Buzz Break: 2023 Panini Prizm WWE wrestling cards (blaster)

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The box: 2023 Panini Prizm WWE wrestling cards (blaster box)
First Buzz preview: Click here
Where to buy: BlowoutCards.com (hobby and retail)

Keep reading for a full breakdown and gallery from this box.

Packs per box: 6
Cards per pack: 4
Cards in this box: 24
Base set completion: 
15 of 200 (8 percent)
Duplicates: 0

Base cards – Roman Reigns, The Rock, Katana Chance, Dante Chen, Edris Enofe, Joe Gacy, Cameron Grimes, Ashante Adonis, Raquel Rodriguez, Karrion Kross, Jey Uso, Cedric Alexander, MVP, Meiko Satomura

Rookie Cards (1) – Ava Raine

Insert cards: 9 (all cards from box in gallery below)
Silver Prizm parallels (1) – Mia Yim
Green Prizm parallels (2) – Bayley, Vader
Ice Prizm parallels (3) – Shawn Michaels, Valentina Feroz, Erik
Top Tier (1) – Brock Lesnar
Prizmatic Entrances (1) – Charlotte Flair
Green Prizm Legends Of The Hall (1) – Ricky Steamboat

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

What's Buzz-worthy: I waited before digging in here -- both for blasters and a WWE Shop sale code -- and bit on just a pair while window-shopping singles (though I haven't bought any) on this opener for Year Two of Panini America's WWE lineup. In short, I think the printing and centering issues here are far cleaner than the rookie-year issue and some of the photo choices are better, too, but the thunder of the first set on the Rookie Card front is really seen in this box. Last year, about a fourth of the set was made up of newcomers -- about 50 RCs in 200 total cards -- with many having nothing before these at all, (Thanks, NXT 2.0.) This year? Just 10 out of 200 are RCs. There are some good ones there, don't get me wrong, and there are a number of first autographs to chase here, too, but the break of this small box showed that difference. (Of course, most are ripping here for big-mojo hits and money-making rare color but if you solely want that you need to be opening hobby boxes ... I'm a collector so blasters work for me to start.) There was just one RC here -- The Rock's daughter, Ava Raine (who had a 2022 Panini Instant card with a RC logo on it, by the way, so debate accordingly) -- isn't a bad find per se, and I think I landed him in the same pack, too, which is why I mention them together. The Reigns card is solid -- a card that could be a good find in, say, Red and Blue parallels to reflect the two belts (or 1/1 Black but only one of you can do that pair) -- and the run of inserts and parallels here was strong for the most part. The only weakness for this particular box's mix is the volume of horizontal and NXT cards -- some lesser names and then some lesser images there for sure that are distantly cropped just like some of the iffier cards from last year's set. Select had great images and tighter crops -- and they might be going too tight in 2023 -- but I think that mindset could have helped here despite distantly cropped images perhaps being a Prizm thing. It's not a major deal but I'm not sure I'd be forcing half of the set into horizontal frames without A-list horizontal images to match them. (It seems more easily done in UFC with action photos shot from atop the Octagon vs. on the floor like most WWE is shot.) All in all, blasters here feel better than last year -- three more inserts this time -- but I think things can still be hit and miss. My other blaster -- which you'll see here soon -- was far worse across the board until it yielded something far rarer than anything in this A-level box. It'll drop here soon, maybe next week. Will I do more? We'll see.

Product Grade: A- (same grade as last year ... but also different in a lot of ways)
Box Grade: A- (some good names here even in small box)
Fun Grade: B

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