WWE Elite 82 Jerry The King Lawler figure review

Jerry The King Lawler has been my second most-wanted heel of The New Generation for way too long. Mattel has delivered several exceptional Lawler figures, including his signature Memphis look with the goatee. But now with Elite 82, I get the Lawler that plagued the WWE in the mid-90s and made life miserable for Bret “Hitman” Hart.

With Owen Hart not an option, at least now I get Bret’s second biggest NG rival. Let’s see if Mattel treated this version worthy of a king.

Packaging:  Series 82 has the slightly updated color scheme with the dominant white with red accents.

I like the smug portrait Mattel used as that symbolizes the NG Lawler and the action shot has him with the mic in hand riling up the fans yet again.

The bio nicely captures his role during this time period and his chief rivals.

Likeness:  Mattel killed it with Lawler’s likeness. It captures every bit of the sneering, despicable attitude of The King with his punch-ready face. This is another excellent likeness in this wave, which really hasn’t had a lemon in the set.

Mattel doesn’t always make the best choices in terms of parts to accurately reflect the body of some wrestlers (Vince McMahon, Sting and basically anyone else that uses the Batista body besides Batista).

Thankfully that’s never been an issue with Lawler. The single strap torso mold works well for Lawler. Maybe his legs could be a little thicker, but they allow for better movement.

Scale:  Lawler is 6’ putting him the same height as Bret Hart. Until we get a New Generation era Roddy Piper, Bret’s the only one that truly matters to pair him up against.

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Paint:  Mattel’s previous Lawler figures were boring with his black and red attires. They saved the best version for last with this blue and white ensemble with the incredibly intricate regal detailing.

Like we’ve seen on the Bianca Belair figure, Mattel is really doing a great job with this kind of demanding outfits that require flawless tampo application.

I love the vibrant shade of blue Mattel used here and the white is nice and clean. The tampo for the crowns on the boots also turned out nicely.

I am slightly annoyed at the skin tones not matching up properly from the torso and the arms. It’s something Mattel has done too long to keep ignoring it.

Articulation:  Lawler was never a huge submission specialist and was much more of a knockout punch, kick and choke guy especially during the New Generation.

He can pull off most reasonable moves and can absolutely nail his piledriver.

Jerry The King Lawler has:

• neck
• bicep
• ball-jointed shoulders
• elbows
• wrists
• wrist hinge
• torso
• waist
• hips
• thighs
• knees (double-jointed)
• ankles

Accessories:  Lawler gets all of the accessories he needs. He comes with a smaller scale version of the oversized crowns he would rock in Memphis and in later years in the WWF.

This is more of a ring gear crown and all of the gems were sculpted on. The paint apps are a little sloppy with the detail work like the diamond wraps and gems, but you’d have to look close to see the imperfections.

The real crown accessory is his cloak, which is amazing. Mattel previously just used plastic for the capes, but this time we get a full cloth version and the difference is incredible.

The lacing and detail on the cloak is exceptional. You will need to be careful with how you take it on and off as the lacing seems like it could fray if you rush. It’s worth it though as this really makes the figure come together.

Additionally, he’s got a set of fists, which are essential for The King.

Worth it?  I got Lawler for $20. This figure covers everything I could reasonably ask for with a New Generation Lawler and that cloak definitely justifies the price tag.

Rating: 9.8 out of 10

I’m taking a few points off just for the paint not matching with the arms and torso, but otherwise this is an excellent figure and the New Generation version of The King that I’ve been waiting on.

Where to get it?  I’ve seen this wave at Target and Walmart. If you have trouble, go the Amazon route.