We are now less than three weeks away from Christmas and wrestling fans around the world are busy writing their lists to Santa. So I thought I would do my bit to help out Santa or any parent who doesn’t know a wristlock from a wrist watch to make sure come December 25th there will be a contented army of wrestling fans around the world.
To make this easy on you guys I have divided this column into sections, hey it’s Christmas I though I would be nice to you!
Toys
The good people down at Vivid Imaginations have brought out some new releases and ranges of WWE figures to keep the children and collectors happy as the new Face Flippin Fighters hit shelves across the country. You can squeeze them, flip them and even change their facial features which no doubt will keep the children entertained for hours as you’re cooking the turkey. If this wasn’t enough why not get them the new WWE Real Sounds Arena for them to put their figures in. You can fight from the gantry and hear the bone crushing thud as the figures get slammed to the mat in a festive frenzy of grappling action.
Books
It’s been a good year for books with so many great reads to choose from. If you haven’t picked up William Regal’s Walking the Golden Mile it is well worth a read. If it is a dark read you are after try Kane’s Journey in to Darkness as we find out about the history of the Kane character, definitely not for the young. For the knowledgeable fan The Grapple Manual is a must have as you will learn about the hero’s and villains who paved the way for today’s stars. If you’re an older fan and reading isn’t your thing Divas Uncovered is the book for you as the pictures are sure to keep you entertained for a while.
DVD’s / Videos
I have asked Santa for 3 Wrestling DVD’s this year those being The Self Destruction of the Ultimate Warrior, Jake Roberts: Pick Your Poision and Tombstone: History of the Undertaker DVD set. These are a must have for the die hard fan or for those that want to be educated about what happens behind the screens as the WWE continue to bring out more DVD’s exposing what happens behind the curtain. A DVD which we never thought we would see hitting our shelves is a best of Bret The Hitman Hart DVD set produced by the WWE but this is due to hit our shelves in late December entitled The Best There Is, The Best There Was, The Best There Ever Will Be. One DVD which will be very popular this Christmas is Cheating Death Stealing Life: The Eddie Guerrero Story. We lost Eddie this year in tragic circumstances and I’m sure there will be many wanting to remember his life this Christmas.
Remember though if your willing to shop away from the high street this Christmas that there have been many UK supershows this year that are well worth a watch including: International Showdown, Universal Uproar and 1PW’s Cruel Twist of Fate which are all available to purchase online on DVD. If you want to keep with the US stuff WWE is not your only option any more as TNA now have many DVD’s available to purchase if you want an American alternative to the WWE.
Games
It wouldn’t be Christmas without a new edition in the Smackdown series for Playstation 2. This years offering is Raw vs. Smackdown 2006. Following on from last year’s success with the inaugural Raw vs. Smackdown release this is sure to be great stocking filler this Christmas. It’s reasonably priced, it has all the latest WWE superstars and 100 different match types so you can deliver all kinds of festive beatings this holiday season. Remember for those of you with X-Box’s and Gamecube’s that WWE Wrestlemania 21 and WWE Day of Reckoning 2 are also out and about.
If you are a wrestling fan looking to treat yourself this festive period a download of Total Extreme Wrestling 2005 could just be what you need to fill your days off work or school. This game is the Championship Manager of Wrestling and will keep you entertained long after you have finished picking the scraps off the turkey carcass.
Clothing / Apparel
A message to parents and grandparents your kids this year don’t want another knitted jumper with Robbins on, no they want their favourite wrestler’s t-shirt or hoodie. Some of the hot items this year will be the Eddie Guerrero tribute t-shirt (all profits made from the t-shirt go to his family). Some of my personal favourite tees are the Carlito Bad Apple and the John Cena Chain Gang range. I’m also quite partial to the Batista Animal Vest and the Rey Mysterio Basketball Jersey. A word to parents though please do not buy your child the Rey Mysterio Mask hoodie no matter how much they beg for one, it has to be one of the by god most awful pieces of wrestling clothing ever made right up there with a pink Sting t-shirt someone got me in the early 90s.
Novelties / Miscellaneous
I know a lot of parents are always looking for lots of little presents to use as stocking fillers so here is a quick run down of wrestling related products which fall in to that category. On a trip to my local high street I found WWE calendars, stickers, teddies, stationary, clocks and even underwear so there are no shortage of stocking fillers if you look hard enough.
The ultimate Wrestling related Christmas presents
If you are a family with lots of cash to splash this Christmas here are a few ideas of what to get. One of the ultimate wrestling present you can get a fan is an exact replica title belt which can range from £150 to £300 but something a fan would cherish for life as they to could be world champion.
Or if you’re looking to spend an absolute fortune why not buy them a holiday out to the states to watch the stars from the WWE, TNA or some of the top indy promotions live and in person. If you can’t afford that I’m sure they would settle for an I.O.U of tickets to the next UK WWE tour.
Adam Sibley