The Golden Age of the WWE (WWF) was a pretty glorious time, and I will argue to the end that it remains the best era of professional wrestling’s long and storied history. Mattel has just released their 40th(!) Elite series in the WWE line, and it features two combatants that define so many of the fun and unusual aspects that made the ’80s and early ’90s matches and storylines so fun to watch. Seemingly from opposite ends of the universe in terms of character and shtick, “Ravishing” Rick Rude, and Irwin R. Schyster (I.R.S.) have just made the already impressive Elite Flashback roster even better.
While Rude and Schyster missed crossing paths in the WWF by a year or so, the amazing petri dish of the time that allowed these crazy characters to exist in (pretty much) the same time and place was pretty amazing. First you have Rude, who was a take on the standard beefcake character turned up to an “11” in terms of flaunted sex appeal (for the time), with his constantly oiled-up physique and “Pose Down” competitions; then you have I.R.S., who was branded as a former Internal Revenue Service tax man turned wrestler who hunted down the tax cheats of the WWF, and actually wrestled in a shirt, tie, and suspenders – two crazy gimmicks that were completely successful for purpose of jeering successful heels. This might seem like an “anything goes” pitch for the era, but that was certainly not the case, and “writers” and road agents at the time were some crazy, and possibly drunk/coked-up/too-many-times-pile-driven, showmen.
So while Rude and I.R.S. seem to have very little in common, they were both very good on the microphone (the pro-wrestling skill that is the most difficult to master for most guys), and both were VERY skilled technical wrestlers who were legitimate threats to the baby-face heroes of the time, and they often got the best of the crowd-pleasers. I have always been a fan of the heels, and frankly, I think it is a more difficult role to play because you cannot just be a devious jerk. If you are not able to hold your own in the ring, you are no better than a “jobber,” so these two guys being superior wrestlers really enhanced their threat and increased the ire from the crowds.
Mattel has been doing a good job in filling out the ranks in my Golden Age collection, and I am always a proponent of getting new characters who have never been made before in the Elite collection. I.R.S. is a perfect example of this and he adds a heel threat to the singles game as well as the tag-team division since he can be paired with the Million Dollar Man to form one of the most underrated tag-teams of all time: Money Incorporated. The figure itself is mostly a mashup of previous parts from the Elite library that are all very appropriate for Mike Rotunda’s (Irwin’s real name) build. With all of the outrageous wresting get-ups of the time, fighting in a tie and suspenders might actually rank up there with the strangest of them, but when done, the build makes for a good-looking and unique figure.
The head sculpt is pretty accurate to my eyes, though it might be a little puffy compared to the genuine article, but the expression frozen on Schyster’s face is perfect for him, and his weasel-like demands to “pay your taxes” pretty much emote right from the figure. His dress shirt with collar and rolled sleeves are executed in such a way that the articulation and standard range of movement for the joints is not compromised. That is not to say that they are all perfect; one of the continuing issues with Elite articulation is the rather limited movement in the neck joints, and Irwin is no exception. His range is pretty limited — and the collar doesn’t help.
Mattel did a great job in incorporating the suspenders into the figure without having to go through the expensive process of creating an all-new torso. The suspenders are like a “rig” in that they are a separate piece that attach around the waist with a new belt, making them removable. This is not a sexy piece of engineering, but it is very well done and is a great solution for Schyster’s unique outfit, so I applaud the execution. The shirt also has the tiny monogram embroidery of “IRS” on the pocket, something that, while not worn all the time, did feature in tax man’s repertoire. The letters are REALLY small, but as you can see in the picture, they ring clear and true.
Irwin makes use of the standard “pants” legs to represent his dress attire, and as is the case with just about everything else about the figure, they are well cast for the character. The detail is nice, and even though the hip articulation is different from the standard Elite (the hinge common with DCUC figures is used rather than the standard ball), any change to the point itself or the range is fairly minimal. I.R.S. also comes with two accessories: his eyeglasses and his metal briefcase. The former are very small, as you can imagine, but they fit pretty well and are in the style of the authentic article; they do not stay on very well, though, so please be careful not to lose them. The briefcase is a repurposed piece that has been used many times before in the line, but it serves well for his metal attaché that was branded as a spot to keep money, but was more often used as a weapon against unsuspecting opponents.
While getting new characters is always the priority for me with the Elite Flashback figures, I also appreciate a good update and/or improvement to important characters as well. This is where the new Rick Rude figure comes in, and can you believe that he has not had a spot in the Elite line since his original figure way back in the now-defunct Legends execution? That seems crazy for such an influential character, but he is back now, and better than ever. Like I said, I am always on the lookout for an improvement to a figure/character, but in this case, this figure does not really IMPROVE over the previous version. What I mean is, the older figure is actually really, really well done and has all of the detail and accessories carried by this version; the problem with that figure is that it carried a very specific look that was only appropriate for one event.
Sure, Rude had a wardrobe as big as the Macho Man’s, so you did not see him wearing the same thing very often, but this new figure is more representative of the Ravishing One’s look for the majority of his time spent in the WWF, so I most certainly prefer it. Rude now sports his patented mullet and dons a robe (shut up while he takes it off!) more like his normal dress. His light pink tights are very striking and the lady featured on his backside looks pretty much exactly like the one on the real tights, so Mattel nailed that. His anchor tattoo and ubiquitous mustache are present again, so those are continued strengths, and I really like the hot pink and black combination used for his boots this time around. His intricate robe has been accomplished well for the most part, but there are always challenges with fabric at this scale. The lettering and details are really quite nice, but I just wish you could read everything on the back a bit more clearly when the robe is on the figure.
The overall engineering, assembly, and paint work on these figures is great, and I don’t have any QC issues to nitpick, but that can and will vary figure to figure. I.R.S. is a great figure for a “first time in the line” character, and having him makes me want that new Hall of Fame DiBiase figure to come out, like now, because that Entrance Greats figure is not gonna cut it anymore. These figures will make for a dynamic addition to the tag team section of my display, and the Legion of Doom better hold onto those titles tight because Money Inc. is coming for them. For my money, Rude is an improvement in terms of look over the admittedly great previous figure, so it is nice to be able to pick between two great figures for the one that will represent the character in the plastic wrestling ring.
While I have not had a lot of chance to talk about them, the Elite line Flashback figures are some of my favorite things that I currently collect, so it is great to see the line running strong. We don’t know who will be included in the next few Elite assortments yet (though, there are some rumored line-ups out there), but the Hall of Fame line and Defining Moments execution hold a lot to look forward to in the coming months. My “required” roster for completion for my Golden Age collection decreases with every assortment, so I am having a lot fun collecting this line right now.
