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SUPERSTARS OF THE WCW
1990 – 1991 (Galoob)

The WCW wrestling association began in 1988 with legendary names like Sting, Ric Flair. Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, and the Steiner Brothers. Since Hasbro had already secured the licensing rights to the WWF, Galoob secured the toy rights to the rival WCW. Each figure was made of a solid molded plastic, with no mobility or articulation. These figures were essentially miniature replicas of the wrestlers, but not made for interactive play. The line lasted two short years before being discontinued in 1991.

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

Superstars of the WCW (1990-1991): Series One

The premier wave of Superstars of the WCW figures included 12 total figures of the more popular wrestlers of the time. Included were such big names as Lex Luger, Rick Flair, Sid Vicious, Sting and the Steiner Brothers.

Superstars of the WCW (1990-1991): Series Two

The second wave of Superstars of the WCW figures featured 17 figures in all, which included two versions each of Lex Luger and Sting. Ten of the twelve Wave One figures were included with different colored outfits, along with five brand new characters; Dustin Rhodes, Big Josh, El Gigante, Jimmy Garvin, and Michael Hayes. These Wave Two figures were only available in the United Kingdom.

Superstars of the WCW (1990-1991): Tag Team Series One

Included with the first wave of solo figures was a small series of Tag Team two-packs. Included were Doom, Four Horseman, Steiner Brothers and Two Dudes with Attitudes. There were actually two different versions of the Two Dudes pack with different colored tights for Sting.

Superstars of the WCW (1990-1991): Tag Team Series Two

Like the solo released from wave two, the second wave of Tag Team figures were only available in the United Kingdom. Available were the Four Horseman, Steiner Brothers and Two Dues with Attitudes packs from wave one but with different colored outfits. The Doom team was replaced by the Fabulous Freebirds, which was released with an Action Sound Module.

Superstars of the WCW (1990-1991): 14 Inch Figures

Galoob also released a small series of 14″ figures that included Lex Luger, Ric Flair, Sid Vicious, and Sting. Unlike the smaller versions, these bigger figures actually some articulation and allowed for limited posing.

Superstars of the WCW (1990-1991): Accessories & Playsets

Galoob released two scaled playsets for their WCW action figure line, and they were the Slam Action Wrestling Arena and the Sound Slammin Action Ring. A collectors case was also released, as well as an All Action Sound Module to be used with the wrestling ring playsets.

The 1980’s ushered in an unprecedented surge in popularity for professional wrestling, and that popularity continued into the 1990’s. The WCW wrestling association began in 1988 to try and capture some of the massive amounts of cash being spent on professional wrestling at the time. Featuring such legendary names like Sting, Ric Flair. Lex Luger, Ron Simmons, and the Steiner Brothers, the WCW was a legitimate force to be reckoned with. Since Hasbro had already secured the licensing rights to the WWF, Galoob snatched up the WCW’s rights. Galoob was an established toy manufacturer at the time, and was not new to the action figure world. Each figure was designed to resemble the WCW wrestlers, complete with facial features and colorful costumes. They were made of a solid molded plastic, with absolutely ZERO mobility or articulation. These figures were essentially miniature replicas of the wrestlers, but not made for interactive play. Instead, Galoob designed them more for posing than playing.

The line was broken down into two waves of figures, from 1990 to 1991. The first wave consisted of twelve different individually packaged figures, along with four different Tag Team sets. Also released were a small series of 14″ figures and several accessories including the Slam Action Wrestling Arena and Sound Slammin Action Ring. The first wave in 1990 consisted of some pretty heavy hitters such as Ric Flair, Sting, Lex Luger, Sid Vicious and the Steiner Brothers. That first wave sold well at first, but the second wave in 1991 was a bit of a different story. Galoob was having some distribution issues towards throughout 1990, with only K-Mart picking up initial orders of their WCW action figure line. By the time other retailers such as Toys R Us, Walmart and Kay-Bee Toys began catching up, interest was starting to wane in Galoob’s line. A second wave had always been planned and was well into production when the decision was made to just release the new wave in the UK. The wave consisted of 10 of the 12 first wave figures, along with five additional brand new characters. The ten holdovers from the first wave were re-paints with different colored outfits.

Galoob’s WCW action figure line gained lots of popularity among wrestling fans collectors, capturing the excitement of the WCW matches and providing fans with the opprotunity to recreate their favorite wrestling momnets at thome. Over the years, these action figures have become sought-after collectibles among wrestling collectors. Their enduring appeal stems from the nostalgia they evoke, reminding fans of a golden era in professional wrestling and the joy of imaginative play. Galoob’s WCW toy line only ran a couple of years, but they have definitely earned their place among the iconic wrestling action figures of the era.