#225 HASBRO'S WWF – OFFICIAL WRESTLING RING (1990)

The WWF Ring has already appeared in many reviews I have made about Hasbro WWF wrestlers. This toy line was one of my favourite and I remember spending a lot of time playing with these figures. My parents probably noticed that too and I received the ring as a Christmas present many years ago. In this entry I will show in detail the ring and I will talk about the “other” rings that were manufactured by Hasbro for this collection (there wasn’t only one made!).

The “basic” model is the one I own, it was released in 1990, together with the first figures. In Europe, and simultaneously, a second ring with sound was released. Both models were actually the same ring, but one included a battery operated box with 8 buttons each of them producing one different sound (punches, cries of pain, the bell…). This model was more expensive, and was sold in Spain for 3995 pesetas (approx. 24 Euro).

catalogue image - ring with sound (1990)

The ring has two tables at two sides of the ring: in one of them there's a television screen, maybe it was intended to be the place where the commentator sits. At the opposite side, the champion belt is kept during the fight. 

The other two sides have two steps each.

There is an alternative version with dark blue posts instead of black, and also another variant in which the top of the posts are not flat. It’s is unknown which versions are rarer than the others. The ropes do not age well, and after a few years, they must be replaced. 

Black, flat-top posts

The ring came with two accesories that are sometimes missing. First is the american flag, that can be attached to each of the posts in the corners, and the second piece is the belt that we mentioned before. With the use, it may lose its golden colour.

Some years later, in 1993, a second edition of the ring was released (this time, only the “basic” version, not the one with sound). This time, the “canvas” was yellow instead of the traditional blue. At this point most collectors already had the ring, so I guess this version had very limited sales. This would explain why the yellow ring is today so difficult to find (experts say there’s approximately 1 yellow ring for each 100 blue), and very expensive too. In this version, the posts were red, the flag had the WWF symbol instead of the American flag, and the main sticker and the floor was the “King of the Ring” logo instead of the classic WWF logo. I am not sure if there was ever a yellow ring in the TV-show.

If you want to see more pictures of the ring with figures, click here.

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: OFFICIAL WRESTLING RING
• Alternative Names: RING OFICIAL DE LUCHA (Spain)
• Toy Line: WWF
• Year: 1990
• Company: Hasbro (U.S.A.)
• Size: approx. 35 cm x 35 cm