Dino Bravo Jakks/LJN question

The lack of an LJN figure for Bravo is just as puzzling as Ted Arcidi and Outback Jack getting LJN figures

It is puzzling that he wasn't apart of the LJN line. As for the Hasbro line, he would fit in most with the series 3 line since that was based off of a lot of 1990/91 talent. Kind of shocking he wasn't thought of for this wave since they had Tugboat and Earthquake scheduled for this line and Dino was a big part of the Hogan/Tugboat/Earthquake feud. Even if he was apart of this wave initially, I wonder if the figure would have seen the light of day since series three was released in 1992 and Bravo wasn't a big part of the company after WM7 in March of 1991.

The timing was always off for Dino to get a LJN or Hasbro.

In 1988 LJN was focusing on the bigger stars and had probably learned their lesson making the S.D. Jones, Outback and Arcidis who all amounted to nothing.In 1987 Dino was basically just an extra to make up for Beefcake leaving the Dream Team and go on to bigger thing. Dino had that slight push in early 1988 but it was more a joke against him for the face commentators than something to get him over. 1989 would have been the most likely time for him to get a toy but with the company stopping the line they obviously had bigger stars to produce.

With Hasbro in 1990, as someone said, it was all main eventers. Dino didn't fit in that group. 1991 was based on late 89, early 90 when he was most famous but if they had a limited number of guys to produce he just wasn't one to be chosen. They could have just as easily thought to make Haku or Barbarian or Warlord as Dino. No one guy was really as popular or famous than the other. A two pack with Earthquake would have been ideal but both guys were technically singles and Earthquake hadn't gone into the main event feud until mid 1990 and as mentioned, Crush was probably an easy ad based on the original Ax model. They didn't even make the Hart Foundation in 1991 and they were still very much a team.

1992 would have been the most logical time for Dino as I do believe a few guys outfits were based on late 1990 like Slaughter, Perfect, Warrior, Koko but again most guys in that series were upper card guys on there own and Dino's popularity is what hurts him I think. Dino would also have been long gone by even 1992, the time period based on the early 1993 series when Hasbro started doing more lower card guys.

The most likely window for him wouldve been the final LJN-produced wave in 1988. But like you mentioned, most in that line were a bit more prominent during 87/88....with Lucious Johnny being the odd man of the group, I don't even think he was in the company when his figure was released. So I just think it was a small window for that to happen coupled with the fact that not everyone on the roster was going to get a figure unfortunately(I would've loved a Butch Reed LJN).[/quote]

Butch is another one that should have gotten a figure. He came to WWF around the same time Kamala and Koko did and just a few months later than Harley Race and Billy Jack and he also came a few months before Outback.
Johnny was a 1987 guy I do believe. For some reason he, Vince McMahon and the Referee are credited sometimes in the 1988 series but with them being on the 1987 cardbacks even before Jack, Koko, Haynes and Harley I think they were 1987. Mr. Fuji and Mean Gene are usually mentioned with the 1987 series though they came out in 1986.

Another strange thing is Ken Patera having a drawing poster as part of the 1988 series. I think he was planned earlier as he came back to WWF in May 87 and IIRC the poster had a 1987 date on it though he was definitely released in 88. No one else from that series or 89 had the colorful poster. I feel like after 1987 LJN kind of gave up since the 88 series seemed more limited and of course 1989 was technically a different company. I can see what Dino wasn't produced given the uncertainty of the 88-89 time period.

None of these arguments make sense IMO.

While not a Bravo fan personally... dude replaced Beefcake in "The Dream Team" in 1986. Sure, we don't really care or remember it, but Wrestlemania 3 is where he kind of took off. He was around in 1987 and certainly more noticeable and popular than Kirschner, SD Jones and Outback Jack. I mean crap, those guys were series 3 and 4... which doesn't make sense in itself compared to some of the guys in series 5 or 6, let alone guys who didn't even get a figure.

In his run as a strongman, he feuded with Patera, Duggan and Muraco... all 3 having an LJN. This was all leading up to 1988 when he started his Quebecois bullcrap, which means he still should have been in the 1989 series.

It's probably because he argued with Vince or some back stage BS where he wanted more money, more rights or something sordid beyond our knowledge.

Well I once read that Kirchner and Outback Jack were both scheduled for a major push, that ultimately never happened. Also the Kirchner figure appeared at the height of the Rambo/G.I. Joe craze...[/quote]

I'm guessing someone at LJN either got inside info from a WWF employee or a WWF employee reached out to them saying Jack, Kirchner, Arcidi and the Hart Foundation (specifically for the pink outfits) would be big deals, like the WWE memo about Alberto Del Rio being a big deal quickly. By early 87 the Harts hadn't been wearing the pink too long but LJN seems to have rushed to make those outfits and even the three variants maybe not even knowing which color would be used from then on.

It's strange how LJN released guys here and there and I google imaged the 1988 series, which led me to a photo on this board with the catalog/wrestling ring ad and the 1988 series was released in two batches, according the timeline. I think Dino just always suffered from the timing of the companies that made the figures. LJN was in it's last years and only made the bigger stars while Hasbro was just starting and they too just made the bigger stars.

He's also probably on the WWE's "no" list. They've always been weird about him and Adrian Adonis.

Like Hercules I get, he left on bad terms and his wife spoke out against the WWE after the Benoit tragedy...but what's the deal with Adonis? He didn't leave on particularly bad terms, he's a memorable character.