The rise of WWE trading cards? What to expect from Topps Chrome and beyond

New York Times

31-01-2025

The new year has brought a new era for the WWE — not just with the company's landmark Netflix deal, but in the trading card world too, with a 'long-term partnership' that reunites it with Topps.
All of this coincides with a growing number of indicators that suggest wrestling cards could be the next trading card segment to see substantial market growth. Content creators around the hobby have suggested as much in recent months, and recent numbers seem to back up that belief. CardLadder's wrestling index, which tracks sales of a curated list of key cards in the category, is up about 25 percent over the last three months — far more than any other sports category and about double the second best performing sector in that span, Pokemon. And in December, a new record sale for a wrestling card was achieved when a 1982 Wrestling All-Stars Hulk Hogan card graded a PSA 9 (one of 17, with none higher) sold for $132,000, surpassing the $126,000 that The Rock's one-of-a-kind 2022 Panini Black Prizm card sold for a year earlier.
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According to eBay, users searched its marketplace for WWE items at a rate of 2,700 times per hour over the course of 2024, up nearly five percent from 2023. On January 6 of this year, when the WWE debuted on Netflix, searches went up nearly five percent compared to the average the week prior. But individual wrestlers featured in that debut episode saw much more significant jumps in search interest on the platform that suggests growing collector interest as programming reaches new audiences.
'I think WWE is primed for an incredible run in trading cards,' said Topps senior vice president of product Clay Luraschi this month. 'I've seen it bubble up over the last five, six years and now it's just perfect timing. And with all the stuff that we're going to be doing this year, and some of the things that haven't been done, it's gonna add to that excitement.'
Topps returns to making WWE cards after the license spent the last several years with Panini. Luraschi noted that Topps, which is now owned by Fanatics, is 'a different trading card company than we were the last time we were doing WWE products.'
'The last couple of years Topps has had a real focus on highlighting key moments,' Luraschi said. 'The more we can tell a story behind each and every card, the more powerful that product's going to be. So you'll see a lot of great storytelling in our WWE products that you haven't seen before, and you'll see lots of cool, unique relics that are tied to events, which we haven't done in the past, you'll see lots of cool autographs that really bring out the superstar's personality.'
The first evidence of that is present in the newly released Topps WWE Chrome set, which includes a long list of past, present and future WWE superstar autograph subjects (set checklist pdf here). Hobby boxes include 12 packs of eight cards each and two autographed cards and are priced at $169.99. Some of those autographs bear unique, wrestler-specific inscriptions that are sure to be chased by collectors and command a premium on the secondary market, ranging from WWE champion Cody Rhodes with 'Story Finished!' to Jey Uso's 'YEET!' and Roman Reigns' 'Acknowledge me,' plus new Women's champion Tiffany Stratton with 'It's Tiffy Time' and WWE Hall of Famer X-Pac with 'I got two words for ya.'
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But the biggest signer in this set is The Rock, who has autographed cards in an official WWE product for the first time since 1998 — the element of this Chrome set that Luraschi is most proud of. The Rock has three featured inscriptions: 'Aloha,' 'Smell It?' and 'Rock Final Boss.'
'The Rock is always on anyone's list,' Luraschi said. 'He's got a lot of things going on, but doing a comeback in trading cards, you can't do it without his presence.'
Finding ways to better convey the larger-than-life personalities of professional wrestlers is a key element of what Topps aims to do with the WWE license this time around, according to Luraschi.
'I think the personality part is actually what helps – it's actually what separates (WWE), in a lot of ways, from other properties is that the personalities are so strong and it just really works with trading cards,' he said. 'Maybe it hasn't been captured in the past but we're really gonna capture that now.'
That push was inspired by last summer's Fanatics Fest, where the company brought together their many sports league partners for a variety of interactive fan experiences. There was one that stood out from the rest, though.
'I was at the Fanatics Fest in New York and they had this – everyone had their own little area – and the WWE one was just non-stop, all day, everyone's just fired up,' Luraschi said. 'And all I kept thinking to myself as I was watching how the fan interaction was, 'How do we capture that on the trading cards?' How do we capture that fandom, that just intense fandom onto trading cards, and I think what you'll see this year is just kind of the beginning, and then as we release products, and in the coming years you'll see us continue to evolve it to where I think WWE cards can be some of the most sought-after trading cards around. I really do honestly feel that way.'
The question of how to capture the excitement that WWE inspires and conveying it through trading cards carries through to the launch video Topps produced to coincide with the release of Chrome.
Since this year marks the 40th anniversary of the first ever WWE cards, Chrome also features inserts bearing the retro design of that 1985 set. 'I'm geeking out because I collected that set. I still remember the packs, the front of the pack,' Luraschi said.
And since John Cena is embarking on his year-long farewell tour in 2025, WWE sets will feature tributes to his legendary career, starting with an insert set in the Chrome release.
'You'll see some tributes to Cena throughout the year, including some stuff that's going to go across all of our products,' Luraschi said. 'Nothing to unveil yet, but someone as big as he is and who's so impactful in WWE — he's definitely worthy of doing something special throughout the year.'
(Side note: To get a sense of the impact Cena has had over his career, give this story in the Indianapolis Star about how his action figure helped get a young boy through an unimaginable tragedy.)
And what about debut patches? They've become arguably the biggest chase in modern sports cards, with a presence in MLB and MLS to start, but could they come to WWE next now that Topps has the license?
'You've gotta guess that we're having the discussion,' Luraschi said. 'Yeah, it's something that we're toying around with.'
So which wrestlers are most collectors chasing? If you watched that debut episode of WWE Raw on Netflix, the top name might surprise you…
Top 5 most searched wrestlers on eBay during 2024:
Yes, he was booed out of the building in LA (among other places in recent years), but Hogan still tops the list.
Meanwhile, Jey Uso's popularity has exploded as he continues his chase for a top title in WWE. In 2024, eBay searches for his name increased 110 percent over the previous year. Several other wrestlers saw big gains last year, as well, with one from rival promotion AEW leading the way (AEW cards are currently manufactured by Upper Deck):
Who will emerge as a hobby favorite in 2025? Well, it just might be Tiffy Time.
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(Top photo of Damien Priest: Dylan Azari/Special to the Telegram & Gazette / USA TODAY NETWORK)