Welcome back to the newest edition of Selling The Merch; Selling The Merch is a feature in which we cover the merchandise business of Pro Wrestling. If anything you think I should cover, please contact me @RobWilkins on Twitter or by email at [email protected].
WWE Enters The NFT Market
On Thursday, April 7th, the WWE announced it would create its first NFT (Non-Fungible-Tokens). The first NFT’s will feature four tiers and will feature some of The Undertaker’s legendary career along with never-before-sold memorabilia. The Platinum tier was auctioned and ended with a bid at $100,000.00.
WWE is getting into the NFT space starting with @undertaker, including tiers of collectibles (incl 1/1) with tons of in person prizes.
— ᴀʀᴅᴀ Öᴄᴀʟ (@Arda) April 9, 2021
IMO this will be a big win & WWE will be very successful in this space, especially with their voracious fan base.https://t.co/Dd9QRJZGN2
The four-tier NFT drop was released at WWE.com/NFT on Saturday, April 10, and was available through Sunday, April 11. Fightful.com’s lead Wrestling Writer Jeremy Lambert recently wrote a story with Triple H’s comments on the NFT market earlier in the week when he was on the podcast Pardon My Take.
"Those are things, as technology changes and those opportunities become available, it's always things that we're looking at. Vince has a big philosophy of not wanting to be the first person to jump into the pool, but you also don't want it to last. That's where we are, and we look at all the options. In some ways, we're tailor-made for [NFT] rather than some random dunk in the NBA. Our moments are iconic. It's what we do; we create iconic moments that live forever. I don't necessarily fully understand [NFT], and it's something we look at and have a lot of people in our company that are a lot smarter than me that are looking at them constantly.
Ringside Collectibles Still Offering A Wide Variety Exclusive Figures for Pre-Order
The Pro Wrestling Collectible Market has been as soaring and is as popular as ever before, and Ringside Collectibles is taking advantage of it. They are currently featuring exclusives from WWE, AEW, and New Japan. John Cena has an exclusive figure based on the match he had against The Fiend Bray Wyatt at WrestleMania 36. There was a moment in which Cena was wearing an NWO shirt. The Wrestling Collectible site has been in the wrestling figure for over twenty-five years now.
#Mattel #WWE #NWO #JohnCena #RingsideExclusive has NEW IMAGES!
— Ringside Collectibles (@RingsideC) February 11, 2021
Shop now at https://t.co/g4614mr3WH!#RingsideCollectibles #WrestlingFigures #WWERaw #SmackDown #NXT #WWENXT #WWEEliteSquad #NewWorldOrder #WrestleMania36 @johncena pic.twitter.com/5Y3NO0ufeV
Ringside offers three exclusives from AEW; Cody Rhodes has two figures available for pre-order. He has one figure that includes the TNT Championship belt. The other one is a two-pack featuring Cody and Dustin Rhodes from their classic match at Double or Nothing. There is also a Chris Jericho “A Little Bit of the Bubbly,” which comes in a unique wine packaging. Jushin “Thunder” Liger fans are in luck as there are two exclusive figures that they are featuring.
The WWE exclusive figures they offer come from a wide variety; they currently provide seven figures available for pre-order or back-order, including Charlotte Flair, Cactus Jack, WALTER, and more.
What has been your favorite #AEW #RingsideExclusive so far?
— Ringside Collectibles (@RingsideC) March 19, 2021
Repost @sneakersxtoys
・・・
They killed it with this @aewunrivaled @ringsidec pack --
Shop now at https://t.co/ciZCsc9V3U!#BloodBrothers #ALittleBitOfTheBubby #CodyRhodes #DustinRhodes #ChrisJericho #KennyOmega pic.twitter.com/Np5dYniRjU
Pro Wrestling Tees Begins Releasing Exclusive Limited-Time Merchandise
Pro Wrestling Tees began selling exclusive limited-edition merchandise this week. The new item will be released every week and will only be available for seven days. The first shirt that they released is an exclusive “Surfer” Sting. I reached out to Pro Wrestling Tees, and they did confirm that the public will not see the upcoming shirts until the product is officially available for purchase. The item that is currently available is a Bret "The Hitman" Hart.
As announced tonight on #AEWDynamite, Top Rope Tuesday is back and kicking it off is a classic @Sting design https://t.co/o7ubuBC9VE
— All Elite Wrestling (@AEW) April 8, 2021
NEW Top Rope Tuesday Limited Edition Bret Hart Tee!
— Pro Wrestling Tees (@PWTees) April 13, 2021
Only available for 1 week starting...NOW!https://t.co/FhcfxY9Whc pic.twitter.com/1Z9qrKqDzs
Mattel Releasing Target Exclusive WWE Elite Legends Figures
Mattel will be releasing four more figures exclusively to Target Stores later this month. The wave will feature Brutas “The Barber” Beefcake, Vader, Diamond Dallas Page, and John Cena. Target's website shows that pre-orders are not available and sold out. That is expected to change every so often based on online chatter.
Target Exclusive WWE Legends Wave is up for preorder at Target now ($19.99 each):
— Preternia (@preterniadotcom) April 8, 2021
Brutus Beefcake - https://t.co/6JPMKsgVAS
John Cena - https://t.co/kB3L2pnxHa
Vader - https://t.co/frHAEu3upm
DDP - https://t.co/RJNNlinBRN
Thanks @The_MPW for the heads up! pic.twitter.com/8slYzRCSWb
Fightful Magazine Now Available
The first issue has been officially released digitally, with future issues being available in print sometime soon. Here are some of the features in issue number one that is now available at this Link
Surprise! We've launched Fightful Magazine.
— Sean Ross Sapp of Fightful.com (@SeanRossSapp) April 2, 2021
The first copy is a digital proof-of-concept, available now! Work from myself, @AlexSourGraps, @Hells_Belle99, @JoeHulbert, @BrandonThurston, @JoeAFerraro, @Taeler_Hendrix, @jimmyvan74 and more!https://t.co/0UWcfvUtaj pic.twitter.com/MyFdNIil8c
Dream Match: John Cena vs. Conor McGregor
What might a matchup between WWE's John Cena and UFC's Conor McGregor look like?
The Mailbag
Where your wrestling questions get answered by Fightful contributors.
Charlotte Flair: The Queen’s Road
How Charlotte Flair is paving her own road meant for a queen instead of her Father's legacy.
Less Popular but More Lucrative: There’s Reason to Be Optimistic WWE Will Get Raise in Rights
Brandon Thurston on WWE’s next television contracts and how negotiations on WWE's financial future.
WrestleMania 37: The Hunt for History
Edge and Bianca Belair will be the ones to watch heading into WrestleMania weekend.
Mark in Stripes
Matt Young tells us a wild story about having to referee and announce a match at the same time.
Taya Valkyrie: A Star in the Making
Taeler Hendrix shines the spotlight on Taya Valkyrie, an up-and-coming wrestler recruited by WWE.
Who is the Real Georges St-Pierre?
Joe Ferraro brings us closer than ever to understanding who the former MMA legend really is.
The WWF LJN and Sgt. Slaughter Story
Learn more about how the 8-inch Sgt. Slaughter prototypes with bendy wires came into existence.
A Winner is You: Looking Back on “Pro Wrestling” for the NES
Rise of nostalgia has led to “Pro Wrestling” becoming one of the most memorable NES games out there
An Interview With “The Dragon”
Jimmy Van brings us one of the most honest interviews from Ricky Steamboat that you’ll ever read.
Fightful’s Where Are They Now
The Fabulous Rougeau Brothers were some of Canada’s brightest wrestling stars back in the day.
The Last Word
Managing Editor of Fightful.com, Sean Ross Sapp, breaks down his hopes for Fightful Magazine.
Highspots.com Live Signing with El Phantasmo and Chase Owens on April 17th
Highspots.com will have a live signing with The Bullet Club’s El Phantasmo and Chase Owens. The autograph prices start at $20.00; here is the link for pre-ordering. They have other upcoming autograph signings announced for the near future featuring Gail Kim, Jimmy Garvin, Sid Vicious, Jeff Jarrett, Jerry "The King" Lawler, and Danhausen.
PREORDERS for Eddie Kingston, ELP & Chase Owens are LIVE NOW!
— Highspots.com (@Highspots) April 13, 2021
Visit https://t.co/PhcvPRIXsv to get yours in!
Personalizations on items with that option are available!@MadKing1981@elpwrestling@realchaseowens#EddieKingston #ELP #ChaseOwens #SignItLive #SIL #VGT pic.twitter.com/Macfx97RUL
John Cena Releases Two New Books
The 16-time WWE World Champion John Cena released two new books on April 6th. The book Do Your Best Every Day to Do Your Best Every Day is currently ranked number one on Amazon.com’s Children’s Non-Religious Holiday Books and is published by Random House.
The other book that Cena released is Be A Work In Progress and is published by Ballantine Books and is currently ranked #15 in the Self-Help
No matter your age, we’re growing, learning, & getting better! My new books, BE A WORK IN PROGRESS & DO YOUR BEST EVERY DAY TO DO YOUR BEST EVERY DAY for young readers are two projects that push readers of all ages to be their very best!
— John Cena (@JohnCena) April 6, 2021
Available TODAY! https://t.co/tyFC5hoV0N pic.twitter.com/IQdEQPvxAR
The Doctor is the Top Seller
AEW’s Top Selling Shirt right now is as expected based on the excellent design. Dr. Britt Baker DMD had one of the most memorable matches in AEW’s early history against Thunder Rosa. The shirt retails at $24.99 and is available at ShopAew.com.
https://t.co/YGOaFV2jp6 pic.twitter.com/IpNijcqAci
— Dr. Britt Baker, D.M.D. (@RealBrittBaker) March 26, 2021
Logan Paul Wrestlemania 37 T-Shirt Now Available
The Youtube Megastar Logan Paul officially has a WWE shirt, and based on Bad Bunny merchandise sales; it is probably a wise choice. The 26-year old Ohio native is less than 10,000 subscribers away from having 23 million Youtube subscribers. The Limited Edition T-Shirt is available for $27.99 on Shop.WWE.com.
Logan Paul has a wwe shirt and that....is something I never thought I would say pic.twitter.com/jDvUYy0oQa
— Brandon #BeatMurrayState (@BTBouttanowhere) April 10, 2021
WrestleMania 37 Coming Soon to DVD/Blu-ray
WrestleMania is coming to DVD/Blu-ray on May 25th and available for pre-order on Amazon at this link. The release date for the United Kingdom/European market is on June 7th on Amazon’s UK site at this link.
#WWE's #WrestleMania 37 DVD Gets Cover Artwork, Alternate Cover Artwork & EXCLUSIVE BONUS DISC! https://t.co/Fo7230RYSy @WWEHomeVideoUK
— WWE DVD News (@WDNcom) April 8, 2021
WWE Shop Offering Limited Edition Edge Collector's Box
The WWE Shop is offering a Limited Edition Edge Collector's Box. The box retails for $54.99 and is limited to 750 pieces. Included in the Collector's Box is a T-Shirt, Replica Sunglasses, Knit Beanie Hat, Replica Edge Spinner Championship Title Center Plate, Exclusive Poster, Vinyl Figure, and an Enamel Pin, all featuring the Rated-R Superstar Edge.
WWE Shop is proud to celebrate the unparalleled career of @EdgeRatedR by offering this limited edition collector’s box, absolutely filled to the brim with exclusive items! Don’t miss out! Head to https://t.co/uNJhrphUqr now and be Pose-itively Awesome!https://t.co/btijIypUI9 pic.twitter.com/LhQdUrRZtu
— WWEShop.com (@WWEShop) April 14, 2021
The Wow Zone
The Entrance Jacket worn by Kofi Kingston during the 2021 Royal Rumble was auctioned off and sold for $4,000 back in February. The gear was designed as a tribute to Jon Huber, AKA Luke Harper, AKA Brodie Lee, and all proceeds went to Foodlink. The other two members of The New Day were also close friends of Jon Huber.
The Entrance Jacket worn by Kofi Kingston during the 2021 Royal Rumble was auctioned off and sold for $4,000 back in February.
— Rob Wilkins (@robwilkins) April 14, 2021
The gear was designed as a tribute to Jon Huber, AKA Luke Harper, AKA Brodie Lee, and all proceeds went to Foodlink, NY. https://t.co/xF8uCoxYYc pic.twitter.com/iLuMEgpr7w