Giant Baba BABAWATCH review

 #Blog #277 BABAWATCH review

The next bizarre 80's Japanese Wrestling item is the Giant Baba BABAWATCH
(known in Japan as ジャイアント馬場【BABAWATCH】リストウォッチ).


The top of the package reads 'wristwatch' in Japanese.

The front of the packaging includes illustrations of Baba. The first illustration on the left depicts Baba searching for something (or someone). The second illustration features Baba performing his two signature techniques: the Overhead Chop and the 16mon Kick on the right. 

The 'G Baba' text in each corner has a 60's Batman vibe to it.

The back of the packaging contains an illustration of Baba smiling. Again, the Japanese texts reads 'wristwatch'.

The bottom of the packaging contains the company info 'Upper Upper World Production Committee (EHKOH)'



The watch's strap contains the text '16 MON' (short for 16mon Kick - Giant Baba's version of the big boot), along with 'BABA WATCH'.

Giant Baba had a lot of wacky products released during the 70's and 80's, from racecars to remote-controlled chopping figures, to piggy banks, board games and bendable figures. The BABA WATCH kid's watch is just the tip of the iceberg, really.

Given the watch's age, most sell for pretty low prices, as the original batteries in these watches have all long since petered out.






Special thanks to X/Twitter user Japones-lee for posting this two-page scan of the GONG July 1984 issue's MY COLLECTION article. 6 out of 19 of the All Japan roster wore Rolex watches.

begin.jp posted an article of Giant Baba, stating the All Japan owner admired wearing a Rolex Daydate watch. The article also mentions that 'Mr. Puroresu' Genichiro Tenryu also owned the same watch after spotting Baba wearing one.

The Pro-Wrestling sculptures of Dr. Takuro Horikawa - part 1.

 Blog #266: the Pro-Wrestling sculptures of Dr. Takuro Horikawa.

As popular as Character Product/Charapro's Wrestling figures were in Japan, many collectors wish there were more gaijin's (foreign Wrestlers) added to the roster during the line's original run between the late 90's to late 2000's.

Through the fan-created statues of Dentist Takuro Horikawa, I was reminded of the Charapro figures of yesteryear. Looking at Dr. Horikawa's work, it's easy to imagine what the following legends would have looked like:



Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.



Johnson's easily-noticeable tribal chief tattoo is recreated in expert fashion.



When light glistens upon Horikawa's work, the statues appear to display skin texture.



Hollywood Hulk Hogan.



The most-realistic modern Hogan bust I've ever seen.



A savate kick. I could certainly see the original Tiger Mask sculpted in this pose.



Dr. Horikura starts his statues with a wire base.



A mold is then created.



The realism in Dr. Horikawa's custom work is simply astounding. I can't think of a more-realistic late 70's - early 1980's Antonio Inoki.



Dr. Horikawa's work has been on display in various Art exhibitions alongside his father's paintings. Horikawa says with his limited schedule these days, it takes him on-average, about a year to complete one sculpture from start to finish.

Notice that these statues are much-larger than your standard Charapro.



Another throwback Inoki. This look appears close to Inoki's appearance in the 1970's.



Hands down, the coolest Ichiban-era Hogan likeness that I've ever seen. I also think it's refreshing to see Hogan not sculpted in a raised #1 finger pose; as he is often depicted doing so from this time in his career.

Pro-Wrestling Ring capsule figure set review

 
Blog #265 - Pro-Wrestling Ring capsule figure set

If gashapons/capsule toys are your thing, you may get a kick out of the Pro-Wrestling Ring set.



The Pro-Wrestling Ring set was released by Marubu in 2022. There are five ring sets to collect.


Argentine Backbreaker.

Lariat.



Giant Swing.




Sasori-gatame.



Like other gashapons, each figure comes with a mini booklet showcasing all five ring sets to collect.



Each ring comes with a grasp at the bottom; allowing collectors to wear the ring like a ringpop.

Present a matching ring to your beau and this set could make ideal wedding rings (or not...).

Wrestling Empire Mod Packs Vol. 2.

 

Blog #264 - Wrestling Empire Mod Packs Vol. 2.
With fall here and Halloween just around the corner, Wrestling Empire players can start
celebrating early with two new character packs:

The first movie monster pack pays tribute to three of the most famous monsters from the
silver screen: Wolf Man, Count Dracula and Frankenstein's Monster. 

Likewise, the second installment features an additional nine characters; all inspired by fan
-favourite horror movies such as:

Jack Torrance (The Shining)
Candyman 
Samara (The Ring)
Nosferatu
Chucky
Valak (The Nun)
The Mummy 
Elvira
& The Invisible Man.

Fans of cult Sci-Fi thriller The Fifth Element can grab this five character pack as well, featuring:

Ruby Rhod, Korben Dallas, Leeloo, Diva Plavalaguna & Zorg 

Players feeling nostalgic for 90's humour can party on with Wayne and Garth in this
two-character pack.

All of which can be found here: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198300785269/myworkshopfiles/

Wrestling Empire Mod Packs Vol. 1.

Stepping away from the scope of Puroresu collectibles for just a moment, I wanted
take a moment to share a recent project of mine now available in the Steam Workshop.

With the release of cult grappling simulator Wrestling Empire, I have been working
away at adding characters to Empire's mod suite roster. 


Blog #263 - Wrestling Empire Mod Packs Vol. 1.

For those that are unaware, Wrestling Empire is a 3D Wrestling title that was published
by independent game developer Mat Dickie (often shortened to simply 'MDickie') back
in 2019.

For close to three decades, MDickie's games have earned a reputation in the gaming
community for their wacky, off-the-wall humour, hundreds of recognizable faces (cu
Wrestling and otherwise), and innovative gameplay features not found in any other
Wrestling title from the genre.

To date, I've released over one hundred characters to the Steam Workshop. Many of which are
inspired by various pop culture icons from the world of movies, video games and TV Shows.

This seven character pack features prominent staples from the hit TV show Trailer Park
Boys. Ricky, Julian, Bubles, Mr. Lahey, Randy, J-Roc and even Green Bastard are all
represented.

This ten character pack is a nostalgic nod to the classic Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles cartoon
of the late 1980's.

With other mod packs currently in the works, you can check out the full collection of
downloadable mods here: https://steamcommunity.com/profiles/76561198300785269/myworkshopfiles/?appid=1620340

16d Collection Terry Funk figure review

 
Outside of the realms of WWE merchandising, Terry Funk has been included in numerous
figure lines over the years. Most prominently, the lion's share of those depictions can be
found overseas exclusively in Japan.

From POPY's iconic Superstars figure line to Clockworks' Beyond The Mat movie exclusive,
BoFord's Martial Arts Box collection, and even Bandai's seemingly endless assortment of
keshigomu eraser figures, fans of the Texas Bronco have plenty of figures to choose from.

Today, we'll be taking a look at the newest Terry Funk depiction from Japan. Blog #262
laces up against the 16d Collection Terry Funk sofubi figure.

Legendary rivals reunite in the 16d line.

While most of the Terry's figures veer towards the tail-end on the Dirty Funker's career as a
hardcore legend, this particular figure is based on Terry's late 1970's - early 1980's run in All
Japan Pro-Wrestling.

At the time, Terry and his brother Dory Funk Jr. were considered two of the promotion's top
foreign babyfaces.

Terry's name is written on the front of his jacket. Though, if collectors want to appreciate the
writing clearly, they'll have to rotate Terry's arms. Like the 16d Giant Baba figures, I found
moving Terry's arms to be very quite tedious at first. Though, with a little persistence, it is
possible.

Another thing I discovered that the GoodSmile shop doesn't tell you is that Terry's wrists are
also articulated; both being able to rotate a full 360 degrees.

In terms of articulation, Terry features movable arms, wrists, neck and waist.

'Texas Broncos' is written on the back of Terry's entrance jacket.

In the world of Puroresu, The Funks' bomber jackets from this era are considered holy grails
among collectors. Often times selling for thousands of dollars to diehard fans.

The Great Kabuki himself was gifted one of these jackets by Dory Funk Jr. himself, along with
one of Stan Hansen's iconic cowboy hats. Two treasures the legend displays in his BIG DADDY restaurant in Japan.





Like most 16d figures, the sole of Terry's boots contains a copyright from the Wrestler himself.
In Funk's case, the license is a posthumous one; being the first figure released after Terry's
passing.

The side of the packaging reveals Terry's profile:

D.O.B.: July 30th, 1944
Birthplace: America, Indiana
Debut: December 9th, 1965
Height/Weight: 188cm (6'2), 118kg (260lbs)
Signature moves: Spinning Toe Hold, Rolling Cradle, Texas Clover Hold
(Texas Cloverleaf).


Closing thoughts:

After years of waiting, it's nice to see Terry finally added to the 16d line. Like a majority
of HAO's craftmanship, I feel the 16d figure depiction is one of the most realistic representations
of Terry to date. Terry's resemblance is spot-on in soft vinyl form.

Here's hoping we'll get Dory Funk Jr. (who just earned the distinction of being the oldest Wrestler
to Wrestle at the age of 83) along with other gaijin legends added to the 16d line in the future.

HUMAN Club 1993 Extra Issue review

HUMAN Club 1993 Extra Issue
known in Japan as: ヒューマンくらぶ1993号外
July 1993.

One of my newest acquisitions is a very rare promotional piece that was issued to members
of HUMAN Entertainment's fanclub back in1993. This particular issue features information
regarding two of HUMAN's upcoming titles that were set to be released on the Super Famicom:
Super Fire Pro-Wrestling III Final Bout, and Human Grandprix 2.

For Blog #261, let's take  a look at the HUMAN Club 1993 Extra issue pamphlet.

In Japanese culture, these items are known as パンフレット (pamphlet), which is a commonly
-used umbrella term for print materials such as event programs and arcade flyers.

 

The pamphlet comes in a sturdy presentation folder. The Japanese text reads "HUMAN AMUSEMENT".

The same text and logo is identical on the back of the folder.

 

Like the Human Super F2 CD compilation, the cover of this particular item features the game
artwork for both Final Bout and Grandprix 2.

The Japanese text reads at the top reads "HUMAN Club 1993". The yellow text in the middle
roughly translates to "urgent alert".

Page 2 covers Human Grandprix 2.

Never being a fan of the genre, I have yet to play any of HUMAN's racing games.

The back of the pamphlet includes illustrations submitted by readers, along with thoughts from
the editor Itaru Shiraishi.Shiraishi reported that HUMAN's involvement with the Nintendo Space
World '93 was a huge success, and that Final Bout's Edit mode was a welcomed addition to the franchise.

The bottom of the pamphlet includes a contest, where readers can submit mascot illustrations for
a chance to win a phone card featuring graphics of HUMAN Baseball.

Included with the pamphlet is a detached "Human Club Member Recruitment" form.

The form states that by signing up to the Human Club, members received:

1. The Human Club Newsletter delivered to their mailbox.

2. Contests where players could win "HIP tickets" and "HIP goods", which when collected, can
be used to receive original Human Entertainment goods. I'm guessing HIP must be some sort of acronym HUMAN were using at the time in the style of the Nintendo Club or Capcom's Fighter's
Edge.

3. Members would be presented with a Human Club Member membership card containing their
name.

4. Members would receive a birthday card from the club on their birthday.

When compared to a regular Super Famicom guidebook, the Human Club issue is gargantuan scale-wise!


Closing thoughts:

well, folks, that wraps up another very rare piece of Fire Pro memorabilia. This was my first issue of the HUMAN Fan Club (which, up until now, I only read about while scanning the Fire Pro guides here). To have an original item from the club itself is pretty cool, and the size of these pamphlets make for great display pieces.

Over the last few months, I spotted another pamphlet for Combination Tag (but wasn't able to snag it). If more of these pamphlets become available, I'll certainly grab them.

While Final Bout was listed as the last entry in the Fire Pro series, we as fans have come to know otherwise. Like Wrestling retirements in general, you can't keep a legend down long, and even now, fans eagerly await the return of the world's greatest Wrestling simulator.