#454 WCW – LEX LUGER, RICK STEINER and STING (1990 and 1991)

The World Wrestling Championship Wrestling promotion WCW was an entertainment company that existed between 1988 and 2001. It was a part of the National Wrestling Alliance, until it was bought by Ted Turner in 1988 (and changed its name to WCW), Turner and the Time Warner company were its owners, and then in 2001 it was sold to their rival, the World Wrestling Federation from Vince McMahon.

These figures were released by Galoob between 1990 and 1991, but I am not sure which came first, if these, or the “Official WWF” from that I have already talked several times (many sources say Hasbro figures came first). What is quite clear, is that the WWF figures were much more successful, maybe simply because they were better made, articulated and with especial action gimmicks, while these were made of plastic, and were not articulated at all.

A few of these figures came with some accessory, and all of them had a WCW belt. In most second hand figures, the belt is missing, so if you want to have all your figures complete, you’ll need one of these for each figure.

The original series from 1990, as launched in the USA, comprised twelve wrestlers, some of these were available in two paint schemes, and other could be bought either in tag teams or in single blister cards.

From those 12 fighters, 10 were re-released one year later in the UK with new, different colour outfits (the two figures which were not re-released were Tom Zenk and Butch Reed), and then 9 more figures which hadn’t been previously released in the USA, and never would (the “UK Exclusives”).
I never had any of these figures, since at the time I didn’t even know the wresltlers. I think this TV show was never shown in Spain, and therefore the figures were not very appealing to children. All children I know preferred the other ones, or they even didn’t know there were such toys for sale.

Although Galoob wrestlers are not articulated, their authentic poses provide great playability, and you always have your imagination to turn these pieces of plastic in real miniature wrestlers! I like them quite a lot now, and I have only 8 to 10 figures...

LEX LUGER - SERIES 1 (1990)

RICK STEINER - SERIES 1 (1990)

STING (blue tights) - SERIES 1 (1990) and STING (black tights) - SERIES 2 (1991)

 

 

Face Make-Up is slightly different

The Scorpion printed on the tights is completely different from one version to the other

 

FACTS and FIGURES:

• Name: LEX LUGER, RICK STEINER and STING plus the UK Version of STING
• Toy Line: WCW
• Year: 1990 and 1991
• Company: Galoob (U.S.A.)
• Size of the figures: Around 12 cm

As an Appendix, I copy here the released figures according to the Wikipedia:

Series 1 - 1990 - released in the US
Ric Flair (blue tights)
Arn Anderson (white tights, no bald spot)
Arn Anderson (white tights with bald spot)
Sting (blue tights)
Sting (orange tights)
Lex Luger (blue tights)
Sid Vicious (black tights)
Barry Windham (black tights)
Brian Pillman (orange tiger print tights)
Tom Zenk (white tights)
Rick Steiner (purple and grey tights)
Scott Steiner (yellow tights)
Butch Reed (blue tights)
Ron Simmons (Blue tights)

Series 1 Tag Teams - 1990 - released in the US
Ric Flair & Arn Anderson (Flair with blue tights, Arn with white tights)
Sting & Lex Luger (Luger with blue tights, Sting with blue tights)
Sting & Lex Luger (Luger with blue tights, Sting with orange tights)
Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner (Rick with black/grey tights, Scott with yellow tights)
Butch Reed & Ron Simmons (both with solid blue tights)

Series 2 - 1991 - released in the UK
Ric Flair (red tights with white lightning bolt on front)
Arn Anderson (red tights)
Sting (black tights)
Lex Luger (green tights)
Sid Vicious (pink tights)
Barry Windham (blue tights)
Brian Pillman (light blue tights)
Brian Pillman (light blue tights with tiger face knee pads)
Rick Steiner (green tights)
Scott Steiner (pink and blue tights)
Ron Simmons (blue tights with white stripe on side)

Series 2 Tag Teams - 1991 - released in the UK
Ric Flair & Arn Anderson (in UK colors)
Sting & Lex Luger (in UK pre-ring, with robe colors)
Rick Steiner & Scott Steiner (in UK colors)
Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin

UK Exclusives - 1991
El Gigante
Big Josh (with wood ax handle)
Dustin Rhodes
Michael Hayes
Jimmy Garvin
Sting (pre-ring, with robe)
Lex Luger (pre-ring, with robe and gold chain)
Fabulous Freebirds Tag Team Set (Michael Hayes & Jimmy Garvin, comes boxed, with sound module - different from the carded UK tag set)
Sound Slammin' Action Ring (comes with sound module)

Unproduced prototypes
Ric Flair (pre-ring, with robe)
Diamond Studd
P.N. News
Richard Morton
Black Blood (unpainted, hand carved)
Michael Hayes (unpainted, pre-ring, with robe, hand carved)
Jimmy Garvin (unpainted, pre-ring, with robe, hand carved)
Sid Vicious (black tights, hand carved, short hair, different face)

Rings and accessories
Slam-Action Wrestling Arena
Sound Module for ring
Championship Belt
Collectors Case

14 inch fully poseable figures
Ric Flair
Sting
Lex Luger
Sid Vicious