NJPW IWGP Past Champions Figure Set review

Blog #219 digs back into the vault once again to cover another promotional figure set from
Japan.

This next entry is all about the New Japan Pro-Wrestling IWGP Past Champions Figure set.

Known in Japan as "IWGP歴代チャンピオンフィギュア" (IWGP Past Champion Figure),
this 13 minifigure set comprises an assortment of some of New Japan Pro-Wrestling's greatest
IWGP Champions.

It's worth noting that the IWGP figures were randomly inserted into cannisters of Wonda brand
coffee during a limited time promotion at select LAWSON convenience stores in Japan.

Antonio Inoki, Shinya Hashimoto, Big Van Vader (one of the few Japanese figures to feature
Vader with his mastodon entrance helmet) and a young Shinsuke Nakamura.




Yuji Nagata, Genichiro Tenryu, Tatsumi Fujinami and Keiji Mutoh.

Next up is Riki Choshu, Satoshi Kojima, Kensuke Sasaki and Hiroyoshi Tenzan.

The secret (and rarest) figure of the set is Shinya Hashimoto; complete with original
coffee top.

The coffee top functions as a display base with holes for the turnbuckle and figure to
attach to.

Also included are a booklet containing a bio on the specific IGWP champion and a sticker
containing the Wrestler's name that can be attached to the base.
          


Each figure comes with an IWGP Championship belt (most contain the second
Generation belt which became prominent in the early 2000's). Big Van Vader's
figure contains the original IWGP belt design.

Each figure's appearance is also modelled based on how the Wrestler looked at the
time of winning the IWGP Championship (Mutoh still had hair, Kensuke Sasaki
had a mullet, Big Van Vader was still a fixture in late 80's - early 90's NJPW, etc).

The figures themselves look like they were designed by BoFord; who also handled
the AJPW 1980's coffee figures.

The base reads "LAWSON ONLY

New Japan Pro-Wrestling
IWGP Past Champion Figure
12 figures plus secret.

You can win your favourite item or a replica championship belt!
And more! If you buy the required number of the products and apply, you can win!"

Each booklet also mentioned a limited-time mail-away promotion where drinking a
specific number of specially marked Wonda coffee products would present the customer
with a chance to win New Japan Pro-Wrestling prizes.



Masahiro Chono, Shinya Hashimoto and Keiji Mutoh make up New Japan's famous Toukon
Sanjuushi (Three Musketeers) group.


Closing thoughts:

As Japanese food/drink prizes go, it's hard to top the goodies Japan has released over the years.
Legendary Wrestlers from All Japan Pro-Wrestling. A crash course in New Japan's biggest
names. Even PRIDE's biggest shoot stars of the era such as Kazushi Sakuraba and Fedor
Emelianenko were even bundled with a Japanese food promotion or two.

The NJPW IWGP Past Champions set remains one of the most common and easily affordable
figure sets to come by. Most collectors seem to seek out their individual favourites rather than
purchasing the entire set. As such, the most popular individual figure from the collection seems
to be Big Van Vader from my experience.