2017 Topps WWE NXT Wrestling Blaster

 2017 Topps WWE NXT Wrestling: This was a fun pickup from Wal-Mart online.  I've seen BlowoutBuzz break some of these and wanted to take a crack at one myself.  This set shows some of the WWE roster before they made it to the big stage.  I really liked this box and the set.  We'll kick it off with the lovely Asuka who is the reigning WWE Women's Champion.

These are the roster cards.  I like the designs and how they work when put together.  That Tino Sabbatelli is a bronze parallel.  

The Matches and Moments cards make up the rest of the "base" set.  Again I like the design.  Plenty of space for the photos and they did a good job with their variety of matches.  

More of the Matches and Moments cards.  I really do like the colors and design used for this set.

Now's a good time to remind everyone to head over to the Collecting Cutch blog and support his Save Second Base campaign.  He is promoting awareness of Breast Cancer month and hoping folks will support the cause.  Check out his posts all month.  They are fun and for a great cause.  If you are so inclined, donations to fight breast cancer can be done here.  The lovely ladies of the WWE are a great way to highlight this cause as well.

A relic is guaranteed in each blaster.  Ember Moon is a pretty good pull I think.  I like the photo but wish the text would have been moved to the bottom right corner.  Still I'm happy with it.  There are autos and relics of many young wrestlers in this set who went on to the WWE stage so this is a fun way of getting early cards of theirs.

I'm so in love with this gal.  I wanted to start off the post with her but I do that a lot. She'll still get highlighted here as well she should.  

BREAKDOWN:

72 – Total Cards

40 – Matches and Moments

32 – Roster

4 – Called Up

4 – Bronze Parallel

1 – Mat Relic #/50

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse

 

Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse:  This movie came out in 2018 but I wasn't on board for whatever reason.  I finally saw it this last month with the grandsons.  I'm very glad I did.  They did an excellent job with this movie and I really enjoyed it.  Miles Morales is bitten by a radio active spider and guess who is the next Spider-Man?  But this isn't the Spider-Man story we've seen before.  Before Miles even knows what is happening the "Spider-Man/Woman/Pig/Robot" from different dimensions show up to help battle Kingpin and save the universe.  Just a really good story and the animation is done well too.  

I was really impressed with the story and the characters.  So well done.  You're just into it.  The characters from the other dimensions are key and fun additions.  I know you are seeing Peter-Porker and saying "yeah I don't know" but it works.  These different dimensions are just that - different.  Whether it be how the Spider-Man story plays out or what the universe is as a whole.  I also have to say I really like these versions of the bad guys - Kingpin and Doc Ock.  Doc Ock is a female version I love.  Her and Gwen Stacy were my favorite characters.  I know I sound like I'm gushing but I really enjoyed this movie and highly recommend it.

Atlanta Braves Season Ends in Game 7 Loss

 

Atlanta lost the National League Championship Series to the Los Angeles Dodgers in seven games.  This one really hurt.  They were up 2-0 and 3-1 in this series.  I know LA is the better team but the Braves were so close.  Even though they gave up an amazing 16 dingers to the Dodgers the Braves pitching still did really well.  Hit with injuries the starting staff was Max Fried and whoever else they could throw out there and the starters did really well.  That said they only pitched 29 innings leaving a lot to the bullpen.  And the Dodgers offense was just too much.  And the Braves' horrible base running made coaches across the sport curl up in a ball and cry.  Some excellent games though and it was fun to watch even with one eye open most of the time.

Los Angeles won this series and deserve their shot in the World Series against Tampa Bay.  They had better pitching, great defense and a crazy number of homeruns.  It'll be fun to see if this Dodgers group can get their first title in their third World Series appearance.  And who doesn't want to see more of Dustin May's hair?  I'll root for the Rays to get their first World Series title but won't feel too bad if Clayton Kershaw and this group take it all.  Well I might feel OK with it in about six months. 

American Horror Story: Murder House (Season 1)

 

American Horror Story: Murder House is season one of the FX horror anthology series that currently has  total of nine seasons.  Murder House was good  Not great but good.  Towards the finish you get to the point where you really want to see how it ends.  Pacing was an issue for me making it a bit tough at times.  It does well at building up the different characters.  By the end you'll really get each and their motivations.  This show is definitely not for the faint of heart.  There are some scenes involving sex and violence that are intense.  Not for everyone but if horror is your thing it is worth a shot.  I haven't started any of the other eight seasons yet but I do plan to at some point.  Each stands on it's own and the American Horror Story series as a whole was pretty widely praised with some gaining more love than others.

Random Wax: 2019 Playoff Football

2019 Playoff Football: I'm a big fan of this set.  The design really works for me.  Cam Newton now plays with the New England Patriots and has been one of the key players to come down with Covid-19. Plenty of games have been affected now and it seems we are getting to a scary point where the NFL will run out of flexibility.  Fingers crossed it all works out.

Pretty good group of receivers.  I think I lost a scan or two that was supposed to go with this post.  I would usually have at least one more showing the inserts and/or rookies.

I've probably had better packs but this was still fun.  The packs contain 40 cards and I love the retired veterans that you'll find here.  Definitely not my last pack.  I've had this one and at least one other pack waiting for some time.  DeAndre Hopkins is having another great season after being traded to Arizona.  That may go down as one of the worst trades in history.

BREAKDOWN:

40 – Total Cards

13 – Retired Greats

6 – RC

1 – Rookie Wave

1 – Thunder & Lightning

Random Wax: 2020 Topps Opening Day Baseball Blaster

2020 Topps Opening Day:  This post has been sitting around for a while and since this guy, albeit with the wrong team, will probably have something to say about how this year's playoffs turn out  I thought is is appropriate.  I still like Mookie Betts.  He is so good.  Just wish he was still a member for the Red Sox. 

Unfortunately Mike Soroka was one of a the key injuries to the Braves' starting pitching staff this year.  Tough losing a starter that was so good last year.  

Verlander only pitched one game due to injury this year and Houston has to be wishing they could have him against the Tampa Bay Rays in the ALCS.

Like many others I'm not a big fan of the vertical name but I've seen worse.

And another Mookie. I'm pretty happy with my pull in this box.  

I enjoy Opening Day so much.  It is a small set so it keys in on the stars and key rookies and I like that added Opening Day banner.  The fun inserts are also a plus.  Hard for me to ever pass these up and this was a fun box.

BREAKDOWN:

77 – Total Cards

6 – RC

5 – Opening Day

2 – Mascot

2 – Topps Rookie Cup

2 – Spring Has Sprung

1 – Sticker

1 – Blue Foil Parallel

1 – Team Traditions and Celebrations

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina Season 3

 

Chilling Adventures of Sabrina season 3 was released in January and I wanted to give a quick take on what I thought. Season 3 deals with the demise of the Church of Night and it's school Academy of Unseen Arts.  Outside threats from the Pagans and the deposed headmaster threaten everything.  Hell has gone to heck which requires Sabrina's attention.  The season is fast paced with a lot going on.  Maybe too much and the major changes seem to take away some of what we liked in the first two seasons away.  That doesn't mean season 3 isn't good but I didn't find myself enjoying it as much as seasons one and two.  Concentrating on fewer plot lines might have kept it simpler but who knows what you'd lose.  Season 3 was fun to watch but at times it maybe seemed a bit much.  Rumor is season four will be the final season for Chilling Adventures of Sabrina.