COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: 2018 Topps WWE Women’s Division Product Review

The Basics

2018 Topps WWE Women’s Division
Price per box: $70
Number of packs per box: 24
Number of cards per box: 7
Hits per box (autographs and relics): 2 (at least one autograph)

Box Breakdown

Autograph (1): Shayna Baszler (Bronze numbered to 75).
Relic (1): Mickie James Commemorative Divas Championship Belt Relic (base numbered to 199).
Numbered parallels: Becky Lynch Blue (numbered to 25), Jimmy Uso & Naomi Mixed Match Challenge Silver (numbered to 50).

About the Product

In 2016, Topps launched its first set dedicated to the women of WWE, then called Diva’s Revolution. It began as a retail exclusive set sold in $20 blaster boxes that delivered one hit per box. Topps has since expanded that product, now called Topps WWE Women’s Division, with traditional hobby boxes to go along with retail blasters.

Each box of 2018 Topps WWE Women’s Division contains two hits, one of which is guaranteed to be an autograph. This year’s Women’s Division set includes the first WWE trading cards of Ronda Rousey, including autographs. Since this product was released three weeks ago, Rousey’s first WWE auto has quickly become the single hottest card among wrestling collectors, with an average sale price of around $350.

“Obviously, Rousey is a widely recognizable personality, stemming from her success back in the UFC, and she is already off to a fantastic start to her WWE career,” Topps WWE Brand Manager Mark Cruz wrote in an email. “A trailblazer for the Women’s Evolution in her own right, it was only fitting that the Baddest Woman on the Planet made her debut in Topps WWE Women’s Division.”

There are 45 different base autographs in all, along with different colored parallels. In addition to Rousey’s first WWE auto, 2018 Women’s Division also has a lot of collectors’ standard favorites including Alexa Bliss, Sasha Banks, Charlotte Flair, Becky Lynch, Bayley, Asuka and Stephanie McMahon. The product also delivers some first-time signatures from Shayna Baszler, Candice LeRae, Taynara Conti, Bianca Belair and Sarah Logan, among others.

Other possible hits include kiss cards, mat relics, and T-shirt relics, all of which also have autographed versions. Commemorative Championship Relics have a metal plate imbedded in the card in a variety of designs, including classic WWF Women’s Championships, the Divas Championship, the NXT Women’s Championship and the current Raw and Smackdown Women’s Championships.

Box and Product Review

While the Rousey auto may be the top wrestling card from 2018, some collectors have described 2018 Topps WWE Women’s Division as hit or miss. Aside from autographs from Rousey, Bliss and Stephanie, or a very rare pull like an autograph kiss booklet, there aren’t a lot of cards that will get collectors back the $70 they invested in a box.

The biggest complaint among many fans is the inclusion of manufactured belt relics as a hit. These types of cards are often reserved for cheaper retail boxes, but they’re popping up regularly in hobby boxes. Most collectors would rather have an authentic shirt relic than a manufactured belt.

Overall though, 2018 Women’s Division is another solid product from Topps. While there aren’t a lot of get-rich-quick pulls like the Ronda autographs, there are still plenty of cards of top stars and prospects. The box I opened contained a Shayna Baszler Bronze Autograph numbered to 75. Baszler has a nice signature and is on her way to becoming a real star for WWE. The other hit was a Mickie James belt relic numbered to 199.

Set collectors should be able to easily put together a 50-card base set from one box, with some extras left over. There are also 50 Memorable Matches and Moments cards along with insert sets like Mixed Match Challenge, the blaster-exclusive Power Couple and the Walmart-exclusive Women’s Champions. There’s also a 24-card Women’s Royal Rumble set; this particular insert set has a nice, clean design and would work well for fans looking to get cards signed in person.

Collectors need to pay extra close attention for serial numbered parallels. Every base card and insert has Silver (/50), Blue (/25), Gold (/10) and Red (1/1) parallels which can be really tough to spot. It took me two passes through my box to notice the Becky Lynch Blue numbered to 25, and I didn’t catch the Uso/Naomi Mixed Match Challenge Silver (numbered to 50) until I was sorting through the cards to put together a set.

Final Thoughts

The women of WWE are often the most popular of all the wrestlers among collectors, so an entire product dedicated to them makes perfect sense. Over the last two years, the products dried up quickly because they were retail exclusive. But this year, with the availability of hobby boxes, collectors should have no problems tracking down a box or two to open.

NOW CHECK OUT THE PRIOR COLUMN: COLLECTIBLES COLUMN: PWG BOLA Cards Return for a Third Year