Shortly after the launch of Bone Crunching Action (BCA) figures in 1996, the line was expanded to include 2 packs. These would feature tag teams, manager/client, or grudge matches. Here’s the list and the best and worst of each wave. This is a follow up for my review of the Jakks Superstars Series.
Manager 2 packs:
- Bob Backlund and The Sultan
- Clarence Mason and Crush
- Paul Bearer and Mankind
- Sable and Marc Mero
Some debut figures here, with Sultan, Crush, and Mero making their debuts for the BCA line. None of these are excellent figures, but I’ll go with Crush as the best and Marc Mero as the worst, as that figure had legs that were way too long, and the face scan was off. The manager figures of Backlund, Mason, and Sable were limited articulation but they had a purpose. The Paul Bearer is a very underrated BCA figure.
Tag Teams 2 packs:
- Henry and Phineas Godwinn
- The Legion of Doom Hawk and Animal
- Headbangers Mosh and Thrasher
- The New Blackjacks Windham and Bradshaw
Now we’re getting somewhere. The Tag Teams series was one of the best waves Jakks made in the whole Bone Crunching Era. Both Headbangers, both Godwinns, and both Road Warriors are all excellent figures and debuts in the line. The Blackjacks were also there, but were just lazy repaints of the Justin Hawk Bradshaw figure. The Legion of Doom take it here, and the Blackjacks are easily the worst of the batch.
Jakks 2 Tuff, 2 packs
After the success of the Managers and Tag team sets, the decision was made to merge the concepts into one line, known as “2 Tuff”. This set lasted 5 waves, and featured a few debuts and some repaints, but was overall a good line as well. Here’s the list, along with the best/worst from each wave:
2 Tuff Series 1:
- Chyna and HHH
- Chainz and 8-Ball
- Interrogator and Rekon
- Goldust and Marlena
Two Tag Teams and two manager/client pairings here, to establish the concept. Chainz, 8-Ball, Interrogator, and Rekon were debut figures to the line, but Goldust is the best of the batch. Worst would go to HHH, which was a simple re-release and could have been updated.
Series 2:
- Brian Christopher and Jerry Lawler
- Kama Mustafa and D’Lo Brown
- Kurrgan and Jackal
- Road Dogg and Billy Gunn
A Big debut here, and Road Dogg and Billy Gunn were catching fire as the New Age Outlaws, and that pack was very difficult to find in the store. But for best of the batch, I’m going to go with Kama and D’Lo, because they were new releases and were only used in this set, compared to the Outlaws who were re-released multiple times. Worst off would be Kurrgan, who had an overly cartoony look, for a forgettable character.
Series 3:
- Kane and Mankind
- LOD 2000 Hawk and Animal
- Stone Cold Steve Austin and Undertaker
- The Rock and Owen Hart
Beginning with Series 3, the shift was made to include more main event talent, which to me was a negative. The 2 packs before this were usually mid-card or new talents and now we start getting loaded up with Austin, Rock, and Undertaker.
Series 3 was notable for being Owen Hart’s next-to-last figure, and it gets an honorable mention as best here. I think the best in this set was Mankind, debuting the shirt-and-tie look. The worst would be The Rock, with a poor likeness, and inaccurate boots.
2 Tuff Series 4:
- Billy Gunn and Val Venis
- Big Boss Man and Stone Cold Steve Austin
- The Rock and Mankind
- Undertaker and Kane
Here come the repaints that Jakks was famous for, but we did manage to get the best of the batch here, The Big Boss Man. He comes with a Stone Cold that inexplicably uses the Ahmed Johnson legs, and is an awful parts choice. The same awful Rock returns here as well. So call Rock and Austin tied for worst.
The Final Series, Series 5:
- Billy Gunn and Road Dogg
- Debra and Jeff Jarrett
- The Rock and Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Viscera and Undertaker
The Bone Crunching era was rushing to the end, in favor of Titan Tron figures. The Jeff Jarrett figure was solid here, although still using the Owen Hart head. Best of this wave is Viscera, by far due to likeness and all new parts, which was a pleasant surprise this late in the line. Worst here goes to Billy Gunn, a street clothed figure that was just taking up space.
Grudge Match/Special Edition 2 packs:
There were a series of Grudge Match 2 packs that were released, which were mostly repaints. There were a few hits here and there though, and here is the list:
Limited Edition:
- Owen Hart vs Bret Hart online exclusive
- Diesel and Razor Ramon online exclusive
- Shawn Michaels vs Vader
- British Bulldog vs Sycho Sid
Grudge Match:
Grudge Match Series 1:
- HHH vs Owen Hart
- Ken Shamrock vs Dan Severn
- Luna Vs Sable
- Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Shawn Michaels
- Undertaker vs Kane
- Marc Mero vs Steve Blackman
- Taka Michinoku vs Brian Christopher
- Vader vs Mark Henry
Dan Severn makes his debut in the BCA line here. Luna also makes her only appearance.
Series 2:
- HHH vs Shawn Michaels
- Stone Cold Steve Austin vs Vince McMahon
- Road Dogg vs Al Snow
Series 3:
- Stone Cold Steve Austin vs The Rock
- X-Pac vs Jeff Jarrett
Overall, the Managers/Tag Teams/Grudge Match/2 Tuff 2 packs were a great pairing with the BCA line, as it added new characters, much needed managers and was a good outlet to get more faces/looks into the line that didn’t fit in the main 9 series. They are worth seeking out if you are a BCA collector.
