Buzz Break: 2022 Panini Select WWE wrestling cards (blaster)

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The box: 2022 Panini Select WWE wrestling cards (blaster)
First Buzz preview & checklist: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (hobby)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery of what was in this one.

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 24
Base set completion: 
0 of 100 (base cards are parallels in retail)
Duplicates: 0

Insert cards: 23 (all cards from box in gallery below)
Red & Blue Concourse (base parallels) (16) – Shotzi, Hulk Hogan, Seth F. Rollins, Rob Van Dam, Mick Foley, Becky Lynch, Bruno Sammartino, Jey Uso, Shelton Benjamin, Ciampa, Jordan Devlin, Sheamus, Meiko Satomura, Nikki A.S.H., Von Wagner (RC), Harland (RC)
Red & Blue Premier Level (1) – Drew McIntyre
Mezzanine (1) – Jim Neidhart
Prizm Red & Blue Concourse (1) – Julius Creed
Orange Flash Prizms (2) – Shotzi, Katana Chance
Phenomenon Flash Prizms (1) – Rhea Ripley
Pink Premier Level Prizms (1) – Mandy Rose (/49)

Autographs/Memorabilia: 1
Signature Sensations Flash Prizms (1) – Odyssey Jones

What's Buzz-worthy: My first look at this one included ink in the very first pack, which is not the norm here, but also a numbered card and, well, a boatload of what I'd want to be looking for. Maybe it's the strong first impression talking, but I think Select is what Prizm should have been back when was the debut Panini WWE release -- a high-energy, colorful and well-photographed look at WWE's past, present and even future all in one spot. This one has a deep (but not quite Prizm deep) checklist with a ton of color and challenges if you want to go there. Hobby boxes guarantee two autos and a mem card every time in this one -- along with a boatload of color -- and blasters, well, they don't guarantee anything on that front hits-wise ... but ink is possible as seen here. Color-wise, every card in this one is a parallel on the base cards, which is interesting, though Mezzanine (the rarest tier) may not have them as this was a standard card in this box and the same thing happened in my second and they aren't noted on the odds. My four Flash parallels here came with color or as an insert/hit, so that was another way this was a strong box. The only drawback here that I can see is that some of the left-right centering issues that were very dramatic in Prizm still present themselves here, though not as often or as bad. (Unfortunately seen on some parallels.) The volume on auto cards numbering-wise here seems a little high per star and I think that could (should) soften singles prices over time as I'm not sure the kind of widespread demand is there for some stars to have multiple cards with hundreds of copies (total) for each card in a single release. As a collector, I like that, though, as most stars are easily available signers and shouldn't cost hundreds of dollars to get their ink, anyway. (Rare stuff should be pricier for sure as that's based on their scarcity but the overall volume should soften prices and make this one accessible to more fans.) The overall mix here is strong but not overwhelming like some brands on the variety front -- you definitely get mostly base here but they're all parallels as hobby versions are standard silver borders. Interesting here is that "silver" Prizm finish is found as both Red & Blue Prizms as well as Silver Prizms (no color on those borders). The deep rainbows here will create challenges for those opting to chase it all but I wonder how many will ... it seems that too big of a rainbow of options might be too tough (some of the colors here are numbered and rare for sure) and soften prices on all but the tough stuff. (I'd like to chase a rainbow of a couple cards but some will be really easy and others will be too pricey for their numbered volume until more surface ... kind of a double-edged sword scenario where patience could pay off if cards surface.) That said, I'd rather have more and not less and, again, that's good for collectors like me ... I just want to dabble and get a lot of variety in a box. That's why I liked this one -- and why I have more blasters on the way.

Product Grade: A (strong photos this time along with plenty of past and present options and a ton of color)
Box Grade: A+ (ink not guaranteed ... also landed a few names perfect for my wants)
Fun Grade: A (a good box was a fun box)

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