By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

In Brief: Scarce Topps autographs from Benoit, Guerrero, Jericho, and other cruiserweights often sell for prices unheard of for wrestling cards.

Card Show #41: Cruiserweight Stars of WCW Monday Nitro

“The good ol’ days weren’t always good, and tomorrow ain’t as bad as it seems.” - “Keeping the Faith,” Billy Joel

Well, the “Piano Man” got it halfway right. Based on Monday’s Raw, tomorrow may actually be every bit as bad as it seems. But they good ol’ days, they weren’t always good.

Nostalgic fans have been chomping at the bit for WWE to add WCW Monday Nitro to the WWE Network. But when viewers tune in to old episodes of Nitro, they’ll quickly be reminded of some of Nitro’s early atrocities, including the Dungeon of Doom shaving Hulk Hogan’s mustache, Brutus Beefcake as the Booty Man, and the Alliance to End Hulkamania, featuring Tiny Lister as Z Gangsta, Giant Haystacks as Loch Ness, and Jeep Swenson as the Final Solution, perhaps the single most offensive name ever used in wrestling history.

But, to be fair, there are good reasons fans have fond memories of Nitro. That has less to do with Hulk Hogan and Ric Flair and more with the talented cruiserweights who first got to showcase their talents to a large U.S. audience on Nitro.

Signatures from many of these stars were included in the landmark 1998 and 1999 WCW sets from Topps. Here’s a look at five key signatures from the cruiserweights who helped make Nitro destination programming during its first few years. Price ranges are provided, but keep in mind that these cards are very scarce and secondary market values are incredibly volatile.

(5) La Parka (1999; $35-65). Those who only know La Parka as the “Chairman of WCW” or from his appearances in early TNA pay-per-views haven’t seen the legendary luchador’s best work. La Parka had a storied career that began in the early-‘80s. He was forced to change his ring name to L.A. Park following a legal battle with AAA, and shockingly returned to AAA in 2010 to engage in a white-hot feud with the “new” La Parka. This is one of the coolest looking wrestling autographs you’ll ever see, as La Parka added his own artwork and “Tu Amigo” inscription to the card.




(4) Ultimo Dragon (1999; $50-75). Ultimo Dragon had a memorable run in WCW and a forgettable one in WWE, but most of his success came outside of the U.S. The autograph of this respected veteran is a popular one with collectors, and the signature on this card is bolder and cleaner than most wrestling autos you will find today.




(3) Chris Jericho (1998; $150-250). Jericho is one of the biggest WWE stars of the last 15 years, but in WCW he was an exciting up and comer who was bumping his head on the glass ceiling. Even though he’s had a lengthy WWE career, Jericho hasn’t been a frequent signer. He has only signed for two WWE sets, both of which were sticker autographs, making this on-card signature much more desirable (and valuable). Finding one can be incredibly difficult; there is one copy offered for sale on eBay for $360-plus, and the last completed sale was for $168.29.




(2) Chris Benoit (1998; $200-350). The debate over the value of Benoit’s collectibles has been discussed in this column before. As time passes, Benoit’s autographs seem to become more en vogue with wrestling collectors. Benoit also signed Topps cards for WWE, but like Jericho, this on-card autograph from his WCW days is much more desirable. How much you’ll have to pay for one of these cards depends largely upon when the card is offered for sale and who you’re bidding against. The last completed eBay auction for one of these cards ended at $300 in June.




(1) Eddie Guerrero (1998; $300-400). Like Benoit, Guerrero’s early death and the scarcity of his signatures has propelled the value of this card to unheard of prices. Unlike Benoit, Guerrero’s legacy wasn’t tainted by the last days of his life, and this is the only certified autograph card of Eddie Guerrero that has ever been made. The last copy sold on eBay in June for a whopping $356.




Other cruiserweight signatures from this product include Konnan, Juventud Guerrera, Dean Malenko, Psychosis, Chavo Guerrero Jr., Cyclope (a/k/a Halloween), Damian, El Dandy, Hector Garza, Silver King (a/k/a Silver Cain), and Super Calo. Rey Mysterio is included in the 1999 checklist, but according to WrestlingTradingCards.com, Mysterio’s cards were not returned to Topps in time to be included in the product, so the authenticity of any copies you may find on the secondary market cannot be guaranteed.

A more detailed PWTorch Collectibles Column on these historic WCW sets from Topps was published last year and can be found HERE.

The second column in a two-part series on Japanese wrestling cards from BBM will be published in Friday’s PWTorch Collectibles Column.

PWTorch Collectibles Specialist Michael Moore can be reached at michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com. Follow him on Twitter @MMooreWriter .

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