Rikishi (1st Time in the Line) - If you read my prior post about my recent meet & greet travels, you will know that I recently had the privilege of meeting Rikishi just a few days ago. In short if you didn't get the chance to read that, growing up I wasn't a huge fan of Rikishi, but jumped at the chance to meet him since I got his figure a few days before he would be in the Philadelphia area for a signing. He was a very nice and humorous guy in person, changing my thoughts about him completely. Mattel always really goes the extra mile with their Flashback Elites (the term Flashback is reserved for figures of no longer active wrestlers or drastic past differences in the looks of a current wrestler). Rikishi here does not sport a ton of detail like some Elites usually do, but where he lacks there, he makes up with unique accessories (a sarong and pair of sunglasses).
No, I didn't open my signed figure. Because of the 2 for $20 sale flyer, I got two Rikishis (something I only really do now with debut figures - 1 to display open, 1 to keep mint for signing), where the opened one currently resides on my shelf of wrestlers I have met, while the signed one sits with other signed Flashbacks I have in my collection. The picture above is to show Mattel's ability to nail the look of the wrestler in question to perfection. While the sarong on the figure doesn't get around his waste to well (it could have been made a little bigger) there is no question that that is Rikishi.
Fandango - Fandango is a ballroom dancer known for his flamboyant attires, who just happens to be a wrestler as well. Prior to this figure, Fandango got his first one in the Basic line a few months ago as part of Basic Wave 36, so I only got one of his Elites. If I ever get the chance to meet him, this figure will be coming along to get signed for sure (I prefer to take Elites to signings as they make great display pieces). The detail in this figure's attire is incredible as well as more than usual for the average Elite. Mint or opened, this figure will stand out anywhere. As of right now, this is the definitive Fandango figure, and I'm not quite sure if Mattel will ever top it.
Again, the detail and likeness here are remarkable. However, because this figure is meant for adults and kids alike, a few things here are absent due to Billy hailing from an era of wrestling that wasn't primarily geared towards kids. First off, as you can see, no lips on the crotch of the figure. Also, nowhere on this figure will you find his iconic "Mr. Ass" nickname. Aside from these omissions that had their reasons, this is another great figure.
Undertaker - Initially, I had no intention of getting this figure due to the countless Undertakers I have gotten before this one. However, due to the 2 for $20 deal, I got it because I wound up needing 1 more figure for an even purchase and it was him or a rather boring and bland Kofi Kingston figure. The jacket Undertaker is sporting debuted roughly 4 years ago, so it was a long time coming in figure form. It was highly desired as well for a future figure of his, but after getting it in my hands for me it is highly disappointing. I understand a jacket with this amount of detail can't be done in cloth form. However, in plastic it looks way too big, bulky, and clunky for the figure it is on. I haven't decided yet if I will open it for display or keep it mint. I know if I open that, he alone will require a ton of shelf space. Either way though, this is easily my least favorite of this bunch. Some things, like this jacket, are better left never done at all, as opposed to done and looking completely out of place and borderline cartoony.
Rob Van Dam (1st Time in the Line) - Last and certainly not least is Rob Van Dam. While Rob Van Dam has been in the wrestling business for many years, only as recently as last year he returned to WWE. Prior to that, he spent a few years with TNA which prevented Mattel from including him in the line due to him being under contract with a rival promotion. Like Fandango, Rob Van Dam's attire boasts an incredible amount of detail, so he doesn't really include much for accessories. But that hardly matters when you get a figure as detailed as this.
Again, here is an example of how well Mattel can accurately reproduce a wrestler's likeness in figure form. Rob Van Dam is not only known for his incredible in ring talent, but also his colorful attires, so any one of them Mattel decides to make is a welcome addition to my collection. If I can even find a downside to this figure, it is that I didn't have it sooner. Why would I say something like that? Last year during one of my many meet and greet trips, I got to meet Rob Van Dam at Ringside Fest in New York City.
Mattel's average time to get a new figure made and to store shelves is approximately 8 months. Rob Van Dam returned to WWE TV just last Summer, so while I knew I wouldn't have a Mattel figure for him to sign last October, I did manage to find and bring along one of his TNA figures for him to sign.
Since I had a VIP pass for this event, I was entitled to him signing 2 things. Because I only had one figure of his at the time, I got an 8 x 10 signed as well, which you may notice has him sporting the same attire his debut Mattel figure has. Now with that side note coming full circle, that does it for this post. In closing, with the exception of Undertaker & Kofi Kingston (whom I did not buy), Elite 27 was a pretty solid set. Those 2 figures may appeal to someone else, but to me, a guy with already too many prior Undertakers and Kofis, these new ones hardly top prior releases of theirs. If Elite 27 winds up being the last wave of Elites I buy from, it is an incredible set to end with.
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