#311 HASBRO'S WWF – ROCKERS (1991)

TAG TEAMS II + UNPRODUCED “RHYTHM 'N BLUES”

ROCKERS

The Rockers Marty Jannetty and Shawn Michaels were the good guys. Specially memorable are their fights against the Nasty Boys, the Demolition or the Legion of Doom.

These two figures are also cheap and easy to find. I guess they were sold massively back in 1991.

Something curious is that in the back card the figures are different from the actual produced toy. Shawn Michaels appears in the body of Marty Jannetty and the other way round.

Shawn Michaels (the blond one) features the classic “jump” move. Interesting is the left hand, which is open, instead of fist.

Marty Jannetty features a strange movement that was never given to any other figure, and that I do not fully understand. Maybe it is a version of the movement performed by the Ultimate Warrior v3, Skinner of Giant Gonzalez. I-m not sure about this.

RHYTHM ‘N BLUES

First Greg Valentine prototype. Taken from: http://wfigs.proboards.com/

But the most interesting thing to comment about the tag teams, is that, in this first wave, they were originally  4 teams intended to be made. The fourth team appeared in a promotional image in a Toys ‘r Us catalogue.

In this picture, apart from the figures we already known from this and the previous entry, there’s a seventh and an eighth figures: Honky Tonk Man and Greg “the Hammer” Valentine, the Rhythm and Blues Tag Team.

If you’re familiar with the toy-line, you’ll probably know that Honky Tonk Man wasreleased in wave 2 in a single pack.

But what about Greg “the Hammer” Valentine? A figure representing this wrestler was released in wave 3, although the finally produced version is quite different to the one in the promotional picture.

Second Greg Valentine prototype. Taken from: http://wfigs.proboards.com/

Apparently, the figure in the picture was a prototype. Now we know that there were at least two prototypes. The second one is almost identical to the first one, can be identified because has a slightly better paint scheme.

This has been known for collectors since a long time. It is rumoured that Greg Valentine himself was looking for one of these prototypes. And finally, one appeared.

This was the description on eBay:

I have in my possession the holy grail of wwf figures Greg "the Hammer" valentine rhythm and blues prototype. one of a kind. only one in existenc, There was 2 made but the other one was different. I received it from my grandfather 23 years ago he was a wood pattern maker for hasbro. If you wanna do some research his name was Norman Macneil he retired from the Hasbro on Newport ave, in Pawtucket, Rhode Island.
 
I have had it sitting in a box all this time and didn't know what I had until yesterday, I have been offered a couple thousand dollars already, but as i"m not a collector so i"d rather see it go to somebody who appreciate it. it is a prototype it seems to be painted with flat colors and the figure moves pretty loosly, it was not ment as a toy. for advertisement. it also says greg in raised cursive letters on the right side of his trunks.  if you have any other questions that i did not cover contact me personaly at XXX-XXX-XXXX. Greg valentine himself was looking for this figure but I dont know how to contact him.

The price it finally got in the acution is unknown, because the listing was finished before the time ended, but it was 7500 US$or less.

I retrieved all the pictures from this listing, because they will disappear sometime.

In Spanish cardbacks the Rhythm ‘n Blues tag team is also listed among the others, note that Rhythm (in Rhythm and Blues) is not correctly written.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: ROCKERS (MARTY JANNETTY and SHAWN MICHAELS)
• Toy Line: Official WWF (Wave 2)
• Year: 1991
• Company: Hasbro (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: 12 cm or 4,5’’