inside the wrestling ring with an audio tape. No mic is in his hand and much smaller body, unlike the released versions that includes a microphone (w/ or w/o wwf logo) with a larger body.

Photographed prototype versions of George Steele with painted on chest hair, as well as a Roddy Piper figure with a panther shirt are rumored to have actually been produced.

LJN also produced a kid size WrestleMania Championship Belt. The packaging for the title belt featured pictures of unproduced large size “Wrestling Superstars Muscle Grip” action figures of Hulk Hogan and Randy Savage complete with title belts.

There were also Canadian release 2 pack “Value Packs” which contained a totally random assortment of any 2 figures generally from (but not limited to) the first 3 series of the line.

The final series of figures that were scheduled but never produced included: Bad News Brown, Brother Love, Bushwhacker Luke, Bushwhacker Butch, Demolition Smash and The Barbarian . Photographs of the wrestlers appeared on the backs of the black Series 6 Superstars ’89 cards and they were mentioned in various ads by a company called The Wrestling Ring contained in 1989 issues of Pro Wrestling Illustrated and their various publications, but photographs of the actual figures have never been seen.

An 8″ Sgt. Slaughter figure was made by LJN. Slaughter had a contract dispute with then WWF over merchandising, and left the company. The figure was never released to stores and was instead purchased by Hasbro. Hasbro then made the 8″ Sarge figure available as a mail order tie-in with their G.I. Joe action figure line. The 1st design of the figure was a re-molded body of Jimmy Snuka.

There were 2 prominent misspellings on the red stickers affixed to the figures’ packaging. Vince McMahon’s name was spelled “Vince McMann” and Bret Hart’s was spelled “Brett Hart.” Neither were ever corrected.

The original Sling ‘Em-Fling ‘Em Wrestling Ring was recalled due to children impaling themselves falling on the corner ring posts. The posts had no give and would not budge if weight was applied.

Imitations and commemorations

World Championship Wrestling

In the mid-’90s, World Championship Wrestling released several “Collectible Wrestlers” through OSFTM that closely resemble the WWF LJN Series. These were made of hard rubber but only standing at 6 or 7″ tall. The figures included the following:

Series 1

Series 2

Series 3

Hollywood Hogan

Alex Wright

Kevin Sullivan

The Nasty Boys

Big Boss Man

Lex Luger

Vader

Craig Pittman

The Giant

Sting

The Blue Bloods

Johnny B. Badd

Randy Savage

Jimmy Hart

Ric Flair

Harlem Heat

Later series still resembled the original OSFTM & LJN figures but were more articulate and consisted of different sizes and features .

WWE Classic Superstars

The LJN style made a return of sorts, when Jakks Pacific released an LJN-styled Undertaker in series 13 of its WWE Classic Superstar line. Steve Austin14, The Rock15, Shawn Michaels16, Triple H17, Ric Flair18, Mankind19, John Cena20, Rey Mysterio21, Eddie Guerrero22, Rob Van Dam23, Trish Stratus24, Jeff Hardy25, Matt Hardy26 have also been produced, along with upcoming repaint of Rey Mysterio in the final Classic Superstars Series 28. There is no LJN Classic Superstar in Series 27. Jakks had previously re-released the Sling ‘Em-Fling ‘Em Ring as the Monster Ring in the mid to late ’90s.

External links

Grand Toys

Hasbro/wwe

Wrestling Figure Database

Jakks Classic Superstars Reference Site

LJN Museum

LJN eBAY Guide

OSFTM WCW Figures

Categories: World Wrestling Entertainment | Action figures | Toys of the 1980s | 1984 introductions

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