2016 WWE Topps Road to Wrestlemania Blaster

It is that time of year - the time between the Royal Rumble in January, and the big show, Wrestlemania in April. Every year, this is the big rev up to the show, and push with story lines, etc, to culminate in front of the big crowd.

So, what better time to look back a couple years with...


As always, for the first box we collect new packs for the unopened pack collection...


Before I get into this box, we actually have a start on this base set as I some how have a dozen and a half card of the 110 base card set, so may even get to about half way with the box.

With those out of the way, let's get right into opening the first of the nine remaining packs...keeping in mind my scoring - 3 points per new card, one for a duplicate base, all inserts are at points equal to odds per pack. With the long odds on real hits, not expecting to see much more than the typical inserts, but part of why I got these boxes was more to collect a good part of base sets than anything else.



Though the set is called road to Wrestlemania, I find the cards document a good part of the year, regardless of the direct lead up to Wrestlemania being part of the title.

I like the black border (except for the knicking that happens from a collection stand point). I appreciate the date so I don't have to remember when it happened, or what show. Also I like the back being a discussion of what it relates to. So more a set about events, than a set about the individual wrestlers - different, and appreciated for it.



Remember when Fandango-ing was a thing, and the sone was actually charting in the UK? Yeah, now I have a card to remind me of such times with Fandango dancing away...in bronze...



These one per pack Wrestlemania 32 roster inserts are very nice. I will hopefully end up with about half of them, but might need to keep an eye out for the rest when I am done.



So with one pack in, since the odds on the inserts are one per pack on the Wrestlemania roster, and every other pack for bronze - we go...

1 pack, 7 cards, 21 points.

Boys of Summer in dead of winter

For our break between boxes today, we have a small repack box I picked up from I think Target in the US last August...


I picked it up for two reasons. First, I figured the red, white and blue pack would be something different for my unopened pack collection, and figured the one special card would be something serial numbered of similar that I could keep. Other than that, either surprise packs to open, or more adds to the unopened pack collection.

So what did I get?



Here we have my first ever Topps On-Demand card, this being the 2017 MLB All-Star Game Homage to '87. This card had a print run of 1,722, and now I have one. Not sure if I should think of it differently from a serial numbered card which can have similar numbers, or not, but I'll treat it the same.



Nice - not one, or two, but three packs to add to the collection. The 2014 Panini Prizm Red White and Blue Pulsar pack is not much to look at. The 2016 Stadium Club is the first, and I have 2016 Topps Series 2 packs, but not a 10 card - so that's a keeper as well.

The last pack...


Is one that is a duplicate so let's see what we have...

The cards are different, but I have no interest in collecting the set - though do want to eventually get the Jays cards, but no help on that here. I guess the one insert (the foil HBP symbol) of Souza.

Not a bad little box given the three pack additions. Next up...maybe another different wrestling blaster tomorrow...

Some Rocky Maivia cards

Wrestling can very well be a family affair. One of the most famous families of course being the Samoan dynasty which includes...



Where Rocky Maivia got his original ring name before shortening down to The Rock. Nice getting these in the same pack too - even is no Rock tribute card in there as well.




It's a legend hot pack with Big Van Vader and one half of the evil tag team which I remember for matches against the likes of the Hart Foundation and The Bulldogs in Volkoff.



A nice Rowan parallel to go with the base version I got earlier.



Austin Aries who...just...no. Not a fan of his, at all. Am a fn of Jericho, and well...there's Enzo...

With that we finish the blaster with...

9 packs, 63 cards, 191 points. for an average of 3.0317 which isn't too surprising as the box ended up giving about what was expect, so two boxes in...

1)	2015-16 Upper Deck Portfolio	3.6067
2)	2016 WWE Then Now Forever Blaster 1	3.0317

Those sound about right to me. Next up, a small box from Target in the US, might be a day or two to go through that one before hitting another Dave and Adam box..we shall see...well, you can see to, come on back!

Feeling a bit bludgeoned

Rumble was fun as always - though I ended up worst between myself, my brother and cousin. Though respectable as no one won or lost big. Fun was had by all, and that was the key.

Interesting...first two cards out of the pack, and I get a tag team. Originally as the Wyatt Family, more recently as the Bludgeon Brothers, we have Harper and Rowan.



As for the rest of the base cards...



Can't go wrong with Shane McMahon. I don't know if it is simply the over exposure of Vince and Stephanie which make Shane's involvement wanted and exciting, or if it is because he is just crazy in what he will attempt, but he is my favourite "actual" McMahon - Triple H, who married into the family, has done more for the business from within, such as create and drive NXT.



Speaking of NXT, both inserts relate to it. Nia Jax has become a bigger deal on the main roster - she was good on NXT, but has really come into her own, while Bayley was a big fish in a small pond on NXT, but has been a bit lost on the main card. She has talent, and can be a female John Cena if they build her that way - but she hasn't been the priority given Charlotte, Rousey, Bliss and a few others.

8 packs, 56 cards, 170 points.

Royal Rumble Predictions

So last year, I shared some of my thoughts, I figure this year - go big or go home - let's share it all.

So a week ago, O send an email to my brother and cousin who come over and watch with me. We place small bets ($75 total pot) and each individually come up with who we think is going to win, whether it will be by pin or "other" and the time for the match bell to bell in case a tie breaker is needed. For the rumble, closest to each slot for an entrant wins (so if Bayley is out first, whoever had her closest to the first spot wins the bet).

Deal was we would be done and emailed by end of Wednesday - so no late dirtsheet reading to hedge bets.

Below is what we each came up with...though I have removed names for now (so I can take credit for the best one later...just kidding).

Brock vs. Balor		Winner		Brock Lesnar		Brock Lesnar		Brock Lesnar
		By		Pin		Pin		Other
		Time		11:13		17:23		12:25
Bryan vs. Styles		Winner		Daniel Bryan		Daniel Bryan		Daniel Bryan
		By		Pin		Pin		Pin
		Time		18:22		19:12		18:19
Asuka vs Becky Lynch		Winner		Asuka		Asuka		Asuka
		By		Other		Other		Other
		Time		14:01		15:31		16:44
Rousey vs Banks		Winner		Ronda Rousey		Ronda Rousey		Ronda Rousey
		By		Other		Other		Other
		Time		9:20		11:56		13:33
The Bar vs. Shane / Miz		Winner		Shane / Miz		Shane / Miz		Shane / Miz
		By		Pin		Pin		Pin
		Time		12:40		14:43		11:50
Murphy vs Kalisto		Winner		Buddy Murphy		Buddy Murphy		Buddy Murphy
vs Tozawa vs. Itami		By		Pin		Pin		Pin
		Time		12:01		15:01		14:41
Men's Royal Rumble		Entry
		1		Mustafa Ali		Rey Mysterio		Andrade
		2		Velveteen Dream		Dolph Ziggler		Apollo Crews
		3		Cederic Alexander		Heath Slater		Ricochet
		4		Jeff Hardy		Kofi Kingston		Mustafa Ali
		5		Curt Hawkins		Jeff Hardy		Jeff Hardy
		6		Xavier Woods		Golddust		Mojo Rawley
		7		Matt Hardy		Jinder Mahal		Matt Hardy
		8		Jinder Mahal		Elias		Seth Rollins
		9		Abyss		Apollo Crews		Xavier Woods
		10		Lars Sullivan		Tye Dillenger		Tye Dillinger
		11		Baron Corbin		Mustafa Ali		Big E
		12		Elias		Bobby Lashley		Baron Corbin
		13		Pete Dunne		Shane Strickland		Dean Ambrose
		14		Rey Mysterio		Titus O'Neil		Bray Wyatt
		15		Andrade		Randy Orton		Kofi Kingston
		16		Lio Rush		Seth Rollins		Elias
		17		Apollo Crews		Drew McIntyre		Samoa Joe
		18		Bobby Lashley		Harper		Kurt Angle
		19		Ricochet		Bray Wyatt		Randy Orton
		20		EC3		Ricochet		Lars Sullivan
		21		Samoa Joe		Booker T		Titus O'Neil
		22		Big E		Andrade		Jinder Mahal
		23		Titus O'Neil		Matt Hardy		Batista
		24		Drew McIntyre		Dean Ambrose		Drew McIntyre
		25		Bray Wyatt		Xavier Woods		Velveteen Dream
		26		Randy Orton		Big E		Rey Mysterio
		27		Seth Rollins		Baron Corbin		Bobby Lashley
		28		Kofi Kingston		Samoa Joe		Dolph Ziggler
		29		Dean Ambrose		Shawn Michaels		Kenny Omega
		30		R-Truth		R-Truth		R-Truth
		Last Elim.		Drew McIntyre		Shawn Michael		Drew McIntyre
		Winner		Seth Rollins		Drew McIntyre		Seth Rollins
Women's Royal Rumble		Entry
		1		Ember Moon		Charlotte Flair		Naomi
		2		Alicia Fox		Natalya		Becky Lynch
		3		Bayley		Ember Moon		Dana Brooke
		4		Alundra Blayze		Sasha Banks		Mandy Rose
		5		Mandy Rose		Bayley		Lana
		6		Liv Morgan		Billie Kay		Bayley
		7		Naomi		Alicia Fox		Shayna Baszler
		8		Ivory		Maria Kanellis		Billie Kay
		9		Dana Brooke		Ruby Riott		Nia Jax
		10		Toni Storm		Zelina Vega		Ember Moon
		11		Nia Jax		Dana Brooke		Peyton Royce
		12		Charlotte Flair		Sarah Logan		Liv Morgan
		13		Sarah Logan		Lacey Evans		Maryse
		14		Tamina		Kacy Catanzaro		Sonya Deville
		15		Peyton Royce		Liv Morgan		Tamina
		16		Ruby Riott		Alexa Bliss		Lita
		17		Lana		Lana		Ruby Riott
		18		Rhea Ripley		Mandy Rose		Alexa Bliss
		19		Billie Kay		Lita		Sarah Logan
		20		Io Shirai		Candice LeRae		Mickie James
		21		Sonya Deville		Sonya Deville		Charlotte Flair
		22		Zelina Vega		Naomi		Natalya
		23		Shayna Baszler		Trish Stratus		Trish Stratus
		24		Alexa Bliss		Toni Storm		Nikki Bella
		25		Nikki Cross		Tamina		Brie Bella
		26		Lacey Evans		Brie Bella		Zelina Vega
		27		Mickie James		Peyton Royce		Lacey Evans
		28		Natalya		Alicia Fox		Nikki Cross
		29		Becky Lynch		Nikki Bella		Alicia Fox
		30		Carmella		Becky Lynch		Carmella
		Last Elim.		Alexa Bliss		Charlotte Flair		Becky Lynch
		Winner		Becky Lynch		Becky Lynch		Charlotte Flair
First person interfering in a match				Charlotte Flair		Becky Lynch		Braun Strowman

Yeah - 5 of the singles matches we called exactly the same with the times only being a few minutes abart on each. That's why we need the time tie break. Doesn't mean any of them are correct, but at least it means those matches will just come down to how long the match takes.

As for the rumbles, a little more all over the place, but some consistency in both Drew McInture and Becky Lynch expected to do well by us all.

Will I come to be embarrassed by how far off I am on the above, or will it be so bang on that I will gloat about it repeatedly....I don't know yet, but I do know, win, lose or draw, the three of us have a blast doing it and it's a fun time - also, no one ever leave ahead or behind more than $5 usually - so no harm done to the wallet either.

I guess I should have some cards posted here as well, so let's post some cards that came in so far from a trade (on TCDB of course). I am waiting for the last package, but here are the first two PWEs in my trade with mrmike...

Some older sets pre the Booket T, and newer Topps base sets after. A nice variety and all needs, so some nice fits to the growing collection - closing in on 2,000 cards in the collection, from about 100 a year ago, so not too bad.

Not quite dupes

I always find there is a good and bad to blaster boxes. The good is that they are done so that dupes are very rare these days. You get a good part of the base set and some of the expected insert sets started. Sure, you buy a couple blaster boxes, you will end up with duplicates, but you get as good a variety as possible - better than randomly buying a couple retail packs here and there.

The "bad" is, they seem a little formulaic, not as surprising at times. With 10 packs in the 2016 WWE Then Now Forever, you would expect 4-5 base cards each pack and 2 maybe 3 inserts or parallels from the go to sets like NXT Prospects, NXT Rivalries or WWE Rivalries. Then for the box as a whole, 2 Rock Tribute cards as they are one every four packs.

We seem on pace for exactly that so far...



At first, I thought I had a couple duplicates, but happily no, had pulled the bronze versions of each of these so far, now I have the base version as well.



Again, highlighting the really nice aspect of this set, so many legends...Jimmy Hart was so annoying as a manager in the 80s/90s. He wasn't on the level of bad guy as Bobby Heenan and the Heenan family, but he was still really good at his job of making you dislike him, and anyone he managed.



The shield explodes!



An NXT Prospect of half the Iiconics



We end with the second Rock Tribute card of the box, the introduction of the new belt (at the time).

7 packs, 49 cards, 149 points.

Break the pack down

Today we start with another legend, the man of 1,004 holds and apparently of many appearances for many different promotions too. Though I haven't seen his matches overseas, all the power to him to be able to simply do the wrestling he wants to and pick what he is involved in.

Bronze parallel Aiden. Not as good as getting an Eddie Guerrero or Undertaker bronze parallel, but I'll still take it. I miss the Vaudevillians as it was better than what Aiden has done since.

I guess it makes sense, the man of only 1,000 holds shows up in the same pack as Jericho....lol.

One who passed just last year, RIP - Natalya has done well by her daddy.

As seems to be the usual, two inserts, one a rivalry insert, one an NXT prospect. No Way Jose is just a character that suited mid card NXT and doesn't have legs on the main roster - similar to Adam Rose.

Samoa Joe and Finn Balor have done fine on the main roster, but I do wonder how much better Finn could have been positioned if it wasn't for the injury when he won the universal title.

These packs have been great for variety of wrestlers being highlighted - can't complain there.

6 packs, 42 cards, 127 points.

Before ending today - another Listia win share and TCDB share...



All of the Magic cards were single card wins. A nice variety, and in most cases, I already had one or two of, but again, since I keep for of each, still good pick ups. Nice to also see an Antiquities set card with the battering ram (Antiquities came out in the mid 90s, one of the earlier sets).

As for the Tony blue border card which is SN to 199 - this was a trade pick up from SeaKing. It was also a nice win as I was able to trade away about 8 base cards for it, which I would do any time to move cards and get any kind of Blue Jays SN card.