LJN's Wrestling Superstars action figures are generally considered the first series of wrestling toys to be marketed to the mainstream internationally. And I'm lucky to have collected them all back in the 1980s! Each month, I'll look at one classic figure and explain what made them so special.
RANDY "MACHO MAN" SAVAGE
Last week, World Wrestling Entertainment finally inducted Randy "Macho Man" Savage into its WWE Hall of Fame. So a week later, the selection committee for the prestigious Canadian Bulldog's World LJN Wrestling Figure Hall of Fame decided to follow suit and do the exact same thing because, hey, that's what we do.
The Randy Savage figure is often overlooked by collectors, which is a crying shame because, clearly, he was the shit.
Between his impressive physique (which put Anorexic Hulk Hogan and Pot-Bellied Andre to shame), too cool for school shades, jungle-print headband, and his pinkish-purple trunks (with matching wrist and knee pads), the Savage figure was a fairly accurate description of the man he was patterned after. And unlike today's action figures, that was actually a rare occurence.
Having said that, I'm not sure where the burn mark on Macho's right pec came from, though I'm personally blaming George "The Animal" Steele.
What I loved most about the Randy Savage figure is that it had a real attitude to it. And no, I don't mean WWF Attitude - this wasn't anything manufactured; Savage really did look as though he may punch you in the face in he bumped into you in the hallway.
Case in point: Savage could have easily pinned Tito Santana here but chose to arrogantly stand on top of his opponent.
Would this ultimately get Savage a pinfall win? Probably not (I could see Chico kicking out at two). But it shows El Matador just what kind of a man Savage is (a "Macho" one, apparently) and that he's dealing with one bad mutha.
Randy Savage was not only ahead of his time because of his acute fashion sense, but also his wrestling ability.
Here, he executes a flying bodypress on Big John Studd, an opponent he wouldn't likely have crossed paths with in the WWF given the timing of their respective runs in the company and where both men were positioned on the card.
Still, if Savage had held on to his WWF Title past WrestleMania V and Studd remained a fan favorite in 1989 instead of bolting the company... who knows?
And talk about a moveset - Savage could put his opponent down in so many different ways! Not only was there his patented flying elbowsmash, but you could also come up with creative moves like the the flying cartwheel bodyscissors on the left (sounds pretty lame, but by the look on One Man Gang's face, he looks pretty surprised!). Then there's the powerful press slam Savage is delivering to Nikolai Volkoff on the right. Macho Madness, right there!
Ooooh yeah!
