Tomopop Review: Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat from Mattel's WWE Legends Line

12:00 PM on 07.23.2010   |   Matthew Kaplowitz

There were two figures that pro wrestling fans have been clamoring over for years: "Macho Man" Randy Savage, and Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat. For years, Jakks Pacific, the former licensee for WWE, was unable to obtain the rights due to various reasons. Finally, Mattel did the unthinkable when at NY Toy Fair, they announced their first wave of "WWE Legends" figures, which included the elusive Steamboat.

Being a collector of the previous classic superstars line of WWE, I decided I might as well give this new line a try from Mattel and see if they were worth my well-earned cash. Jakks Pacific's final year or two of classic wrestlers left a sour taste in my mouth, mostly due to their laziness in recycling parts and repainting figures. Mattel has a lot of history, but with pro wrestling figures, it's a whole new game!

So hit the jump and let's take a look at Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat!

Here is the figure in package, ignore the odd yellowness in this pic, they get better. I like the packaging look with the way the blister pack forms this shape. Like all Mattel figures, this one is no exception when it comes to those annoying little rubber bands that hold the figure down when you open it, but that is the price you pay to keep these figures from being stolen in stores.

Upon closer inspection, you can get a good look at the illustration of Ricky Steamboat, as well as the logo for this line. I must say, I like the logo and I LOVE the illustration of Steamboat. It really adds life to the packaging and gives it a classic feel like those vintage GI Joe cards with the paintings of the soldiers. I like it so much, here is another photo of it from the back of the box, as well as the other illustrations of the other wrestlers in this wave:

See, I told you the photos get whiter! Anyway, these illustrations are spectacular and I wish I could get a poster of them for my room. Are they copied from photos and possibly traced over to make these digital paintings? Most likely, but they still look great. See them up close in a store to really get a good feel for them. 

Enough talk of the packaging, let's get to the meat of this dish and get Steamboat out of the box!

Standing 6" tall and weighing in at 4 ounces, hailing from a factory somewhere in China, here is Riiiicky "The Dragon" Steeeeammmbbooatttt!!! This figure has a perfect likeness, with the focused face of one of the most popular babyface wrestlers from the good ole' days of NWA, WWF and WCW. Without taking a look at the unclothed body yet, since he is wearing his entrance outfit, I could notice the articulation as I stood the figure up for the shots. The figure also felt very proportionate as opposed to the older Jakks figures, which tended to be very exaggerated and often times completely different from the body of the wrestler they were portraying.

If there is one thing Mattel is known for, it is its Barbie doll line, which has produced fashion-oriented dolls for decades. Pro wrestling fans owe a great debt to Barbie, because it is thanks to Mattel's knowledge of fabric that they can produce these amazing clothes. Steamboat's gi top has a great feel and fits him very well. The screened-on decals on his outfit are seamless and smooth and very detailed when you consider the scale of the figure.  

The boots on Steamboat are another great feature of this figure. Again, excellent attention to detail emerges from this toy. Boots are one of the few items a pro wrestler can customize in a world of tights and elbow pads, so giving these items their honor in toy form is much needed to make this heap of plastic into something more. The bright and colorful dragon on his boots continues to add character to this figure, but let's talk about another character now — that little alligator dude that came packaged with Steamboat!

So what does a crocodile or alligator have to do with Ricky "The Dragon" Steamboat? I was unsure, too. The back of the package described a feud Ricky had with Jake "The Snake" Roberts where Steamboat produced a Komodo Dragon from a canvas sack to fight against Jake's slithering friend. So logically, you would include a Komodo Dragon with the toy, right? Nah. They gave you an alligator instead. But my research discovered what they were going for and I found this piece of history below ...

That's Steamboat using this alligator on Roberts, who is holding his snake in his hand. Epic. Truly epic.

So anyway, the alligator. His tummy is a shade of yellow, his skin is green, and his mouth is manacled by a red ribbon. Cute accessory and I always enjoy a little pet with my toys. Is it weird, absolutely, but so is pro wrestling at times. The sculpting is nifty on the little critter with rows of scales and beady little eyes. This gator is made from hard plastic, so he is not the cheap bendy kind of toy he might look like. That still does not make it any less peculiar, though.

While we are on the topic of accessories, Steamboat also comes with a black plastic base with a peg for his feet and a little die-cut cardboard label that you stick in the base. Despite it looking sort of cheap, it works well, so I can not complain too much here. The only problem is I had issues keeping Steamboat balanced on that peg, and found it easier to make him stand without it, so just hide the base in a drawer and forget about it.

Now, let's strip Steamboat down and take a look at him in his wrasslin' gear!

Dig that articulation! Look at all them joints! That man right there is going to have a good match with another figure someday! Mattel is still early in their production but the body was a good choice and perfect fit for Steamboat. One thing I do want to add is Tomopop owes me big time! When I took off Steamboat's top, I had to untie that little lacy belt thing to do it. After the shoot, when I went to tie it back on, I found it impossible to make that same knot on the figure. Apparently, something like this requires the tiny fingers of 7-year-old children in Asia to do, so instead I was left faking it, as you will see in later pics. In other words, my knot will never be the same again. The things I do for you, Tomopop!

No strings attached! Let's take a look at this Mattel figure against some other wrestling toys from their rival, Jakks Pacific:

Here is Steamboat standing next to a Jakks Pacific "British Bulldog" Davey Boy Smith. The Jakks figures are taller and have larger builds with much less articulation. In fact, the only ball joints that the Jakks figure has is in its shoulders. Steamboat has ball joints in his shoulders and legs, and has a bendable torso, as well as a more streamlined body to fit that articulation better. To be fair, Smith got quite large later in his career, but Steamboat, despite being smaller than other wrestlers, was still no midget. 

Let's take a look at Steamboat against a more articulated Jakks figure:

Here is Triple H, or HHH if you prefer, from the Jakks Deluxe Aggression line, the line that deals with more articulated figures. These two are equal in points of articulation; the difference is the application. The joints of Triple H are bulkier and therefore do not move nearly as well, especially in the upper body. The arms are laughably oversized and make it even more difficult to pose with other figures. Steamboat is a smaller figure and is easier to pose and just looks less goofy. I was never a fan of the DA line and I am grateful that Jakks has improved upon it with their TNA and UFC figures, but comparing WWE vs. WWE, Mattel has the edge no matter how you stack the odds.

I was hesitant to buy this figure at first, not because I did not like it, but because I did want to get addicted to buying pro wrestling toys again. Ultimately, that may be what happened with this purchase. This figure was better than I expected and a huge improvement over just about any pro wrestling figure I have ever bought, be it Toy Biz, Jakks Pacific or even San Francisco Toymakers (not that there is much competition there). 

Seeing these tiny photos really do not do the figure justice; the amount of detail is impeccable here and for a debut line, things can only get better. That is a frightening thought when you consider how nice this toy is. The next wave will have Terry Funk, Jake "The Snake" Roberts and The Iron Sheik to name a few, and I have a feeling they are going to end up on my shelves as soon as I see them.

Fina verdict: pick this figure up if you are a fan of pro wrestling, old and new. Conversely, if you are not a fan but just like a good figure, this one is a step above the rest out there on the mainstream market and will make you a fan of the line thanks to their great sculpting, amazing fabric, high articulation and just overall being an excellent addition to any collection.

Don't forget to check out the rest of the photos in the gallery!