Defining Moments: Game Changers
When Mattel took over the WWE line starting in 2010, there was plenty of skepticism of how they would handle the details and presentation of the wrestlers past and present. Almost out of the box, they introduced the Defining Moments line, which featured a highly sought after Legend, Macho Man Randy Savage. Not only did they have Savage, which Jakks could never do, they put him in his Wrestlemania 7 attire which is one of his most iconic. They nailed the details as well. Bringing out figures that were even more than Elite, with soft goods accessories, unique titles, and full accurate deco, these were the best of the best that Mattel had to offer, before Ultimate Editions came along. The Defining Moments series has a prominent place in my collection for sure. Here is a helpful checklist:
The Checklist:
2010:
- Macho Man Randy Savage (Wrestlemania VII)
- Ricky the Dragon Steamboat
- Shawn Michaels (Wrestlemania 25)
- The Rock
- Stone Cold Steve Austin (Austin 3:16 Shirt)
- Triple H (January 2002)
- Ultimate Warrior (Wrestlemania VII)
- Undertaker (Survivor Series 1996)
2011:
- Bret “Hitman” Hart
- John Cena (2005 Draft Lottery)
The Revival
Starting in 2014, the Defining Moments line was resurrected, starting with Ric Flair in his signature Black Robe. Soon after came the debut Mattel figure of Razor Ramon, and the Iconic Wrestlemania 3 Hulk Hogan. The line ran into 2017, but brought out some heavy hitters, with Sting, Undertaker, and another fantastic Macho Man, from Wrestlemania 3.
Checklist, cont’d.
2014:
- Hulk Hogan (Wrestlemania 3)
- Razor Ramon
- Ric Flair (Black Robe)
- Ultimate Warrior (Limited Edition 1 of 15)
2015:
- Sting (Starrcade 1997)
- Stone Cold Steve Austin
- Undertaker
2016:
- John Cena
- Macho Man Randy Savage (Wrestlemania 3)
- Ric Flair (Blue Robe)
- Shinsuke Nakamura
- Sting (USA) (Boot Laces)
- Sting (USA) (Updated with No Boot Laces)
- Ultimate Warrior (Ultimate Maniacs)
2017:
- Chris Jericho
Revived, Again
It was announced in December 2022 that the Defining Moments collection would be returning again, this time as an Exclusive to Ringside Collectibles. The first name previewed was Mankind, from King Of The Ring 1998, in the iconic Hell In a Cell with Undertaker.
The Gold Standard
For me, the Gold Standard of Defining Moments are the Wrestlemania 7 opponents, Macho Man Randy Savage and Ultimate Warrior. This was Mattel showing what they were capable of with the WWE figure line, and it was a home run of home runs.
Best in the Defining Moments:
Worst in Defining Moments:
These were just general releases in my opinion, and not worthy of the Defining Moment tag, compared to others in the line.
Overall, the Defining Moments are some of the finest figures Mattel has made, and indeed some of the best wrestling figures of all time.
Happy Hunting!
Photos sourced from figurerealm.com
