Do you smell what Cardboard Collections is cooking?! Pack Break: 2011 Topps WWE

Yes - I admit.  I'm a wrestling fan.  Have been for a long time.  Granted it's changed A LOT since I was a kid tuning into the pay-per-view events that happened a few times a year (like Starcade!) I still find it a fun escape from reality every Monday night.  Being a card collector I have found an interest in wrestling cards too.  Topps has been doing a pretty good job w/ the WWE license in my opinion and this year's flagship ship WWE set looks to be on par with the last 2 years.  While I'd love to buy a hobby box since this year Topps has upped the guaranteed hits I simply can't afford one so I'll have to settle with a retail pack here and there.

For 2011 Topps is using none other than Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson as the spokesman if you will.  I'm not a huge fan of the Rock, but he looks good on a wrapper.  Retail packs will set you back $1.99 and comes with 7 cards.  It seems the new trend w/ Topps is you get one parallel or insert per pack.  This trend continues on here.  The base design is the same that was used for both baseball and football.  It surprisingly works well here.  The name banner is either red or blue = red for Monday night RAW or blue for Friday night Smackdown.

Several new inserts can be had this year as well.  Parallels include blue (1:8, numbered to 2011), black (1:9, numbered to 999), Topps Heritage (1:4), Electrifying Entrances (1:8), Prestigious Pairings (1:8), Catchy Phrases (1:8), Autographs (1:211), Dual Autographs (1:990), Swatch Relics (1:126), Gold Parallel Swatch Relics (1:2020), Mat Relics (1:69), Gold Parallel Mat Relics (1:1464), Ringside Relics (1:180) and Gold Parallel Ringside Relics (1:1800).

#102 Yokozuna

Like with past WWE sets there is a mixture of current and retired talent.

#051 Alberto Del Rio

This guy is more annoying as the WWE Champion than the Miz was...and that is saying a lot!

#047 Drew McIntyre

The card backs are just about the same as with other base 2011 Topps offerings this year.

 

#EE-08 Big Show - Electrifying Entrances

In addition to the smack talking and signature moves of each wrestler the other thing that a lot of the wrestlers are known world wide for is their entrance into the arena.  

#025 CM Punk

This guy has got to be the "wordiest" guy in the WWE currently.  Good lord watch out when he grabs a mike.  I'm starting to confuse his voice with that of my wife's as I drown him out pretty easily now!  (just joking honey, put down the frying pan please)

#036 Matt Striker

Yawn.  Unless the announcer card is of someone like Jim Ross I'll pass.

#044 Sheamus

It's funny to see him and John Cena recently wrestle together as a tag team after their heated rivalry in the not too distant past.

Topps has done a solid job with this set as I knew they would.  I look forward to trying to build this set.  That said if anyone reading this is also buying packs or what not and would like to trade let me know.  Thanks for reading.