POPY Abdullah The Butcher figure review

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Often considered one of the holy grails of the Pro-Wrestling community, Blog #159 reviews
the Popy Super Pro Wrestling Series Abdullah The Butcher figure.


Super Pro-Wrestling Series

Hot off the success of their Kamen Rider, Chogokin and Thunderbirds figures, Japanese toy manufacturer Popy (run by Bandai) decided to expand their portfolio by creating an officially
-licensed line of action figures based on Professional Wrestling.

Released in 1981, Popy would name the line "スーパープロレスラ シレス" (Super Pro-
Wrestling Series), a ten figure set that highlighted some of the biggest stars in the Pro-
Wrestling world at the time.

You can't mention successful gaijin talent without bringing Abdullah The Butcher.

The world's first Abdullah The Butcher figure! Complete with era-accurate
goatee and white Taekwondo pants.

In terms of head sculpt, Abdullah's likeness is spot-on.

Abdullah's signature head scars are faithfully recreated in Abdullah's first figure outing.

Abdullah is sporting his late 1970's All Japan Pro-Wrestling ring attire.

The back of Abdullah's Taekwondo pants contains the Popy logo as well as
Abdullah's name written in Japanese Katakana.

Personally, I wish more effort was put into Abdullah's ring pants. They look more like
ring tights/spandex than baggy Taekwondo gear.

Abdullah's recognizable Arabian boots are also represented. If you look closely, you'll
see a drawing of a Cobra near the top of the boots!

Scale-wise, the Popy Wrestling figures stand around 5 inches tall when compared to Toukon
Shop's Keiji Mutoh figure.


Closing thoughts:

Popy's Super Pro-Wrestling Series is often considered one of the most desired and sought
after figure sets in all of Pro-Wrestling ...and it's easy to see why.

While Wrestling toys existed in Japan going back to the early 1970's, no action figure line
beforehand captured the star power and intrigue with collectors across the globe as much
as the Super Pro-Wrestling Series did.

Terry Funk, Dory Funk Jr., Harley Race, Stan Hansen, Bob Backlund, Abdullah The Butcher,
Mil Mascaras, Antonio Inoki, Hulk Hogan and even Andre The Giant - all made up 1981's
Super Pro Wrestling Series figure line. A star-studded roster if there ever was one for the
era.

It's no surprise that figures from Super Pro Wrestling Series can go for hundreds, if not
thousands of dollars if preserved in their unopened packaging.

Abdullah's Popy figure, understandably so, is one of the most expensive figures you can
buy of the hardcore legend. Only rivalled in price by one of the unopened Abdullah The
Butcher DX figure variants from Character Product's legends line

Super Star Figure Collection Hidekazu Tanaka figure review

By the late 2000's, Toukon Shop began adding more Championship belts to their New Japan
Pro-Wrestling figures. Most of which were bundled in with recognizable Wrestlers such as
Antonio Inoki, Yoshihiro Takayama, Kendo Kashin and Don Frye (to name a few).

Our next figure review analyzes one rare example where a NJPW belt was packaged with
a New Japan talent who wasn't a Wrestler.


Blog #149 announces the arrival of the Toukon Shop Hidekazu Tanaka figure.


Released in 2000 as the 39th figure in Toukon Shop's Super Star Figure Collection line,
Hidekazu Tanaka is best known for being New Japan Pro-Wrestling's announcer and
colour commentator from the early 1990's to mid 2000's.

If you ever watched a classic New Japan match from the 1990's, you've probably heard
Tanaka's memorable voice.

Admittedly, this is my least favourite figure sculpt from Toukon Shop. The design
(especially around the face) looks unfinished to me.

Judging by his facial expression, Tanaka seems frightened; which doesn't translate
well into a Pro-Wrestling setting.

The one redeeming factor and sneaky sales tactic to purchase the Hidekazu Tanaka figure
is the included IWGP Heavyweight Championship belt accessory. One of the earliest (if
not, first examples of a title created by Toukon Shop).

As a side note, there are only two known figures of Hidekazu Tanaka. The first was actually
produced as a Gashapon figure one year earlier by Yujin as part of their Fight Box series.

The back of Tanaka's packaging includes a small dossier and some information in regards
to Tanaka's involvement with New Japan Pro-Wrestling.

As Pro-Wrestler Kazuyuki Fujita was included in Toukon Shop's deluxe figure line with
two IWGP championship belts just one year later,  Hidekazu Tanaka's desirability in figure
form was sadly diminished in the process.

While not one of the more sought after figures to Wrestling collectors, Hidekazu Tanaka
is still an important part of New Japan Pro-Wrestling's history. A commentator and announcer
who is still active in the Japanese Pro-Wrestling circuit to this day.

Super Star Figure Collection Deluxe Hiroyoshi Tenzan figure review

Continuing the three-part trilogy of Hiroyoshi Tenzan figure coverage, we'll be taking
an in-depth look at one of my favourite Puroresu figures. Blog #148 challenges the
Super Star Figure Collection Deluxe Hiroyoshi Tenzan figure by Toukon Shop.

Released as part of Toukon Shop's Super Star Figure Collection Deluxe in 2003 (the updated
series name to Toukon Shop's Deluxe Figure Collection line), this would Hiroyoshi Tenzan's
third and final, full-sized action figure released to date.

Mecha Tenzan would be the 13th figure added to the Deluxe Line.

If you thought the entrance attires of modern New Japan talent are wild, take a look
at Hiroyoshi Tenzan's spiked, scaled and metallic attire.

                   

A homage to Mecha Godzilla!

Tenzan's boots contain armoured shin guards and kneepads along with a grill design
along Tenzan's tights.

          

The very rare Mecha and standard Mini Big Head variants of Hiroyoshi Tenzan that were
produced between 2003 and 2004.

The Mecha Tenzan action figure was also shrunken down into an extremely rare alternate
figure variant as part of Character Product's Pro-Kaku Heroes Mini Big Head figure
line.

So rare that photographed examples were next to impossible to find for many years!

The studded design continues on the back of the Mecha Tenzan figure. I especially
like the spiked shoulder armour and tattered look of Tenzan's robe portion.








With mecha helmet removed. Tenzan retains his intense grimace as depicted in all of
Tenzan's Toukon Shop action figures.






Tenzan's facial hair and signature haircut are also spot on.







A closeup of the scale texture on the back of Tenzan's attire.

Out of the three action figures released by Toukon Shop, this is hands downs, my favourite
depiction of Hiroyoshi Tenzan.

Other than a few keychains and minfigures, the Mecha variant would be the last action figure
based on Hiroyoshi Tenzan to date. Though, what a figure to go out on.

To Toukon Shop, I tip my hat to you.

Stay tuned for more Puroresu figure coverage.