mrassbillygunn
Main Eventer
WF 10+ Year Member
Joined on: Jul 23, 2011 19:35:48 GMT -5
Posts: 4,265
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Post by mrassbillygunn on Oct 20, 2013 19:52:28 GMT -5
I want to know so i can have an idea who might be able to sign and what figures we can see down the line. I cant understand why Flair has yet to sign seeing as hes been a free agent for nearly two years now. If we never get any Flair or Hogan figures i feel ultimately even though Mattel have done an awesome job with the elite figures, its gonna feel somewhat as a failure. Same with Scott Hall, i know this has been answered a million times but this is another awesome character thats going to be missing. I live and hope  |
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Post by JC Motors on Oct 20, 2013 21:47:27 GMT -5
Honestly its hard to explain, I think it's up to WWE to sign legends not Mattel
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Deleted
Joined on: May 31, 2024 23:23:06 GMT -5
Posts: 0
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Post by Deleted on Oct 20, 2013 22:10:41 GMT -5
They were gonna sign Flair but after the Summerslam incident he wont get a contract.
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Post by qdogg on Oct 20, 2013 22:27:51 GMT -5
Well, Mattel said they had "got permission" from WWE to do a Lex Luger so I guess they have to do the characters WWE wants them to do and cant go out and get guys on their own. Thats what it seems like to me at least.
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Post by Chewdeezy on Oct 20, 2013 22:33:11 GMT -5
Here's how I think it works...
1. Mattel wants to release a figure.
2. Mattel asks Vince for permission to release a figure.
3. If Vince agrees, Mattel contacts wrestler with a contract.
4. If wrestler agrees, Mattel releases figure down the line.
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HydroX
Superstar
#HEEL
Joined on: Feb 4, 2013 11:34:43 GMT -5
Posts: 965
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Post by HydroX on Oct 21, 2013 0:41:02 GMT -5
Here's how I think it works... 1. Mattel wants to release a figure. 2. Mattel asks Vince for permission to release a figure. 3. If Vince agrees, Mattel contacts wrestler with a contract. 4. If wrestler agrees, Mattel releases figure down the line. I don't think they have a direct line to Vince McMahon, lol, but you're about as accurate as anyone else's guess around here. I highly doubt Vince has any say in the figures, lol. The Legends contract and what Mattel does are two completely different things that only intertwine when it comes to the "merchandise" portion of the contract. Now, when it comes to what Mattel would like to do, I'd say Mattel contacts WWE, they go through the motions on whatever wrestler they request. If they are on good terms (with WWE), they get the go ahead to do a figure. If they are already on a Legends contract, this is probably a no brainer, but just because a guy has a Legends deal doesn't mean it's exclusively for action figures. It's more so for them to do appearances on behalf of the WWE, as well as merchandising, DVD, etc... Basically rights to use their likeness, and they'll get royalty checks. The Legends contracted wrestlers can still take indy bookings (but usually ask WWE for permission first, as a goodwill gesture sort of thing), and will occasionally appear on TV upon request. |
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Post by Flair Forever on Oct 21, 2013 4:32:26 GMT -5
Here are Bret Hart's thoughts on a WWE Legends contract - while I take all his comments with a grain of salt, this actually sounds like it might be accurate;
– In a recent interview with radio station 680 News in Toronto, Bret Hart discussed numerous topics, including a WWE Legends Contract, saying he has no interest in signing one and doesn’t want to be owned by the company.
“I think I’m one of the few guys that doesn’t because – these Legends contracts sound great, but they own your soul. It’s like signing your life to the devil.
I’m Bret ‘the Hitman’ Hart and I don’t want to give WWE my name.”
Hart continued: “It took me 14 years of hard labor to own the rights to my name. That was one of the conditions when I left. To go back now and just give it to them – I’m doing fine with it on my own. I don’t like to be owned by WWE; I like to be good friends with them.”
Meanwhile, here's a blurb I found on Kevin Nash's Legends contract;
"Kevin Nash’s WWE Legends deal is apparently different than everyone else’s. The way it usually works with Legends Deals is you make a percentage of the revenue your name and likeness generate through merchandise. In addition to that, they also pay you a small amount per year. According to a source, Nash is making much more than others and is doing very little work for the money he’s being paid."
Again, taken with a grain of salt....
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Cyan
Main Eventer
Joined on: Jul 19, 2012 13:45:59 GMT -5
Posts: 1,135
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Post by Cyan on Oct 21, 2013 9:00:59 GMT -5
A legends contract works like a licensing agreement. So if you have a legends contract, and someone wants to do something with you, they approach the WWE and make an offer to license your likeness and use it for whatever they want (toy, video game, keychain, etc . . .). WWE then negotiates terms based on each individual legends contract. If the terms work for both parties then they can make a product.
In the case of Hitman and Warrior, Mattel would go straight to them and negotiate terms. In the case of anyone with a Legends contract, they go straight to WWE to negotiate terms.
The benefit of a legends contract is that the WWE can and will solicit the wrestler's likeness to make the WWE more money and the wrestler as well. But the wrestler doesn't have to worry about doing any of the negotiations or legwork on their own since that's all done on their behalf.
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Bizzle
Main Eventer
Jason Koumas is having a party, bring your vodka and your charlie.
Joined on: Aug 8, 2011 6:31:04 GMT -5
Posts: 1,150
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Post by Bizzle on Oct 21, 2013 9:05:19 GMT -5
A legends contract works like a licensing agreement. So if you have a legends contract, and someone wants to do something with you, they approach the WWE and make an offer to license your likeness and use it for whatever they want (toy, video game, keychain, etc . . .). WWE then negotiates terms based on each individual legends contract. If the terms work for both parties then they can make a product. In the case of Hitman and Warrior, Mattel would go straight to them and negotiate terms. In the case of anyone with a Legends contract, they go straight to WWE to negotiate terms. The benefit of a legends contract is that the WWE can and will solicit the wrestler's likeness to make the WWE more money and the wrestler as well. But the wrestler doesn't have to worry about doing any of the negotiations or legwork on their own since that's all done on their behalf. And this is probably the reason why we see a lot of Bret Hart and Warrior figures. Mattel will make more money from these figures as they wouldn't have to give a cut to WWE, maybe ?? |
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Post by SuperJimmy12345 on Oct 21, 2013 11:19:31 GMT -5
A legends contract works like a licensing agreement. So if you have a legends contract, and someone wants to do something with you, they approach the WWE and make an offer to license your likeness and use it for whatever they want (toy, video game, keychain, etc . . .). WWE then negotiates terms based on each individual legends contract. If the terms work for both parties then they can make a product. In the case of Hitman and Warrior, Mattel would go straight to them and negotiate terms. In the case of anyone with a Legends contract, they go straight to WWE to negotiate terms. The benefit of a legends contract is that the WWE can and will solicit the wrestler's likeness to make the WWE more money and the wrestler as well. But the wrestler doesn't have to worry about doing any of the negotiations or legwork on their own since that's all done on their behalf. And this is probably the reason why we see a lot of Bret Hart and Warrior figures. Mattel will make more money from these figures as they wouldn't have to give a cut to WWE, maybe ?? We haven't seen that many Bret Harts (4) but Macho Man is under the same kind of deal I believe which is probably why they make a lot of him too. |
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Post by cableV on Oct 21, 2013 18:06:04 GMT -5
This was posted in the Suggestion Box and felt it might fit well within this thread. Interesting stuff. We have the rights to do him and we plan on making a great X-Pac figure. But it will not be as soon as expected. Due to the fact that many of our contracts we signed for Legends are expiring at the end of 2014 we have filled a large portion of the Flashback slots in 2014 with people we have under contract. if we did not produce their figures byt the end of 2014 we would lose the rights. We have some people under contract we really wanted in the line so they took precedence over a brand new signee such as X-Pac. Bruno Sammartino was the first example of this. Coincidentally he did sign the deal with WWE as we were working on the figure which helped give it a little extra publicity. So yes he is coming but no he is not being worked on right now. |
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Post by East Coast on Oct 21, 2013 18:19:23 GMT -5
thats odd. Since Billy Gunn, Road Dogg, Rikishi and Lex Luger are in the 2014 Flashback slots. And those are all new legends deals.
I guess Bret & Warriors contracts are expiring?
maybe they'll finally go ahead and just do One Man Gang, Doink, Magnum TA and some of the other legends poll guys....because maybe they can't do them after 2014?
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Post by naparo01 on Oct 21, 2013 18:28:35 GMT -5
I think it is generally more complicated than you may think. WWE has to be on board and Matty needs be able to sell a billion units.
One thing i missed about Jakks is it seemed that they would not only utilize the WWE roster but had the freedom to sign more independent contracts and would take a chance on a figure without considering it a fail if it sold less than a billion.
I love me Matty quality but wish they took more risks and were more affordable.
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Post by Joe/Smurf on Oct 21, 2013 18:32:45 GMT -5
It's really not that complicated.
WWE signs individual merchandising contracts with their past superstars to use their likeness for t-shirts, DVDs, video games, action figures, etc. Honky Tonk Man has one of these, for instance, and that's why we got a figure. NOT EVERY "LEGENDS" DEAL IS THE SAME. Some of them just have DVD stuff.
Anyone who is not signed to a Legends deal is free to negotiate their own licensing deals with companies like Mattel or 2K Sports. You could negotiate a licensing deal with Mattel for your own action figures of your life if you wanted. Obviously, Mattel wouldn't be interested. WWE gives Mattel some reign to negotiate licensing deals with past stars for use in the WWE line, but they need to 1.) have WWE's permission and 2.) have the budget allotment for it. If Mattel works out a licensing deal with someone, they have to balance the cost of signing them with the budget of the lines that they will be used in. For that reason, they haven't really gone out and signed a lot of people because they have to make cuts elsewhere to fund them.
It's really common sense and I'm not sure why people have such a hard time wrapping their heads around it.
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