WWE, Topps unveil WrestleMania Patch and Main Roster Debut Patch programs

Yahoo

15-04-2025

John Cena and Cody Rhodes in ring ahead of WrestleMania 41. (Eric Johnson/WWE via Getty Images)
(WWE via Getty Images)
The next step in the WWE and Topps licensing agreement was announced on Tuesday, with the sports entertainment and trading card brands partnering on two separate match-used patch programs.
Beginning with WrestleMania 41 later this week at Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas, every wrestler performing on the two-night show will wear a commemorative WrestleMania Patch that will be inserted into trading cards later this year. In addition, beginning with the April 21 episode of "WWE Raw," any debuting superstar will sport the Main Roster Debut Patch, which will similarly be featured in a future set of Topps WWE trading cards.
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'When we came up with the concept for the debut patch and then the WWE license came to us, it's the first thing you start thinking about,' Fanatics senior vice president of product, Clay Luraschi, told Uncrowned. 'At the end of the day, the patches are an incredible mechanism for storytelling. Obviously, a 'Raw' and 'SmackDown' debut patch is a no-brainer, but you wonder how you can take it to another level — let's do patches for WrestleMania. WrestleMania is the pinnacle for most wrestlers. It should be celebrated, commemorated, archived in time. If we can be a part of that storytelling, it just feeds the passion of the fan and the consumer.'
Similar to the MLB and MLS Debut Patch program Topps already utilizes with its baseball and soccer products, each WWE patch card will be a unique one-of-one and will feature an autograph as well as a custom authentication from Fanatics. While debuting MLB and MLS stars' patches can be found on their jerseys, for WrestleMania and Main Roster Debut Patches, most wrestlers will wear the commemorative patches on their boots.
WWE stars will wear one of three patches for the newly announced Topps program. Every star on the WrestleMania 41 card will wear that commemorative patch, likely on their boots, while debuting stars will have their respective brand patch attached to their gear. (Photo courtesy of Topps)
Although the actual product in which these cards will appear has yet to be announced, the elevation of the WWE and Topps partnership adds to what has already been a red-hot 2025 for the two companies. After a three-year hiatus, Topps resumed producing licensed WWE trading cards in January. Initially beginning with its Topps NOW program, Fanatics experienced immediate and impactful returns from the WWE agreement. Topps then launched its first full set — Topps WWE Chrome — on Jan. 31, with the product selling out within five minutes of going live. A little more than a month later, the Rock, John Cena and Travis Scott Topps NOW card from Cena's shocking heel turn at Elimination Chamber had a print run of more than 55,000 cards, making it one of the most successful in that program's history.
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The release of Topps WWE Chrome, in particular, is something Luraschi described as an 'a-ha' moment for many involved.
'I always felt good before it came out because I knew what was in it and I knew the work that was going into it,' Luraschi said. 'Any time a product sells out that fast, it raises eyebrows. It's a great thing and WWE has been a great partner. They're all-in on this trading card thing, which is great to see. Last time we spoke, I said this was one of those untapped trading card segments in the hobby. The fans are passionate, rabid, and the storytelling is at the top. It makes a perfect combination for the way we want to present trading cards as storytelling mechanisms and true commemorative pieces that lock a fan to a moment.'
WrestleMania signage on display at the 2025 WWE Royal Rumble. (Joe Camporeale-Imagn Images)
(USA TODAY Sports via Reuters Connect / Reuters)
Part of the 'all-in' nature of the licensing agreement has been WWE's overwhelming commitment to promotion of the Topps line. The release of Topps WWE Chrome coincided with the Royal Rumble event in Indianapolis, where throughout the weekend and on Peacock, WWE personalities were opening packs and sharing their 'hits' live with fans. Images of the Topps trading cards have since been used to promote matches on "Raw" and "SmackDown," and in February WWE mobilized, sending stars to card shops across the country to promote Topps' Rip Night event.
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'Everyone, all the way up to the top, is super involved in wanting to support,' Luraschi said. 'The entire business, executive staff are in on trading cards and it's not like us presenting something and they say yes, we sit there and have full-on discussions. They're all-in. It's a case study in how a licensing partnership should work. Knowing that you have that support makes you feel great about making products. Knowing that no ask is too large.'
Expansion of the patch program represents an ascension of sorts for the WWE product. The 2024 MLB Rookie Debut Patch Auto (RDPA) of Paul Skenes is obviously the headline stealer when it comes to this particular offering. The Skenes RDPA sold earlier this year at auction for a whopping $1.1 million, with Dick's Sporting Goods purchasing the coveted card. Per cllct, the Skenes RDPA is the highest-selling card since the debut patch program began and is the most-expensive modern baseball card to sell in the past three years. Including Skenes, three of the MLB RDPA cards from the 2024 MLB Topps Chrome Update Series have sold for more than $100,000. Cllct also reported that the top 50 RDPA sales have all fetched at least $3,000 and more than 90% are public records for the players featured.
With Topps and WWE partnering on two separate programs, it's somewhat unclear which will provide more of a 'chase' for fans. Currently, there are nearly three dozen wrestlers slated to appear at WrestleMania 41, including major names such as Cody Rhodes, Roman Reigns, John Cena and Charlotte Flair. For the Main Roster Debut Patches, it's a bit harder to speculate because of the nature of professional wrestling. In sports like MLB, fans sometimes have years of familiarity with prospects and players can often have immediate impacts — a la Skenes — when they eventually make their debut. WWE tends to lean into the element of surprise, particularly when it comes to its famous 'Raw after 'Mania' debuts, and it is rare for newly signed or elevated talent to have an immense and immediate impact.
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'There will probably be more WrestleMania patches than debut patches, but we'll see where that shakes out,' Luraschi said. 'Most of the WrestleMania subjects are your top stars, so there's that added level of collectability there. At the same time, with the debut patch, if that superstar turns out to be the next Rock or Cena, then that card can be one of the most high-profile in all of WWE trading cards. They both tell different stories, but it will be interesting to see where the energy goes.'
While the patch programs are certainly a major move for wrestling trading cards, there are constant conversations being had as to how to continue on this momentum for the rest of 2025 and beyond. As WWE prepares to induct a match into its Hall of Fame this weekend, there are seemingly endless opportunities for expansion and really homing in on capturing the storytelling aspect of both professional wrestling and collectibles.
'There are a lot of different concepts, but the patches are our focus right now as our first foot into true WrestleMania memorabilia. We'll read it from there and react. I think whatever we plan to do with WWE as a team, we're going to do it right, with intention and it will be all-in from both sides.'