I’m a self-confessed vintage toy nerd. I collect vintage wrestling action figures from the 80’s & 90’s. I had a hard time getting into new action figures. I started purchasing the old toys I had as a kid out of nostalgia. Well, the WWE finally figured out a way to suck me into their new products…release quality figures of wrestlers I grew up watching.
As soon as I saw the line-up for Mattel’s WWE Elite Series 30, I basically just threw my money at my laptop screen. The lineup for Elite 31 was announced awhile ago and are due to hit retail early October. They have already hit Amazon and eBay.
The WWE Superstars included in Elite 31 are Kane, Jimmy Uso, Jey Uso, Dean Ambrose, The Rock (Rock Concert Flashback) and Vader (Flashback).
Here are some pictures and a review of which accessories each figure will come with.
Jimmy Uso & Jay Uso – After WWE released two Battle Packs of the tag team (and announced a few Battle Pack), they finally came out with Elites. It was rumored that these would come with tag team title belts, but they nixed that. They each just come with a rubber t-shirt and necklace. I’m not a huge fan of these figures, so I will most likely skip these guys.
Dean Ambrose – Since The Shield only broke up a few months ago, Mattel wasn’t able to get Dean Ambrose’s recent gear change. Mattel released an Ambrose figure in Elite 25 and this figure isn’t much different. You have a new head scan, dog tags and the U.S. championship belt. The series 25 figure had a flack jacket, camcorder and chair. I will pass on this figure for sure. I will wait for the ‘Lunatic Fringe’ Dean Ambrose Elite that will most likely be out within the next six months.
Kane – Kane figures haven’t been huge sellers. His gear has changed a little, but for the most part, it’s the same old figure. This Elite 31 figure is quite different. He comes with a removable mask. His face scan is new, since he comes with the ‘Corporate Kane’ hair. I might actually pick this one up.
The Rock (‘Rock Concert’ Flashback) – If you’re not familiar with The Rock’s Rock Concert, it was an iconic moment in WWE history. He has had a few of these over the years, but it looks like this one is from the original one before Wrestlemania XIX. This comes with sunglasses, breakable guitar and a microphone. I am disappointed that the microphone has the new WWE logo (should be the old logo) and that it doesn’t come with a vest. I know it still has three accessories, but the vest is definitely a glaring omission.
Vader – Elite 31 Vader is definitely the cream of the crop. Mattel already released a Vader figure back when they had the WWE Legends line, but it did not come with the Mastodon helmet. It’s such an iconic accessory to come with this figure. It also comes with the red mask, which doesn’t really fit under the helmet when both are on. It doesn’t matter that this figure has the same head scan as his first Mattel figure. This is a must-buy.
Elite 32 has already been announced, but it is filled with figures that may warm the shelves at retail for awhile. I will write a post about them before they hit retail. You can pre-order them on RingsideCollectibles.com and get them about a month before they hit retail.
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About the Author…
Bobby Roberts (otherwise known as Sweetbob) is the creator of ‘America’s White Boy’ and contributor at Project Shanks. His writing has been featured on ESPN’s ‘SportsNation’, Sports Illustrated’s Hot Clicks, Guyspeed, and various other sites. You can follow him on Twitter at @Sweetbob.