By Van Ray 

Classic Superstars 10

Sabu—Hooray for Hammer pants! When this figure was announced, I was legitimately surprised that Sabu was going to be a part of the Classic line. But, I was pleasantly surprised to see how well it turned out. Everything from the giant nose to the armbands to the head rag accessory looks good. The cloth pants definitely make the figure stand out amongst the rest of the line. The scars get an E for Effort too, but they still look a bit weak. In the spirit of accurate representation, the only thing missing is blood (and now the tip of Sabu’s finger). Other than that, this is a keeper. 9.5/10

Dusty Rhodes—The only thing hurting this figure is the lack of legit kneepads. Instead of a rubber accessory, these are painted on. Maybe Jakks just doesn’t make a mold for incredibly fat-tastic legs, but it definitely would’ve added something to the overall figure. I love the cowboy hat, and the boots are classic. Even something as simple as the little “DR” on The American Dream’s tights is a great touch. And it makes it much easier to convince your friends he was a doctor. 8/10

Bruno Sammartino—It’s tricky for a character as business as Bruno Sammartino to be visually appealing. That’s just not who he was, or what he represented. But, Jakks has done a great job capturing the essence of his no-nonsense presentation. He’s hairy, which is rad. I think Bruno is the first in the Classics line to be built for winter with the shag coat he’s sporting. The only drawback for me, and it’s sort of a big one, is the molded wrist-tape that’s still flesh colored. It just looks weird. Otherwise, this figure is solid. 7.5/10

Gorilla Monsoon—In the original press shots, Gorilla’s figure looked ripped. I’m happy to say that the figure I’m looking at has traded in the guns for a bit more flap around the edges, and an overall truer representation of Gorilla Monsoon. The costume is nothing too intricate (black singlet with black tights), but keep in mind that Gorilla is about as old school as it gets. The face looks dead on, even though its reminiscent of his series seven representation, but the overall representation is well done. 8/10

Greg “The Hammer” Valentine—I was never a big Greg Valentine fan, but the robe alone makes me want to buy this figure. The figure itself is well done, especially the scowl on The Hammer’s face. I like the hair sculpt as well. The tights, tape, and boots are nothing out of the ordinary, but neither were Valentine’s. Pardon the obvious pun, but Jakks really nailed The Hammer. 8/10

Harley Race—Sideburns! Get your sideburns! Another great robe from Jakks, and a visually appealing set of boots make this figure stand out amongst the rest of the more well known inclusions. The face looks good, although I’d suggest that Race was a bit more menacing, and a bit less stoned-looking. I think Jakks definitely scored with the perfectly crafted hair sculpt, though. 9/10

Mr. Perfect—How could you not give this figure a perfect score? In addition to being the most highly anticipated Classic Superstar to date, the figure was pulled off flawlessly. Personally, I would’ve rather seen the blue and yellow singlet, but the orange is still top notch. The towel and IC belt are great touches and, if you time it correctly, you can get him to swat your gum. 10/10

Rocky Miavia—How many of you forgot what a knob The Rock used to be? Now you can recreate all of your favorite “Die Rocky Die” moments with the Classic Superstar Rocky Miavia. From the pineapple haircut to the unnecessary streamer-neckbrace-thingy, this figure looks pretty darn good. The boots with the calves cut out are also key, and I’m glad Jakks took notice and included them. This figure may actually be too smiley to get a perfect score, though. 9.5/10

Batista—Here we have your basic Batista figure, with super ripped abs, and black trunks…nothing to write home about, really. It’s a great figure, but lacks the accuracy that’s captured in some of Batista’s yet-to-be-released versions (the updated boots, mainly). If you need a Batista fix, this will do. If not, hold off. 6/10

Daivari—Remember that brief stint when Daivari was Kurt Angle’s hand picked referee? This figure actually does a great job of capturing Davairi’s obnoxiousness in all of its high-pitched glory. He really looks like a jackass. The ref body is nothing we haven’t seen before, but the face is pretty close to perfect. Even his earring is detailed, making him look more and more like Joey from *Nsync. 8/10

Kurt Angle—I’ve always been a fan of Angle in black tights. This particular figure looks good, except for the boots. They don’t really match Angle’s singlet. And, hasn’t it been a while since Angle switched over to traditional wrestling kicks? Take the legs off a Road Warrior Animal figure and swap em out. Painting the top row of teeth black to simulate a mouth guard would have been awesome too. Sadly, this just ends up as another Kurt Angle to add to the bunch. 6/10

Randy Orton—This might be the last Orton figure we see for a while, given the fact that he’s in more hot water than a boiling lobster. I would’ve liked to see the tats on Orton’s arms wrap around more, making them more true to life. Also, his wrist tape could’ve gone bigger. The head sculpt is one I can deal with, although there’s something about it that just doesn’t capture the cockiness that is Randall Orton. 6/10

John Cena—I’m definitely a fan of the Cena head sculpt. He’s got the perfect expression. The Philly fade is a little bit off on the two-tone, though. More black, less brown next time. I like the inclusion of two wristbands on each arm, and I think the shirt choice is alright. It might be a little outdated, but it’s better than the one with the makeshift belt on it. Why every Cena figure doesn’t come with a spinner belt, I’ll never know. I hate the thing, but I guarantee it sells more figures than your average cookie sheet or fire hydrant accessory. Next time, add a pump on the sneakers too, please. 7.5/10

The Undertaker—I applaud Jakks for trying to make Taker look more menacing with a little makeup under the eyes. Unfortunately, it borders between ominous and pinkeye. Either way, this is an impressive figure if not for the tattoos alone. The body itself is industry standard. All black, no frills. I guess that works for the Taker. I’m a big fan of the big gloves mold too. An interesting note, Taker’s boot’s are actually molded with kickpads, much like the future Batistas will be. If you’re looking for custom parts, look no further. 8/10

Adrenaline Series 18

Road Warrior Animal/Nitro

Animal—Animal’s transition from “legendary Road Warrior of old” to “crazy old man in the leather jacket” is well represented in this figure. While Animal has adopted the leather vest, he hasn’t abandoned his traditional LOD tights or face paint. Disappointing is the fact that none of the designs shown on Animal’s tights on the box are actually on the figure. Chances are this’ll be the last “old skool” Animal we see and, while it’s nothing extraordinary, it’s not horrible.

Johnny Nitro—This is a great figure. Although I can’t actually recall MNM ever having worn the fruity blue metrosexual pants, I think they look good in figure form. The silver accents and the highlights in Nitro’s hair are the little touches that make the figure stand out. I’m also glad Jakks opted for Nitro instead of Mercury, as his last figure made him look incredibly stoned. If only the could achieve that with RVD…

Animal 6/10

Nitro 9/10

Set 7.5/10

Lashley/Orlando Jordan

Lashley—This figure is awesome. I’m very, very impressed with the likeness here. Lashley’s in-ring attire is very basic, so the head really has to sell it all. And it does. Everything from his scary-looking grimace to his silly-looking soul patch is captured beautifully. The body type looks good, and all of the pads and junk are in place. As the debut figure, this scores points for Lashley. In fact, I’d be willing to bet that the figure actually trumps the real Lashley in the areas of charisma and flexibility.

Orlando Jordan—To be honest, I sorta forgot about Orlando Jordan. Luckilly, Jakks didn’t. His figure is solid. The tattoos are well pronounced, an improvement over some of his previous figures in which they seemed faded. His hair is the best part, and is represented in full Buckwheat glory. The boots are molded with hinges, rather than laces, which is true to real life. If only they were painted instead of plain black, it’d be a pretty perfect figure.

Lashley 10/10

OJ 9/10

Set 9.25/10

Lance Cade/Trevor Murdoch

Lance Cade—Cade looks good. His smirk is a little awkward looking but, then again, so is Cade. The detail on the tights is great, and the cowboy hat is a perfect accessory. I always thought his hair was a little blonder than what the figure depicts, but maybe he just hasn’t been volumizing lately. The kicker for me is the flower print on the shirt. Little details like those are what make collecting these figures so much fun. I’m not gonna gripe on the hair. This is a pretty perfect figure.

Trevor Murdoch—What Cade’s smile lacks, Trevor Murdoch’s sour puss more than makes up for. In fact, his entire head is one of the best new figures I’ve seen in a while. He looks exactly like an angry, salty redneck should look. He’s got the gut-body (commonly referred to as the “new Flair”), which is perfect. His cutoff flannel is good too, but the pattern only exists on the front. That was literally the only disappointment from this figure. Otherwise, it’s gravy.

Lance Cade 9.5/10

Trevor Murdoch 9.5/10

Set 9.5/10