BuzzMania4: Busting 2001 WWF Raw is War (Hour 5)

The biggest weekend in pro wrestling is here with WrestleMania 37 set for Saturday and Sunday from Raymond James Stadium in Tampa, Fla. We'll make today a big day for wrestling collectors right here on The Buzz with #BuzzMania4, a series of WWE wax box/pack breaks.

This is Hour 5 ... a warning that not all wax is the same these days -- even if it can be tougher to find (and sometimes pricier then you might think).

The packs: 2001 Fleer WWF Raw is War wrestling cards (15 hobby packs)
Where to buy: Good luck finding them ... Click here for newer WWE cards

What's inside this one? Keep reading ...

Packs per lot: 15
Cards per pack: 8
Cards in this box: 120
Base set completion: 
75 of 100 (75 percent)
Duplicates: 26

Notables on base cards: Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Lita, Bubba Ray Dudley, Jim Ross, Matt Hardy, Vince McMahon, Trish Stratus, Christian, Edge, Jeff Hardy, Terri Runnels, D-Von Dudley, The Rock, Pat Patterson, Big Show, Undertaker, Triple H, Debra, Chyna, Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley, Shane McMahon, Kurt Angle, Kane

Insert cards: 19 (all in gallery below with some base)
Famous Nicknames (1) – Lita
Femme Fatale (6) – Trish Stratus, Lita, Tori, Molly Holly, Tori (2)
Raw is Jericho (9) – Chyna, Divas, The Rock, Chris Jericho, Undertaker, Kane, Edge & Christian, Hardy Boyz (2)
Tables, Ladders & Chairs! (3) – Big Show, Hardy Boyz, The Rock & Hardy Boyz vs. Kurt Angle, Edge & Christian

Autographs/Memorabilia: None

Card That Stole The Show: Lita Famous Nicknames is perhaps the most-impressive insert that isn't mangled, but it still has a number of issues. Really the stuck gloss (Botchamania!) stole all of this one's thunder.

What's Buzz-worthy: I grabbed this small lot because they were hobby packs and I'm not sure if the seller realized that since I paid about $25 shipped ... or they knew these packs were bricked and stopped ripping once they found the hit. (Hits are likely one per box and those aren't all that glossy.) This era of WWE is a strong one in terms of names and many them are found here and the photography here is very good -- but the soft stock and the high gloss mean misery here in a few ways. Stuck (bricked) cards will look like snowstorms on many cards here often (my advice ... buy a set instead) ... check out the second card in the gallery for an example of how bad they got here. Then you get corner issues, edges from squashed cards and so on. I bought these with an idea for hits first but maybe some slabbing of key names and struck out on both fronts, really. This one was a bummer. Among the possible autos here? Christian, Edge, Undertaker and Triple H -- but all via redemption with odds of one in 322 packs ... so not possible. Memorabilia cards are one in 26 with all being ring skirt or mat ... not the best option but there are some notables here, including Vince McMahon, Undertaker, The Rock, Triple H, Steve Austin and Mick Foley for starters. Realistically, though, all I found here was all that's possible ... and I'd bet that most of the packs that are left out there have some strong price tags attached and stuck cards inside. Perhaps not always, but I'd only try it on these 20-year-old packs if they were dirt cheap.

Product Grade: A- (in a perfect world where the gloss issue isn't a factor, this one is still very solid)
Lot Grade: D (I can't fail it because it's good without the gloss problem)
Fun Grade: D- (see above)

What's next? Look for another one next hour.

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