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Premium Toyetic Event: WWE Wrestlemania 41 Nights 1 & 2
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On this edition of Premium Toyetic Event, we're looking at nights 1 and 2 of WWE's Wrestlemania 41 to determine who we thought was most deserving of an action figure from Mattel - tune in to find out who was the most toyetic.
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Intro and other voices by Joe Azzari
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Theme Music is "Game Boy Horror" by the Zombie Dandies
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Transcript
Introduction and Podcast Overview
00:00:03
Speaker
Are you ready, kids? Get your parents permission, check your mailbox and grab your shopping cart. It's time for the Adventures in Collecting podcast. I'm Eric.
00:00:15
Speaker
And I'm Dave. Welcome to Adventures in Collecting, where we talk toy news, culture and hauls, along with our journeys as collectors.
WrestleMania 41 and Action Figures
00:00:47
Speaker
Hello everybody and welcome back to Adventures in Collecting Premium Toy Addict Event. We are ah into the new season of of w WWE as WrestleMania 41, the two-night extravaganza on the grandest stage of them all, ah is complete.
00:01:07
Speaker
And it was, to say the least, that a very divisive premium live event. Um... But we're not here to talk about the controversy, though we might get into it a little bit in some of these picks. As you know, with our premium toyetic event, we are breaking down our top picks of who we think from a ah wrestling pro wrestling live event, um who we think was the most toyetic and most deserving of a new action figure in this case from our good friends at Mattel.
00:01:40
Speaker
Before we hop into our picks for night one and night two, ah this will be a a double length episode because this premium live event was two nights. A little bit of housekeeping that is also WrestleMania related. So if you are listening to this or watching it when it is new and live here in April of 2025,
00:02:03
Speaker
We have a ah a giveaway. So our monthly giveaway over on Instagram at AIC underscore podcast last year's San Diego Comic-Con exclusive WrestleMania 12 Ultimate Edition Shawn Michaels. So all the rules, everything you need to know to enter is over on our Instagram at AIC underscore podcast.
00:02:25
Speaker
And you can enter to win. ah There's just a few days left. as of the release of this episode, two, in fact, two days, 48 hours. So go ahead and get your entry in.
00:02:37
Speaker
We will announce the winner and then announce the next giveaway for ah for May. So make sure you stick around on Instagram. We we we try to do one giveaway a month. and ah And this month, since it's it's WrestleMania month, we decided to make giveaway WrestleMania
Top Toy Picks from WrestleMania Night 1
00:02:53
Speaker
related. With that, let's head into into this edition of Premium Toyotic Event, WrestleMania 41, with our first pick. So I'm going kick it over to Dave, and he is going to give you his first pick from WrestleMania Night 1. Dave?
00:03:11
Speaker
All right, everyone. We are here to talk about WrestleMania Night 1. Um... um And so I'm going to kick things off with um my first pick from from the two night extravaganza.
00:03:28
Speaker
And I'm going to go with Naomi. um Naomi debuted. Maybe it was on SmackDown on Friday. But um for me, it was it was new for me. um New music, new gear with the caution tape.
00:03:40
Speaker
gave me like fun Owen Hart vibes um and the like entrance jacket with the shoulder pads. That was really cool too.
00:03:51
Speaker
So that's my first choice. um She still had the glow, a little bit of glow left in in the sneakers, but um I really enjoyed Naomi's new new caution tape based gear. um It did not matter to me that she lost the match.
00:04:10
Speaker
I think that even though I think we are getting a new Naomi figure, um what better way to get another one? So let's get a a heel Naomi figure out there.
00:04:22
Speaker
with this new gear. So that is my choice um for first pick of the first night of WrestleMania. Naomi. All right. So that takes it back to me and my first pick. My first pick is I'm i'm laser targeting this laser targeting this pick.
00:04:43
Speaker
on These two, this tag team is is incredible. One of one of the greatest tag teams of all time, one of the greatest stables of all time. They had a big, a big victory over over the War Raiders. um I want a ringside exclusive New Day, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods Ultimate Edition 2-pack from WrestleMania 41. So this gear is is awesome. um Sort of reminiscent of Giant Gonzalez in some sort of strange way, but also um looks to me very anime inspired. I know they've they've done some some really specific call-outs in the past, yeah know, with like...
00:05:27
Speaker
Dragon Ball Z style armor and and of course the Turtles but ah I love this ring gear I love the color pop on it and of course they they locked up another ah another run as tag team champions at WrestleMania 41 we have yet to get proper heel versions of of New Day um I think this great opportunity to get them ultimate additions, get them a couple different face sculpts.
00:05:55
Speaker
um Yeah. So pretty straightforward here for my first pick. I want an ultimate edition two pack of the New Day.
Wrestling Gear and New Figures
00:06:02
Speaker
Night one of WrestleMania continues and I am staying in the women's division um for pick number two here. Pick number two for me, i think.
00:06:12
Speaker
I mean, you've got a chance for this is an easy crossover, right? Like it has to be. um You know, I think we can get, even though we are getting, um as announced, an Ultimate Edition figure.
00:06:26
Speaker
um Maybe not an Ultimate figure. Maybe it's it's an Elite in a really cool box. um But I think that it would be a missed opportunity um if we did not get the women's champion the the wwe WWE Women's Champion... um Tiffany Stratton in like that Barbie box that she came out in during her entrance. So let's get Tiffany Stratton.
00:06:56
Speaker
in the, um, with the, with the title belt, um, in the, the Barbie themed box. I don't know, maybe Tiffany in Barbie letters in Barbie font. and That would rule.
00:07:07
Speaker
Um, or, hey, Metallica could just be a straight up Barbie branded box. Um, I think it would even be a cool idea. Let's, let's kind of put a little addendum on it and get a Tiffany Stratton Barbie out of it as well. Why not? Right? Like we're,
00:07:24
Speaker
where we're literally in the same sandbox here where we're, you know, company synergy, right? Like, but seriously, let's let's get that going. um I think that would be really cool.
00:07:36
Speaker
I think both of those would be really cool collector pieces, whether the wrestling figure is an elite or an ultimate, um you're really kind of getting it for the packaging, right? The packaging and the gear.
00:07:49
Speaker
i think that would be really cool. And I think it would be really cool to have Tiffany's figure be a Barbie as well. So I guess two figures out of this or two collectibles out of this, but Tiffany Stratton wrestling figure in a Barbie box is choice number two.
00:08:13
Speaker
And I guess choice 2.5 would be a Barbie Tiffany as well. Yeah, that's pick number two.
00:08:24
Speaker
All right. So for my second pick, um... Storm's coming. My second pick is Jade Cargill in a very physical match against Naomi. ah Jade has already has and and a pretty incredible um elite, you kind of from her debut.
00:08:44
Speaker
But now she's got some rock and some shorter hair. Loved the the storm, almost like Greek mythology looking ring gear that she had here at WrestleMania 41. um Just an awesome, awesome look.
00:08:57
Speaker
I know that there is a main event figure that was announced at WrestleMania um of her with the shorter hair, but let's get that onto an elite body um or even an ultimate body, to be honest with you. They're going to have to really sculpt up and tone up the the the women's ultimate body for for Jade. um She is the ultimate i in real life action figure body. So i think she's extremely toyetic. She's amazing. um I've been a big fan of her since you know since she was in AEW.
00:09:30
Speaker
I'm really excited to see where she goes. So my second pick is Jade Cargill ah in this this new look. My third pick should be No Surprise, um coming from by far, far and away, the best match of Night 1 and um one of the best matches of the weekend.
00:09:49
Speaker
um We're going into the main event of Night 1 for me, the triple threat match between Seth Rollins, Roman Reigns, and my choice CM Punk.
00:10:00
Speaker
Punk kind of bringing back a variation of the pipe bomb gear. um But also, know, with the Living Color um live entrance, which I got to see the first time around back at WrestleMania 29 when it was here in New Jersey at MetLife Stadium.
00:10:22
Speaker
um I got to see Living Color play Punk to the Ring then in the gray hoodie with Paul Heyman. So to see that kind of come back around, yeah, he wasn't wearing the gray and purple Undertaker gear, which should be a greatest hit.
00:10:38
Speaker
um Absolutely should be a greatest hit. That didn't happen this time around. um But, you know, we got that kind of pipe bomb gear revisited, reimagined, remastered even.
00:10:53
Speaker
um So, yeah, let's get punk with the hoodie, with the black and yellow and white gear. as an Elite or an Ultimate, either one. I think an Elite's fine for that. If you want to do a two-pack with Heyman, although I think there's a better two-pack with Heyman that someone else might be picking.
00:11:15
Speaker
And um that's going to be my third choice. It's an obvious one for me, but hey,
Sponsor Message: Chubsy Wubsy Toys
00:11:21
Speaker
we didn't have a Mattel figure for a long time, so let's just get all the CM Punks out.
00:11:28
Speaker
So CM Punk, my third pick. All right. And for my final pick from night one is it's going to take us to the main event. ah Seth Rollins. So i if you know, you know, but the white gear was supposed to never come back again. um You know, rumor has it he went through the curtain years ago, rocking that white gear and a certain former chairman told him never wear white gear again.
00:11:56
Speaker
I think this white gear looks dope. I loved the entrance. I loved the dual cloak, the good and evil, the shout out to the Undertaker and to Shawn Michaels. um You know, Seth has one of the best ultimate editions of all time in the the black with the the neon stripes on it.
00:12:16
Speaker
But let's let's repaint them up. let's get that white gear on him let's let's get him the new entrance cloak uh hell throw a flamethrower in too that'd be pretty cool but uh but yeah so my last pick for night one is uh is from the main event it is sethrons in that crisp clean fresh amazing uh white ring gear and now a word from our sponsors
00:12:44
Speaker
This segment is brought to you by our friends at Chubsy Wubsy Toys. A traditional mom and pop toy store in Little Falls, New Jersey, Chubsy Wubsy Toys brings you the best new toys from the brands you love without the hassle of pounding the pavement searching for them at larger retail stores.
00:13:01
Speaker
Visit them in person at their brand new home at 101 Newark Pompton Turnpike Suite 1 in Little Falls, New Jersey, or online at chubzywubzy.com.
WrestleMania Night 2 Highlights
00:13:13
Speaker
That's
00:13:19
Speaker
And tell them that Adventures in Collecting sent you.
00:13:26
Speaker
And now, back to the show. On to night number two um of WrestleMania. And... You know, night one ended with a killer triple threat match. Night two started with a killer triple threat match.
00:13:42
Speaker
I think easily the match of the night, possibly the match of the weekend. Either one of those triple threats are like one in one A, to be honest, for WrestleMania. um Really, any of the triple threats from the weekend were really the best matches on their show.
00:13:58
Speaker
um So, NXT included there by this is what I mean. um So, Night 2, am going to start things off with, um hey, let's get an ultimate. That way we can get like,
00:14:13
Speaker
You know, the Elite had a really good jacket, but we can get, like, in an Ultimate, probably a better ring jacket. um Her new title, of course, I mean Io Sky. Defending the title, my pick to win the match, so I'm happy that happened.
00:14:31
Speaker
But Io always has great gear, and this was no exception. It was a new color scheme for her, which was really nice. um Yeah, it it was it was great. The match was fantastic, and EO rules.
00:14:46
Speaker
So let's get EO an ultimate with her title with side plates, with her entrance jacket, with a like an awesome entrance jacket. Could be molded, could be um could be soft goods. Actually, molded would might be pretty cool with like the removable arms and such, but...
00:15:06
Speaker
Hey, dealer's choice there. Whatever the the team at Mattel can come up with will most undoubtedly be awesome. But let's let's get eo and Ultimate. um For...
00:15:20
Speaker
for my first pick for WrestleMania night to EOS sky. All right. So this takes us over to ah night two. So my first pick for night two is the opening match.
00:15:35
Speaker
One of the most toy addict human beings, wrestlers, women ever. um And I guess mega nerd, which I absolutely love.
00:15:46
Speaker
But give me the Rhea Ripley who laughs um this homage to to DC Comics and Dark Knight's Metal and the Batman who laughs.
00:15:58
Speaker
i if If you don't know a lot about DC Comics and you don't know who this character is, it's basically an Elseworlds version of the Batman that um that breaks his killing code and is willing to kind of do whatever it takes. And Yeah. And you get and you get the Batman who laughs. I love the face face makeup. I love the entrance gear, the but headpiece.
00:16:26
Speaker
um It was just awesome. She's awesome. I love Rhea Ripley. I will. i will. I will sing her praises and um and and ask for every version of her ring gear and figure form. She's just, she's amazing. um I'd love to get that ah that evil grin face sculpt of her. We haven't really quite gotten that yet.
00:16:50
Speaker
So this would be a great opportunity to do that as well. So yeah, so that's my my first pick from Night 2 is Rhea Ripley. Choice number two I think was... Probably,
00:17:05
Speaker
yeah, I would say easily one of the, if not the most toyetic entrants of Night 2. Now, I don't think we're going to get Kerry King from Slayer figure to go along with him.
00:17:19
Speaker
However, i was getting some really awesome like metal vibes, um of course, from Damian Priest. um Yeah, I mean, it was really cool with like the bat wings coming out. I saw that and I was immediately like, yep, that's going to be one of my choices.
00:17:37
Speaker
um Yeah, I know we have a recent ultimate with Damien Priest, but, you know, the good thing with this figure is and with the early figures was there was enough enough color change in his gear.
00:17:51
Speaker
Like we had the all white gear. We had the original black and purple. um But I think this being the black and gold is a really cool variant to have or a really cool new figure to have Damian Priest.
00:18:06
Speaker
um Again, he did not win the match, but I think I think we'd be missing out if Damian Priest's look was not represented.
00:18:18
Speaker
on uh in figure form from Wrestlemania so I'm gonna go with Damian Priest as my second pick from night two um get me an ultimate with the bat wings and all that cool stuff like ah i mean it's you know big like Alice Cooper Papa Emeritus vibes um King Diamond I'm into it so Knight number two. Oh, Gene Simmons, of course, as well from like early kiss with the bat wings.
00:18:48
Speaker
Yeah, that's that's pick number two. We're going Damian Priest. right. My second pick takes us to the Intercontinental title, Fatal Four Way and a figure.
00:19:02
Speaker
a wrestler who we've had plenty of figures for from other brands, um notably Boss Fight Studios and Jazzwares, but Penta.
00:19:14
Speaker
So we have our first Penta Elite announced from Mattel. Magic showed it off during the ah the panel at the pre-WrestleMania event.
00:19:27
Speaker
Looks awesome. We don't necessarily know what colorway it's going to be yet. Would assume it would be his debut colorway. um But it has removable ah lower parts of the face, which is awesome. It's a great way to change his expression without having to swap heads.
00:19:41
Speaker
um Yeah, but I loved this ring gear at WrestleMania 41. the the the The childhood Power Rangers fan in me was was screaming on the inside. I loved the gold, the green.
00:19:54
Speaker
um It reminded me of the Green Ranger, of course. um I don't know if that was... what he was paying homage to, but it looked awesome. Those colors pop. And most importantly, in all of the Penta figures that we've had so far, we haven't had this specific color combination. So I think this would be a great opportunity for people who have collected all of the Penta figures up to this this point.
00:20:18
Speaker
um Give us something new, something fresh. ah Yeah. Awesome figure or awesome look would make an awesome figure. So that is my second thing. Pick number three, another obvious one for me.
00:20:32
Speaker
um Hopefully i say his name and he appears in the Mattel line. um i of course, am talking about a Randy Orton Joe Hendry 2-pack.
00:20:44
Speaker
um Could be an Ultimate 2-pack, like something like a Ringside exclusive. um Could be like a Mattel Creations exclusive, like 2-pack Elite, um or a Ringside 2-pack Elite.
00:20:56
Speaker
But... You had two great things that happened in this match. Of course, Joe Hendry getting the merch shirt, the special to WrestleMania merch shirt, which I, of course, ordered, like, immediately um as the match was... I don't even think the match was over yet.
00:21:15
Speaker
Maybe I waited until the match was over. But I definitely ordered that merch shirt. But you can get Joe Hendry in the merch shirt. um You can get... Randy Orton in a throwback to his debut gear in that like kind of almost navy blue and gold or yellow.
00:21:32
Speaker
um So I think those are the two things that make this a perfect perfect match for... for a figure two pack. Of course, the special surprise appearance of Joe Hendry.
00:21:47
Speaker
He's already got a Topps card out of this. Hopefully we get him in 2K, but I would love to see a Joe Hendry action figure um based off of just all the like viral awesomeness that he's had for... Geez, near a... No...
00:22:08
Speaker
I don't want to say it's been a decade, but it's been a long time since I first heard of Joe Hendry from seeing his entrance videos in ICW Scotland.
00:22:18
Speaker
um So I think that him finally getting like, you know peak or near peak, because I don't think we've reached the peak yet of Joe Hendry.
00:22:31
Speaker
um Hopefully not. Hopefully, you know, We see his career continue to rise over the next couple of years. It was awesome to meet him at New York Comic Con this past year.
00:22:42
Speaker
so Been a fan of his for a long time. i think it's a great pick. um So Joe Hendry with the merch shirt and Randy Orton, who looked like he was having the absolute time of his life and looks like he has been having an absolute blast these past couple of years.
00:23:00
Speaker
But definitely at WrestleMania there for his 20th WrestleMania, the throwback year, we need that Randy Orton and Joe Hendry two pack.
Travis Scott's WrestleMania Appearance
00:23:10
Speaker
and That is my third pick.
00:23:12
Speaker
All right. Takes us to my final pick from night two. And here comes the controversy. um Whether you loved it, whether you hated it, Travis Scott, Cactus Jack, was one of the most important people at WrestleMania 41 this year.
00:23:31
Speaker
There's argument there. um Were it not for him, the events would not have gone down the way that they went down for Cody Woods and John Cena for that matter. Personally, did I find it a little underwhelming? Sure, sure. ah But it's also heel stuff.
00:23:50
Speaker
um It's typical, typical heel stuff. i Travis Scott is apparently a massive professional wrestling fan. I'm hearing that he's training to be a professional wrestler to a degree.
00:24:03
Speaker
i We've seen other musicians put up recently put on some pretty incredible performances in Ring, notably Bad Bunny. um But ah yeah, I mean, he's now participated in two of the biggest and most divisive incident incidents in professional wrestling and in wwe WWE in recent time.
00:24:24
Speaker
um He's got official w WWE merch in in the store. ah And he is he's a he's one of those um i transcendent kind of talents, I guess, right? Like he's he had the whole thing with Fortnite. he's you know He's a big hit. his His song is still stuck in my head. I'm not even gonna...
00:24:49
Speaker
sing it or say it, but we've we've heard it a lot leading up to WrestleMania and of course during WrestleMania. So ah let's get Travis Scott in the lead figure, man. Like, let's let's put him in a WrestleMania wave.
00:25:02
Speaker
Let's make him a Build-A-Figure, something. um And for that matter, you know, like... It would be great for wwe WWE to get some of these guys that are participating in these iconic WrestleMania moments. and and And maybe they don't have lasting power and maybe they, you know, maybe we'll never see him again. Who knows?
00:25:20
Speaker
um But, ah you know, it was an iconic moment. And, you know, to be able to, as a toy photographer, be able to take a picture of Cody Rhodes hitting him with the crossroads.
00:25:33
Speaker
be able to take a picture of him punching Cody Rhodes in the face. um You know, I think we're we're starting to see ah the team at Mattel and and you know that relationship that they have with w WWE blossom in a way that is allowing them to do some stuff that they haven't really done before. You know, we're seeing stuff like the Defining Moments, bloodied WrestleMania 13, Stone Cold Steve Austin. You know,
00:25:56
Speaker
We're seeing them start to push the envelope on what's possible, and I think it would be really cool of them to get a Travis Scott figure out there. And also that appeals to non-wrestling figure collectors. i mean, he has a lot of fans out there that would 100% want an action figure of him.
00:26:14
Speaker
um Even if it was some sort of special one-off thing, if it's not part of a wave, it's a singular release, it's a ringside exclusive, it's a shop WWE exclusive, something. Um, but I think it would be really cool to get, uh, Travis Scott into the, uh, into the, into the lineup here.
00:26:32
Speaker
First time on the line. Well, there have
Audience Engagement and Social Media
00:26:35
Speaker
it folks. There is, our picks for WrestleMania 41. Um, this has been your premium toyetic event. I'm sure we will be back, uh, after backlash. There's a lot.
00:26:47
Speaker
It looks like there's going to be ah quite a bit happening there. Um, But yeah, in the meantime, let us know who you think Mattel should make from WrestleMania 41. Who made the biggest splash for you? who Who is is deserving of the the action figure ring gear um immortalization?
00:27:06
Speaker
Let us know in the ah in the comments below. And if you are watching, this on YouTube, make sure while you're down there, you go ahead and hit that subscribe button. So that way you don't miss it. When we post new videos, new episodes of the podcast, um while you're liking and subscribing to things, go ahead and follow us at AIC underscore podcast on Instagram, on X, on TikTok, on Blue Sky.
00:27:28
Speaker
We're constantly posting toy news, deals, availability, anything and everything that we think would help out the community. and And if you're all listening to us on your favorite podcast feed, please hit that subscribe button, like, review, rate, all of those good things. They help this podcast get out to more people.
00:27:44
Speaker
um We will be back next week with a new episode of Adventures in Collecting. But until then, this has been your premium toyetic event.
00:27:56
Speaker
Thank you, dear listener, for hanging out with us today. Subscribe, rate, and review us wherever you listen, and then tell your friends to do it. Thanks also to Joe Azari, the golden voice behind our intro. Our music is Game Boy Horror by the Zombie Dandies. Find more about them both in our show notes.
00:28:13
Speaker
Follow us on social media at AIC underscore podcast on Instagram and Twitter. Stop by and say hi. Show us your toy hauls and share your toy stories. Maybe we'll talk about it in a future episode.
00:28:28
Speaker
Don't try this at home. Voidware prohibited in some assembly required. Each sold separately. Not a flying toy. Consult a physician if your toy run exceeds more than four hours.
00:28:37
Speaker
This has been a non-productive media presentation. Executive producer, Frank Hablaui. This program and many others like it on the Non-Productive Network is distributed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial No Derivatives License. Please share it, but ask before trying to change it or sell it. For more information, visit non-productive.com.