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AWA ALL STAR WRESTLERS
1985 – 1986 (Remco)

The 1980’s witnessed a huge surge in popularity for professional wrestling, and the AWA played a significant role in the wrestling landscape of the time with legendary names like Ric Flair and the Road Warriors. Since LJN Toys had secured the WWF licensing rights, Remco secured the rights to produce toys based on the AWA. Each figure was detailed with fairly accurate facial features and colorful costumes. They were made of plastic, with moveable waists, legs, arms, and heads. Unlike rival LJN, Remco marketed their figures as two and three packs, except for the final wave of singular figures.

For more information about Remco’s AWA Superstars line, see bottom of the page for a complete summary.

AWA All Star Wrestlers (1985-1986): Series One – Tag Team

The premier wave of All-Star Wrestlers figures included four two-packs of the more popular wrestlers of the time. The two-pack of Ric Flair and Larry Zbyszko was originally set for release in the first series but was later pushed back to series two.

AWA All Star Wrestlers (1985-1986): Series Two – Tag Team

The second wave of AWA All-Star Wrestlers figures featured four new two-packs, which included eight figures figures in total. This included a re-issue of Baron Von Raschke & Rick Martel, along with a new version of Greg Gagne.

AWA All Star Wrestlers (1985-1986): Series Three – Tag Team

The third wave of AWA All-Star Wrestlers figures featured three new 3-packs. This was the first and only time Remco produced this format. Of the nine figures released in this wave, all were brand new characters except for the Road Warriors, Animal and Hawk. Remco also changed up the color scheme for this new wave, by changing it to an orange and yellow combo.

AWA All Star Wrestlers (1985-1986): Series Four – Grudge Matches

The fourth wave of AWA Superstar figures featured four Tag Team multipacks with six brand new figure and two re-issued figures, Gorgeous Jimmy Garvin and Larry Zbyszko. Remco changed up the packaging once again for this wave, by changing the color scheme to black and gold.

AWA All Star Wrestlers (1985-1986): Series Five – Mat Mania

The fifth wave of AWA All-Star Wrestling figures was billed as the “Mat Mania figures. The series was the only wave by Remco to feature individually released figures. There were 11 figures in total, with 3 of them, Nick Bockwinkel, Ric Flair, and Paul Ellering, being re-issues from previous waves. This would be the last wave of figures released by Remco.

AWA All Star Wrestlers (1985-1986): Accessories & Playsets

Remco released three scaled playsets for their AWA action figure line, and they were the All-Star Wrestling Ring, Battle Royal Wrestling Ring and the Steel Cage Cage Match Playset. A Championship Belt was also released for dual purpose roleplay, because it could also carry five action figures on it.

The 1980’s witnessed an unprecedented surge in popularity for professional wrestling, with larger than life characters and captivating storylines. Promotions like the AWA played a significant role in the wrestling landscape, featuring legendary names like Ric Flair and the Road Warriors. Since LJN Toys secured the licensing rights to the WWF, Remco snatched up the AWA’s rights. Remco was a well established toy manufacturer at the time, and knew how to market action figures. Each figure was designed to resemble the AWA wrestlers, complete with facial features, colorful costumes and accessories. They were made of a solid plastic, with moveable waists, legs, arms, and heads. Unlike rival LJN, Remco decided to market their figures as two-packs and three-packs, except for the final wave of singular figure releases.

The line was broken down into five waves of figures, totaling 34 unique characters being brought to toy stores all across the country. Several of the figures saw re-releases in various multipacks. The first two waves consisted of blue packaging two-packs, with such names as Ric Flair, Baron Von Raschke, Rick Martel, Greg Gagne and the Road Warriors. Remco changed things up with their their wave by making them three-packs with a different yellow and orange color scheme. The fourth wave went back to the standard two-packs, but once again changed the packaging to black and gold. The final wave of figures was released in 1986, and were the only wave to be released as singular figures. These single figures are tough to find nowadays, and can bring high dollars on the secondary market. Two playsets were released for the line, with the All-Star Wrestling Ring and the Steel Cage Match Playset, as well as a Championship Belt that was able to hold up to five figures.

Remco’s AWA action figures left an indelible mark on the toy industry and wrestling fandom. Despite being discontinued after a short run of just a couple of years, these figures have become highly sought after collectibles, commanding high prices among dedicated collectors and fans everywhere. Their enduring appeal stems from the nostalgia they evoke, reminding fans of a golden era in professional wrestling and the joy of imaginative play. Remco’s AWA toy line certainly wasn’t perfect, but they have definitely earned their place among the iconic wrestling action figures of the era.