RINGSIDE COLLECTIBLES - WWF Wrestling Figure Insider!

The latest news in the wrestling figure world can be found right here every week!

Get ready to be wired. Jakks' Titan Tron Live figures are just around the corner. These innovative figures feature a techonology similar to that used by Hasbro for their Star Wars: Episode 1-The Phantom Menace figures. All Titan Tron Live figures feature a chip built into their foot that triggers their theme music, along with their picture, on the Titan Tron screen when they pass through the Titan Tron entrance.

In addition to this cool new technology, all Titan Tron Live figures feature new sculpts and added articulation. Jakks has "grown-up" with the new sculpting style of these figures, which stylistically resemble figures made by companies such as M.A.C. and McFarlane Toys. These new figures also sport more articulation points for added playability. It appears Titan Tron Live features articulation at the head, shoulders(ball-jointed!), wrists, waist, hips, knees, and ankles.

Titan Tron Live Series 1 consists of Stone Cold Steve Austin, Undertaker, Road Dogg, Kane, Mankind, and the Rock. All six look more than ready for action with their bulging muscles and facial expressions. The pictures available may only be the prototypes, but they look incredible. In his street clothes, Stone Cold looks ready to work the mic and cut the McMahons down. The Lord of Darkness is looking as evil as ever. Road Dogg has some very cool-looking braids and a great shirt. Jakks finally delivers a new Kane, and they've come through amazingly. Mankind has his trademark smile concealed behind his mask. The Rock has his classic smirk and "People's Eyebrow," as well as an incredible jersey. I can't wait to see these figures in person.

Jakks isn't making their Titan Tron Live figures in single packs only though. Also on deck are TTL: Double Slam 2-packs featuring Kane & X-Pac, Austin vs. Shane McMahon, Undertaker & Vince McMahon, and Edge & Christian. Kane and X-Pac look great together. X-Pac has some extremely minor paint errors, but looks incredible nonetheless. A different Austin, this time wearing shorts, is packed with Shane McMahon, who's looking good in a nice suit. The Undertaker/Vince set features the first-ever Undertaker figure featuring his hair pulled back. This 2-pack also contains Vinny Mac in his wrestling gear, which looks even better than his cool wrestling figure in the Superstars line. Edge and Christian look ready to deliver a bloodbath with their fantastic new scultps. For the first time ever, we get Edge with his coat. As an added bonus, it appears Edge and Christian might just have removable sunglasses like the New Age Outlaws in 2 Tuff 5.

Then, of course, there's the Titan Tron Playset itself, without which all these new figures would be pointless. You've been asking for a Titan Tron for months, and now Jakks has the much-anticipated playset on the way. The Titan Tron Playset features flashing lights in addition to playing theme music and flashin pictures on the screen. Also included is a Vince McMahon figure in a great-looking suit.

The Titan Tron Playset, Titan Tron Live Series 1, and and Double Slamare all due in late September. Pre-order your's fast, as these are sure to be the hot item of the fall.

NEWS:Wondering about who's going to be In Titan Tron Live Series 2? According to Previews magazine, we'll see Edge, Billy Gunn, HHH, Shane McMahon, X-Pac, and Gangrel in the second assortment. Thanks for the tip, "Chris."

Superstars Series 9, Fully Loaded 2, 2 Tuff 5, and Grapple Gear 2 have all been shipped to stores. I received my shipment from Ringside Collectibles Wednesday, and Jakks has delivered some great figures for their SummerSlam '99 collection.

Superstars Series 9 features the first-ever figures of Paul Wight, Hardcore Holly, Gangrel, and Christian. Also included are Vince McMahon w/removable suit and the Undertaker with his Ministry robe. The Big Show's WWF figure debut is, well, BIG. The figure is so big, in fact, that his Attitude display base had to be positioned to the side of the blister pack. This hulking figure is posed in a half-crouch, but he's still bigger than any other Superstars figure. This is a definite "dont-miss" figure. The wrestler formerly known as Sparky Plugg looks ready for some hardcore matches. Hardcore Holly's first figure is sporting a mean-looking scowl and his old JOB Squad tights. The former Brood teammates, Gangrel and Christian, are two of the most impressive figures Jakks has made to date. Both Gothic warriors have dead-on likenesses and amazing-looking shirts. Vinny Mac's removable suit is like cold fusion; it works in theory, but just doesn't work in the real world. The idea was great, but somewhere along the line it went bad. Underneath the suit, though, is a good-looking McMahon in his wrestling gear. If you missed his wrestling figure in the McMahon vs. Austin Grudge Match 2-pack, this is your chance to pick him up. Underneath his incredible robe, the Undertaker is the same figure from Superstars Series 7. In my eyes, it's one of the best sculpting jobs Jakks has pulled off. While you probably already own this Undertaker figure, his removable robe alone is worth the price of the figure.

Jakks has given us some great offerings in their latest 2 Tuff assortment. 2 Tuff 5 contains 2-packs of Stone Cold Steve Austin & The Rock, Bad Ass Billy Gunn & Road Dogg, Viscera & the Undertaker, and Jeff Jarrett & Debra. For two years Jakks fans have wanted Jakks to make a new Austin in wrestling gear with accurate legs and they've delivered just such a figure in 2 Tuff 5. Austin's new legs have his signature short boots and a removable knee brace. While the head is slightly small for the body, this is a definite improvement over their first Austin figure in Superstars Series 4. Also sporting a new sculpt is the Rock. The Great One is decked out in his "Bull Tattoo" shirt and athletic pants like he wore at the beginning of the year. The way he's sculpted, the Rock looks ready to drop the People's Elbow on some jabronie's roody-poo candy-ass. Though now split up and feuding, the Billy Gunn & Road Dogg 2-pack is a definite winner. After using the same mold for countless Austin figures in jeans and a t-shirt, Jakks made a new t-shirt & jeans mold for Gunn and RDJJ. Gunn also features an new head sculpt with longer hair, making this my favorite Billy Gunn figure. As an added bonus, the NAO also include removable sunglasses. If you missed the mail-away Undertaker offered in ToyFare magazine a few months back, 2 Tuff 5 is your opportunity to pick up the figure. This re-decoed 'Taker is a throwback to his Superstars Series 2 figure, with glow-in-the dark skin that's just too cool. He also has his eyes rolled back to make him look even spookier. To top it off, the buckles on his outfit are highlighted with gold and a purple wash has been added to his costume for added detail. Included with the Lord of Darkness is the first-ever figure of Viscera. The all-new figure is wearing all-black and is quite large like the man himself. The black is slimming though. Like his counterpart, Viscera also has some scary-looking eyes to add detail. For you variation hunters out there, it's a good idea to snatch up the Double J & Debra 2-pack fast. Jakks erroneously labeled the self-proclaimed Greatest Intercontinental Champion of All-Time's valet with the last name "McMichaels" instead of the correct "McMichael". Jakks might correct the misnomer in future shipments. Debra's first figure is a great likeness and looks great next to Double J. And for those wondering, the puppies cannot be exposed...ya weirdos. Double J's new figure is a vast improvment over his previous figures, with new tights and a "Don't Tick Me Off!" shirt. The real shirt would have been nice, but these are intended for children.

Grapple Gear 1 was a HUGE success, and Grapple Gear 2 should be no different. Jakks has delivered three fantastic sets to wreak havoc on your collection. The Hardcore Rules set features a set of break-away corner steps that fit snugly on the Attitude ring, a push broom, and a trash bin with a rolling cart to attach it to. There's even a place to put the broom on the cart, which is a very nice touch. With this set, you can toss your favorite (or least favorite) figure into the stairs, place them in the trash bin, then wheel them off inside the trash bin on the cart. You absolutely can't miss this set. Also included in Grapple Gear 2 is Breakdown: In Your House, featuring a catapulting chair, glass-shattering TV, and a big, bad door. The best part about this set has to be the chair. It's nice and ratty looking, and the recliner lever launches the figure out of the seat. Jakks spared no expense when it came to detailing this chair, as the pocket on the right side features a WWF Magazine with the Rock on the cover. Finishing off the second installment of Grapple Gear is No Pain, No Gain. This cool set contains a pair of crutches, a rolling wheelchair, and a stretcher. Apparently, Jakks originally intended for the wheelchair to lurch forward after pulling it back but didn't go throught with it. After you beat on your figures for a while, you can now send them back to the showers on crutches or on a stretcher. The ultra-cool wheelchair makes me antsy for the Titan Tron Live Vince McMahon. His articulated knees will allow him to sit in the wheelchair quite nicely.

Without a doubt, Jakks went all-out for their SummerSlam '99 collection. Make sure you pick up these great products.

Blue Blazer

Without a doubt, the hottest figure of the year is the Blue Blazer from Wal-Mart's DTA Tour Series 2. When the assortment hit Wal-Mart stores in May, Blazer was the first to come off the pegs. Then, on May 23, tragedy struck and we lost Owen Hart in an unfortunate accident. His Blue Blazer figure was hot before his untimely passing and its popularity skyrocketed afterward. Making the figure even more scarce was that ALL DTA 2 figures disappeared from stores soon after the Over the Edge PPV, leading to internet rumors that Jakks recalled the assortment due to Hart's fatal accident. While this rumor has never been confirmed, it is undeniable that DTA 2, and especially the Blue Blazer, became almost impossible to locate.

BRING IT TO ME JAKKS!: Is there a certain figure that you would like to see produced or an accessory you would like to see made? Jakks has told us that they would love to hear your ideas and suggestions for future products! If you always wanted that Howard Finkel figure to complete your collection or if you ever wanted a life-size Headbanger skirt that you can actually wear, all that you have to do is e-mail Jakks with your suggestion. They just might use it!
All e-mail's sent to: [email protected] will be forwarded directly to Jakks Pacific, Inc.

WWF FIGURE TRIVIA QUESTION OF THE WEEK: Up for grabs this week is a signed 8x10 of the now-unemployed Sable. With Rena Mero no longer in the WWF and the WWF retaining ownership of the Sable name, this is going to become a rare collectors' item. Rena Mero can never sign her name as "Sable" ever again! This week's question is: What error did Jakks make on the initial shipments of STOMP Series 1? If you think you know the answer, just send an e-mail to: [email protected] with the subject "INSIDER CONTEST" and your answer by 11:59pm eastern time on August 5. One winner will be chosen from all correct entries received.

A lot of you seem to think the King of Harts had a tatoo, but the correct answer to last week's trivia question is that Owen Hart featured a white painted-on cast on his left arm in the Hart vs. Hart 2-pack. The winner of the autographed Stone Cold Steve Austin 8x10 is [email protected]. Please e-mail me your name and address so we can send you your prize.

E-Mail me any questions, comments or suggestions you may have at: [email protected]

The opinions of John Barnett are his, and not necessarily those of Ringside Collectibles, ringsidecollectibles.com, or it's staff. We try our best to bring you the most accurate information possible however, neither Ringside Collectibles or John Barnett are responsible for any false or inaccurate information that may appear on this page.