I’m a self-confessed vintage toy nerd. I collect vintage wrestling action figures from the 80’s & 90’s. I started purchasing some vintage toys out of nostalgia. Well, WWE and Mattel sucked me into their new stuff. I now buy a few figures a month.
WWE Elite Series 30 and Elite Series 31 were both home runs. I bought most of those sets. I was kind of hoping Elite 32 would be filled with figures I’d want to skip (I need to catch up on some earlier Elites I missed). My wish was granted and I don’t feel bad skipping most of these figures.
The WWE Superstars included in Elite 32 are Daniel Bryan (short-lived run with the Wyatt Family), Big E., Mark Henry, Cody Rhodes, Sin Cara and Rey Mysterio (WCW Flashback).
Here are some pictures and a review of which accessories each figure will come with.
Before I review each figure, I need to point out a huge change Mattel made starting with Elite Series 32. They made the boxes noticeably smaller. If you’re a MOC collector, you will either love this change or hate it. I hated it at first, but it is growing on me. I am running out of room, so the smaller boxes is a positive. The boxes could become cramped with accessories (i.e. Mark Henry). Also, I doubt a Money In The Bank ladder can fit in these new boxes.
Daniel Bryan – This figure is a must-buy if you already own Bray Wyatt, Luke Harper and Erick Rowan. The Wyatt Family jumpsuit is a nice touch. Bryan’s Elite 28 figure has been sitting on the shelves, so the jumpsuit and new headscan makes it much more desirable. He’s been on television for a few months with an injury and that isn’t helping his toy sales.
Cody Rhodes – We had an idea a Cody figure was on its way, since the Elite 29 Goldust figure included a Cody Rhodes shirt. This isn’t the Cody figure we all wanted. He has since changed his gimmick and is now known as ‘Stardust‘. It takes 6+ months for Mattel to develop and release an Elite figure, so don’t expect a Stardust Elite figure until Spring 2015 (at the earliest). I’m passing on this figure. Cody has a few earlier Elites worth owning more than this figure.
Sin Cara – This is the third Sin Cara Elite figure, but first since the person under the mask changed. The wrestler formerly known as Hunico is now Sin Cara. The difference is the large tattoo on his right shoulder. I’m passing on the figure because I have no interest in owning any Sin Cara figures.
Big E – I don’t own any Big E figures and I doubt I will any time in the near future. He’s barely been on television after Kofi Kingston, Xavier Woods and Big E hinted at a new Nation of Domination-like stable. I think it was just bad timing since the Michael Brown shooting occurred in Ferguson, Missouri a few days after they hinted about the racially-driven stable on television. If that faction ever comes into fruition, maybe I’ll be in the market for a Big E.
Mark Henry – Henry Elites and Basics have been known to warm the shelves of your local retail store. Mattel jammed this one with a table, ring steps and a hair trimmer. It’s basically an accessory pack with a Mark Henry crammed in there. Mattel may have instantly regretted their decision to make the boxes smaller once they saw how this Henry Elite looks in the box. This one will sell a ‘little’ better, since he has a new head scan, bald head and huge accessories. I will not be owning this, but I see the appeal.
Rey Mysterio Jr. (WCW Flashback) – I actually already own this figure. I found it for a nice price on eBay the first day they were sent to wholesalers. I was curious about the ‘Ring Stand’ accessory. It basically attaches to a ring post and you can pose the Mysterio to look like he’s jumping off the turnbuckle. It also comes with a Cruiserweight Title, but it has ‘WWE’ on it. If this was a true WCW Flashback figure, you’d think it would come with a WCW Cruiserweight belt. It’s the same problem the Elite series before had with The Rock. It comes with a microphone with the brand new WWE corporate logo on it. This figure is great and will probably be the only Rey Mysterio figure I’ll ever own. The rest of them are awkward and have disproportionate heads.
The Elite 33 lineup has already been announced and it’s great. I’ve already pre-ordered most of them. I will write a post about them before they hit retail. You can pre-order them at RingsideCollectibles.com and get them mid-December (about a month before they hit retail).
Follow us on Twitter @Sweetbob & ‘LIKE’ us on Facebook!
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.