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. You can view photos of my collection on my Instagram account.
The lineup in WWE Elite series 55 is the second series with the new packaging. The lineup is a bit underwhelming. New collectors will enjoy the ‘American Badass’ Undertaker flashback, but it’s too much like the Elite 18 figure. Also, Enzo and Cass have had too many elites in the last year, so these might sit at retail, especially Big Cass.
The WWE Superstars included in Elite 55 are Neville, James Ellsworth, The Undertaker, Enzo Amore, Big Cass & Brock Lesnar.
Neville – This one might be the best selling figure in the series. It’s been over a year since Neville had an elite and this one is an updated ‘King of the Cruiserweights’ version when he was having a lot of success. The headscan looks pretty cool and it’s the second time the Cruiserweight belt is released (T.J. Perkins Toys R Us Network Spotlight was the first). This will most likely be the last Neville elite since he walked out…so grab this one.
James Ellsworth – I’m not surprised Ellsworth got an Elite, but the fact that they tooled so many new parts for it, not THAT’S surprising. He has new chest, new fists and legs and possibly other specialized pieces just for an elite Ellsworth. It makes me think that there will probably be another one in the future at some point. It’s a cool figure and I’m glad it’s made since it brings back good memories of those four or five weeks WWE used jobbers again.
The Undertaker – There hasn’t been an American Badass Undertaker Elite since Elite 18. I was hoping the next time we would get one would be ‘jean jacket’ Biker Taker. I guess Bill, who is the lead designer at Mattel, said there was someone else expected for this spot and had to be replaced. Undertaker was a last minute addition, so not many changes could be made. I’ll still probably get this one since I’ve kept my Elite 18 in the package.
Brock Lesnar – It’s also been awhile since Lesnar had a regular series Elite, but there was a Gamestop elite released late last year. A cloth shirt would have been nice, but it is what it is.
Enzo Amore – This is the first Enzo elite released in the last 12 months. We probably could have done without this one, especially since this is just an Elite version of the TRU exclusive Basic released a few months ago. I have a feeling we will end up getting a couple more Enzo Elites next year since he changes up his attire nearly every week.
Big Cass – Not a huge fan of this figure, but I do like that it comes with the leopard print microphone like Enzo. Due to his injury, he hasn’t been on TV for months, which will hurt the sale of this one. It could collect dust at retail for awhile.
Elite 55 should be found at retail in late-December or early-2018.
Elite 56’s lineup has already been officially announced, but I haven’t seen any MOC images yet.
You can pre-order everything at RingsideCollectibles.com. I’m not getting paid to plug them (although it would be nice to get a nice discount – wink wink). I just recommend them. I’ve been pleased with every purchase. You can also check out WalkOutWear.com for pre-orders with free shipping.
I should also add TheyreActionFigures.com to my recommendation list. Awesome prices for WWE, Marvel and other toy lines. I’ve bought from them numerous times. A trusted seller and treats buyers well with great prices and fast shipping.
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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.