Ringside Collectibles WWE Mattel Q&A: Celebrity Figures, Retro Line, Cinematic Playsets, etc.

The annual post-Comic-Con Ringside Collectibles Q&A featured both Mattel senior designer for the WWE line Bill Miekina and marketing manager Steve Ozer. The two tackled a number of topics, from why there haven’t been more WWE U.K. figures, to the status of the Retro line, to whether we’ll see more celebrity figures or playsets from the cinematic matches.

Here are some of the highlights from the discussion, which you can also watch above.

Will we get more WWE UK figures?

• Mattel has paused the WWE U.K. figures because they want to make sure there is “full availability” of the figures in the United Kingdom and it’s “done right” when it happens, Ozer said. “It’s top of mind” and “we’re working hard on it,” he added.

Will Mattel do anything special for WWE Elite 100?

• Yes. At a minimum, they’ll do special packaging. “Figure wise, we have to do something very cool to celebrate,” Ozer said.

Will there be more Legends and Flashbacks that aren’t store exclusives?

• Exclusives are “here to stay,” Ozer said. But they want to make sure they’re “easy to obtain,” via pre-sells at major retailers or Collectors’ Edition figures available on Ringside Collectibles.
• There will also be a mix of Legends and newer talent, such as NXT stars, in the Collector’s Edition slots.
• The goal with each Elite wave is to include two anchor talents, an NXT talent, a Legends figure and a female talent within each Elite wave.

Will Mattel release the Nitro-era WCW U.S. Championship with two side plates?

• Ozer said they chose the classic design with four side plates, and another version could be released in the future.

Are there plans for more WCW and ECW championships?

• Titles are dependent on the available talent to go with them, Miekina said. They won’t be putting titles out on their own.
• If the title is available and the figure is available, they’ll release new titles, Ozer said. He added that more titles are in the works.

Are authentic scale playsets being planned?

• “Nothing to announce at this time,” Ozer said. Nevertheless, he said it’s important to get that type of stuff out — whether it’s Hell in a Cell, Elimination Chamber or whatever. “We’ll keep trying,” he said.

How are hands selected?

• Miekina said he tries to match up the stars with their pose hands.

Are more celebrity action figures going to be added to the line?

• Ozer and Miekina said they’re to get more celerity figures in the line. They’re communicating with WWE about different possibilities.

Could we see re-releases of Legends such as Harley Race, Rick Martel, King Kong Bundy, Kerry Von Erich?

• It all comes down to availability due to WWE Legends deals. Some are under contract. Some aren’t anymore. Miekina said he’d like to make another version of Martel figure with a different hairstyles and accessories. He’d also like to make another Harley Race, so more collectors have a shot at a figure of the NWA legend.

Will there be playsets and figures to correspond with cinematic matches?

• Ozer said they’re “very toyetic.” They just need to find a retail partner for them. “If we can make something like this happen, heck yeah,” he said.

What is the status of the Retro line?

• The line is still in limbo. Ozer is aware of the demand, and he continues to advocate for bringing it back. Maybe something will come of it soon.

Will double-jointed elbows become a standard on Elite figures?

• “We’re constantly trying to improve our figures and look at ways to stay ahead of the curve,” Miekina said. It is something they’re exploring and trying to figure out if they can implement. “We want to stay ahead of everyone else,” he added.

Will the classic championship belts receive an update with the belt tips and snaps?

• Miekina said it isn’t a high priority way to spend his tooling or deco budget. But it’s not out of the question.

Could we see a new, ripped torso for smaller wrestlers?

• Ricochet figures have already received a new torso, Miekina said.

Is Shotzi Blackheart’s tank in the works?

• The tank is going to be a priority when the times comes for a Shotzi figure, Miekina said. However, it’ll take finding the right opportunity to fit it into the wave.

Could there be a spinoff Elite line with backstage personalities?

• Not likely. Retailers likely wouldn’t be receptive. Those figures ares a better fit for the Basic and Elite lines. However, some of those talents aren’t available.

Are more Legends women’s figures coming, namely Terri Runnels, Jacqueline, Luna Vachon, Molly Holly, Ivory, Tori Wilson?

• Ozer said we’ll get at least one, maybe more of those names.

What are the chances of a Mega Powers 2-pack?

• Maybe. “Mega Powers in action figure form do need to be celebrated,” Ozer said. That could happen in a 2-pack or in single releases.