Leaf Wrestling

[Leaf]

The names are great....the artwork is a pretty big letdown. Looks very childish.

Brian Kong did all the artwork... supposed to be throwback to late 40's artwork (or what it would have been)...

 

[Leaf]

I agree. I would have bought a couple boxes if it werent for the cartoon pics. Big let down.

Sent from my HUAWEI-M920 using Sports Cards by Freedom Card Board.com

Maybe, but the product would never have been made without artwork.. BG

 

[goldenegg1]

Maybe, but the product would never have been made without artwork.. BG

Why is that? Is it a licensing with WWE?
Does WWE own the character names too?

Also, on the Roddy Piper redemptions, are they marked with the numbering or do you redeem it to find out which one you got?

 

[fsulevine]

Why is that? Is it a licensing with WWE?
Does WWE own the character names too?

In general, WWE owns the trademark for any character names they use (Hence why "The Rock" started using his real name "Dwayne Johnson" after he got established in the movie business. Every time it was "The Rock" or Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, WWE would collect royalties from it.) It is also why many established, well-known characters on the Indy scene use their real names in WWE. John Cena was well known on the Indy scene as "The Prototype"... Dave Batista was hugely popular as "Leviathan". They had trademarked those and did not want to sell the trademark to Vince. That way, if they were ever let go, they could once again use those names on the Indy scene. Also works the other way around. "Daniel Bryan's" real name is "Bryan Danielson" and that is what he wrestled as on the Indy scene before getting signed by WWE. Vince did not want him to make money off that name if he used his real name once his time in the WWE was finished. So, instead of using his real name, he is going by the WWE-trademarked "Daniel Bryan". Vince is an elite business man who knows how to make money. If he makes someone famous who can then capitalize on that fame after his/her WWE career is over, Vince has it set up so he can still make money off that person that he made famous. He started doing this after the popularity of Hulk Hogan. Terry Bollea (a.k.a. Hulk Hogan), was smart enough to trademark the "Hulk Hogan" name AND character before being signed by Vince. Hence, that is why he still uses that in TNA. Steve Borden (a.k.a Sting) did the same thing, as did a lot of WCW wrestlers... WCW management didn't have the smarts back in the mid-late 1980s to trademark the characters, so many of the wrestlers trademarked them themselves, which really allowed them to make some money off it in the long run.

 

[Leaf]

Why is that? Is it a licensing with WWE?
Does WWE own the character names too?

Also, on the Roddy Piper redemptions, are they marked with the numbering or do you redeem it to find out which one you got?

WWE owns "most" photos... We used character names where possible....

On roddy, you have to rerdeem to see what you hit... BG

 

[Erich]

The only auto I really want out of this is The Iron Sheik. Hopefully I pull one out of my 2 boxes, if not ebay here I come.

 

[Ty Hope]

What was the sticker?

You should contact Jim Kyle for future art. He's a FAR superior artist. My boxes should be in soon. Pretty excited.

 

[Tylerg30]

I hear the sticker auto is one of the Road Warriors. Maybe somebody can confirm this?

What was the sticker?

You should contact Jim Kyle for future art. He's a FAR superior artist. My boxes should be in soon. Pretty excited.

 

[goldenegg1]

I took a chance on a Hot Rod Redemption, I'll get the code Monday, hoping for a little color or a plate.

 

[Pinbreaker]

I stopped by my card shop to get some Leaf Golf that he just got in and since he was out of Golf, I saw these had just made it in as well..

I opened 4 boxes.. I notice there are 3 base, one to /99 and one to /50 or /25, or even lower..

Here are the ones I pulled:

Bob Backlund

The "Polish Hammer" Ivan Putski

Kamala (Green Ink)

Diamond Dallas Page

Hillbilly Jim

Greg Valentine

Jim Neidhart (Red Ink) (He didn't sign "The Anvil")

Dan Severn

The Honky Tonk Man

Missy Hyatt

"Cowboy" Bob Orton

Lanny Poffo

Bob Backlund

Scott Steiner

Brutus Beefcake 44/99

Bruno Sammartino 05/50

Tino Santana 11/99

Bobby Heenan 8/25

Koko B. Ware 21/25

The Iron Sheik 24/25

 

[Ty Hope]

The sticker is Road Warrior Animal from the looks of it. No wonder they kept it a secret...lol HUGE letdown there. It's not like he's a hard auto to find.

 

[Leaf]

The sticker is Road Warrior Animal from the looks of it. No wonder they kept it a secret...lol HUGE letdown there. It's not like he's a hard auto to find.

He is not a monster name, but I dont think he is below average (base don ebay value of his auto)... BG

 

[Ty Hope]

Its a good name, don't get me wrong. But after weeks and weeks of secrecy, people's expectations tend to become raised.

 

[Lancemountain]

I don't like wrestling and have no interest in these but I thought I'd mention I like the artwork and think the cards look great

 

[matchpenalty]

Looks great. Missy Hyatt got a brutal auto.
Some guys amazed me with cool looking autos Abdullah Butcher has nice sig. Jake Roberts is better than expected.
One Man Gang just prints his, must take him forever to sign. Very nice and clean and some he did with a skull design added.

 

[Pinbreaker]

^ scans added

 

[P_Manning 18]

Looks great. Missy Hyatt got a brutal auto.
Some guys amazed me with cool looking autos Abdullah Butcher has nice sig. Jake Roberts is better than expected.
One Man Gang just prints his, must take him forever to sign. Very nice and clean and some he did with a skull design added.

Never would have guessed that all the guys would have a better auto than a chick. Some of her autos is just a sloppy M... and its tough to even tell it is an M.

 

[A_Pharis]

The names are great....the artwork is a pretty big letdown. Looks very childish.

Childish?

Granted - it's not photo-realistic... but that's pretty good.

 

[matfanofold]

Opinions are like..... Well, we all know the rest.

So here is mine, I think anyone that watched and enjoyed wrestling durring the focal era of this set is thrilled with the selection. I personally think the design/theme is a perfect match for the subject(s), for the most part the autographs are clean and neat (obviously with few exceptions), and the art work is incredible! I think it perfectly encapsulates the overall feeling of the design and era that was at hand. Initial sales look to be pretty good to boot! Obviously to thoes looking for such a set, they are in pig heaven right now, and to others, well... sometimes you just cant please everyone.

My only reservations that have kept me from buying/busting this is that I simply do not like or want to encourage LEAF in their 'all auto' offerings. If this set had the addition of 'base' cards, and perhaps parallels that featured signature moves and such (non auto'd) I would have been more then likely a buyer. I would have loved a 'signature moves' parallel, perhaps with a metal finish /99 like the animal chewing a corner cushion, or hacksaw doing his thumbs up "Hoo-ooo" to the crowd, or even Hulk Hogans leg slam! Something with a bit more depth of perspective then just a bust-like representation.

Dont get me wrong, I love the auto's, I just think without the context of added base cards and such they all just kinda wash together. In a word, I find the artwork lazy, albiet well done.

 

[hoopster3977]

Wrestler's depicted as cartoon characters. What's next?

I just wish this type of presentation was made available on the the sell sheets. I definitely would have not have purchased this product. I'm totally disappointed. Total fail on your part BG.