WWE HOF Rookie Card Checklist

[sthoemke]

Rikishi:

2000 Comic Images WWF No Mercy #40

also has: 1999 Danbury Mint WWF (oddball, subscription card)

[sthoemke]

Buddy Rogers - 1952 Al Haft's Sports Stars of the Mat (issued in cellophane packs, and as part of a wrestling calendar sheet)

[ghooper33]

Originally Posted by mikecala98

Is Hulk Hogan missing?

Geez... great HOF list without Thunderlips himself...

I originally left him off because I was going to ask what is considered his RC. I just listed his 1982 Wrestling All Stars card, but he has stuff from 1981 that I wasn't sure if the community considered his RC.

[ghooper33]

Originally Posted by sthoemke

Frank Gotch is in the WWE HOF as a Legacy member.

PSA grades 1908 S & R postcards.

Otherwise:
1909 Ogden Pugilists and Wrestlers #74

I wasn't going to list legacy or celebrity members and only focus on the wrestlers in the "Individual" wing. But it looks like there is some history in this wing...

[ghooper33]

Originally Posted by sthoemke

Buddy Rogers - 1952 Al Haft's Sports Stars of the Mat (issued in cellophane packs, and as part of a wrestling calendar sheet)

So cool - another set I learned from this thread. Good stuff!

[ghooper33]

Thanks for the replies! Please keep em coming if you see anything that needs to be updated.

Updates to the list

• Buddy Rogers - 1952 Al Haft's Sports Stars of the Mat
• Hulk Hogan - 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Series A #2
• Macho Man Randy Savage - 1985 OPC #11
• British Bulldog - 1985 OPC #48
• Nicolai Volkoff - 1985 O-Pee-Chee Pro Wrestling Stars #1
• Gorilla Monsoon - 1989 Classic WWF #52
• Jushin Thunder Liger - 1992 London Publishing WCW Magazine #16
• Rob Van Dam - 1996 BBM New Japan Pro Wrestling #62
• Rikishi - 2000 Comic Images WWF No Mercy #40

[Illustrious]

I'd like to see another list done in this style that has a wrestlers first card(s) with no qualifications (doesn't matter if it's pack-pulled, promo, magazine insert, etc.) since there has been many times over the years I've purchased what I believe to be a wrestler's "first card" only to to learn later there are earlier releases. I'm believe the old definition that a "rookie card" has to be a pack-pulled, mainstream release is gradually losing it's relevance to serious collectors.

[ghooper33]

Originally Posted by Illustrious

I'd like to see another list done in this style that has a wrestlers first card(s) with no qualifications (doesn't matter if it's pack-pulled, promo, magazine insert, etc.) since there has been many times over the years I've purchased what I believe to be a wrestler's "first card" only to to learn later there are earlier releases. I'm believe the old definition that a "rookie card" has to be a pack-pulled, mainstream release is gradually losing it's relevance to serious collectors.

I think one of the great things about collecting cards is that isn’t a wrong way to approach collecting.

I also collect baseball and basketball, so to me a 1980 Charlotte Cal Ripken Jr card isn’t as desirable to me as his 1982 “rookie” cards or the Japanese Ichiro cards vs his US MLB cards. Nothing wrong with these cards, but I am drawn to the more mainstream rookie cards.

The swerve of wrestling rookie cards is that sometimes there isn’t any other option but the oddball cards.

[Illustrious]

Originally Posted by ghooper33

The swerve of wrestling rookie cards is that sometimes there isn’t any other option but the oddball cards.

Very true, more so than most all other sports wrestling has an abundance of first cards that would be considered obscure/oddball.

[sthoemke]

Pack-issued should be a determining factor for RC's. That will rule out previous oddball/obscure cards - if anything, catagorize them as XRC's. Of course, a few exceptions (1982/1983 Wrestling All-Stars sets, etc)

[sthoemke]

ignore

[pryantexas]

Triple H and Kane (as Isaac Yankem) are both in 1995 Panini WWF set.... its rare, but there are a few in the PSA pop report. I think these being pack pulled take precedence over the WWF magazine cards

[Illustrious]

Originally Posted by pryantexas

Triple H and Kane (as Isaac Yankem) are both in 1995 Panini WWF set.... its rare, but there are a few in the PSA pop report. I think these being pack pulled take precedence over the WWF magazine cards

Agree on the '95 Paninis for Triple H and Isaac Yankem edging out the magazine cards now that there are PSA graded copies. Here's my HHH:

[ghooper33]

I agree with the Panini Select over the WWF Magazine cards. Even though they are from Italy, they are at least pack pulled oddball cards.

Updates to the list:

• Kane (Isaac Yankem) - 1995 Panini WWF #18
• Triple H - 1995 Panini WWF #25

[sthoemke]

Hulk Hogan has 3 PSA-gradable cards from 1981, pre-dating his 1982 All Stars card.

The 1981 Marusho was pack-issued. And the 1981 Popy was pack-issued as part of packaging. Since All Star was a factory set, the 1981 cards should take precedent.

[sthoemke]

Originally Posted by pryantexas

Triple H and Kane (as Isaac Yankem) are both in 1995 Panini WWF set.... its rare, but there are a few in the PSA pop report. I think these being pack pulled take precedence over the WWF magazine cards

I know these were most likely pack-issued, but has anyone ever actually seen a pack?

[Illustrious]

Originally Posted by sthoemke

I know these were most likely pack-issued, but has anyone ever actually seen a pack?

There was a complete wax box that sold a while back on eBay, David Peck posted about it on Twitter last year when he found the sold listing afterwards.

[sthoemke]

Kurt Angle needs to be updated to:

2000 Comic Images WWF No Mercy #38

(excluding his various pre-WWF cards, and 1999 Danbury Mint)

[ghooper33]

Originally Posted by sthoemke

Kurt Angle needs to be updated to:

2000 Comic Images WWF No Mercy #38

(excluding his various pre-WWF cards, and 1999 Danbury Mint)

Updated! And these 2000 Comic Image cards look great.

[sthoemke]

Originally Posted by ghooper33

Updated! And these 2000 Comic Image cards look great.

Yeah. The set is basically all action scenes, but they did get some good photos.

[sthoemke]

Rikishi: (aka Fatu)

1993 Merlin Wrestling - #78

[ghooper33]

Updating for the 2025 HOF (as of 3/1)

Triple H (already in the list)
Michelle McCool - 2005 Topps Heritage #69

[the mesiah]

Awesome list!

[sthoemke]

Originally Posted by ghooper33

Updating for the 2025 HOF (as of 3/1)

Triple H (already in the list)
Michelle McCool - 2005 Topps Heritage #69

2 other Michelle McCool for 2005:

[CapMarvelous]

Thank you for assembling this list. Stumbling across this made me realize wrestling had RCs. Also made me go through old boxes and found RCs for my three favorites: Cena, Styles and Punk.

Would have rotted away in my closet for many more years if not for this thread.