Our next figure review features another stand out collection released by All Japan Pro-Wrestling in the late 1990's.
Blog #131 is all about the All Japan Pro-Wrestling Tokyo Dome figure set.
The 12 figure set comes in a stylish, clear window packaging that is made of durable plastic.
The attached sticker reads
"'98.5.1. (金) 東京ドーム 全日本プロレス" (May 1st, 1998
(Gold) All Japan Pro-Wrestling).
I'll assume the word "Gold" is a reference to the main event of the show which would see
Toshiaki Kawada defeat long-time rival Mitsuharu Misawa for the prestigious Triple Crown
titles.
Historically, this event (officially named "Shodown at the Egg") would mark the second
time All Japan Pro-Wrestling would perform at the Tokyo Dome since the 1990 NJPW/
AJPW/WWF Wrestling Summit supershow (and the first time All Japan performed at
the Tokyo Dome on it's own).
Let's take a look at the figures themselves!
First up is "Blue Thunder" Jun Akiyama with a confident pose.
Jun is dressed in his era-accurate blue trunks with white and blue wrestling
boots.
Each Wrestler's name is written in red text on the included tag.
"The Maximum Innovator" and All Japan underdog:Kenta Kobashi.
Kobashi is in a kneeling stance with what looks like his signature never give
up pose.
"Mr. Triple Crown" himself: Mitsuharu Misawa!
I can't think of too many figures that feature the stoic Misawa with a smile on his face!
Notice the "Z" initial on Misawa's elbow pad?
The size of the All Japan keychains measures about 3-4" inches in height; towering
over the more recent Mini Big Heads line.
Next up is All Japan Pro-Wrestling founder and legend himself: Giant Baba!
The Giant Baba figure's pose is an exact replica of the Giant Baba mascot
design featured on several pieces of merchandise from the era and depicts
Baba providing a big boot and one of Baba's signature chops.
Each keychain is quite bulky (the pictures really don't do these figures justice)
and glossy with a noticeable shine.
One of my favorite figures from the set is - the first half of the"Holy Demon Army"
tag team: Toshiaki "Dangerous K" Kawada!
Despite not having a mouth, it's clear with his furrowed brows, throbbing veins and
warm up stance that Kawada is ready to fight!
Each of the 12 figures comes in it's own separate casing and cellophane wrapper;
just in case you'd prefer displaying certain figures separately.
The second half of the "Holy Demon Army" tag team: "Dynamic T" Akira
Taue!
Taue is posed in a big boot stance (one that sadly can't stand on it's own).
Hands down, my favourite figure from the set is that of Giant Kimala II.
The goofy cartoonish appearance really stands out here with the colours
of Kimala's face/body paint and overhead chop pose.
For those that aren't aware, Giant Kimala II is actually not James Harris.
It's Benjamin Peacock who was best known for tagging with the original
Kimala (referred to as "Giant Kimala" in Japan) and Abdullah The Butcher
in the early 1990's.
Like a handful of figures in this roster, I'm pretty sure this is the only figure
ever released of Giant Kimala/Kimala II in Japan!
Love him or hate him, very few gaijins were pushed for stardom in All Japan
Pro-Wrestling as much as Johnny Ace (John Laurinaitis to the WWE universe)
was.
Ace comes sculpted performing a peace pose with mixing blue and white
wristbands.
Another legendary veteran joins the 12 figure set in the form of "The Bad Man
from Borger Texas" Stan "The Lariat" Hansen!
Stan is decked out in his classic black and white cowboy entrance attire with
vest, hat and matching chaps.
Like the Giant Baba figure from the set, the Stan Hansen figure's arms are
a mixture of Hansen's signature "texas longhorns" taunt and Hansen's
deadly finisher "The Western Lariat"!
Another highlight is the master of the "Oklahoma Stampede": "Dr. Death" Steve
Williams!
Death's stylish fire decal boots and muscle-flexing pose are just a few small
reminders of this All Japan legend.
One of the few figures made of "The Suplex Machine" Gary Albright.
The half-smile "scar" on Albright's left cheek is actually that...just a scar.
Originally, I thought Albright's scar was a painting error, but the scar is
also featured in Gary Albright's Yujin SR series figure, too.
Albright comes dressed in his signature wrestling leotard with "N" initial
(which is a tribute to Albright's collegiate Wrestling background from the
University of Nebraska).
The last figure from the set (and another, quite possibly, one-off obscurity) is
Wolf Hawkfield.
The Wolf Hawfield gimmick (played by Jim Steele in All Japan) is actually based
on a video game character of the same name from the popular Virtua Fighter series
of fighting games.
The odd pairing is most likely a product tie-in with Sega's "All Japan Pro-Wrestling
featuring Virtua" video game that was released a year prior in Arcades and on the
Sega Saturn game console.
Strangely, Wolf's tag is the only figure to only have a Wrestler's first name.
In Wolf's case, Wolf's tag simply reads "WOLF" in Japanese Katakana.
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While rival promotion New Japan Pro-Wrestling was better known for putting
out numerous pieces of merchandise throughout the 1990's, the 1998 All Japan
Tokyo Dome set shows that, when inspired, All Japan could release some splendid
collectables, too (when given the chance).
Looking back, 1998 was the calm before the storm in All Japan. Giant Baba's
health was declining and Mitsuharu Misawa was just one year away from briefly
inheriting the position of All Japan president following Baba's passing on January
31st, 1999.
If anything, the All Japan figure collection serves as a transition from Giant
Baba's old-fashioned booking (colourful gimmicks, lots of prominent gaijin
talent, factions inspired by the territory days, etc) to the slicked-back, modern
-ized approach that placed a larger emphasis on Japan's native talent in the
form of Mitsuharu Misawa's Pro-Wrestling NOAH promotion.
