Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated recently took part in the NY Toy Fair, where he heard Jeremy Padawer, the current Vice President of Jazwares and former Jakks Pacific executive, discuss his game-changing pitch to WWE's Vince McMahon.

"In 2002, I had a meeting with Vince McMahon and emphasized that WWE was losing shelf space. I pointed out that it was no longer 1997; the toy sales had dwindled, and interest had waned. I urged Vince to cater to adult collectors," Padawer recounted.

McMahon was initially cautious but became receptive to the idea. One concern he raised was what would happen if Jakks signed a wrestler who WWE later wanted to contract. "We made sure that our agreements stated that any wrestler signed by WWE would be relinquished by Jakks. Between 2003 and 2010, we successfully made wrestling figures the top-selling action figure brand, significantly due to adult collectors," Padawer added.

Padawer also praised McMahon for allowing Jakks to sign wrestlers with whom McMahon had previously had contentious relationships.

"I remember Vince saying, 'If you can sign them, go ahead.' Despite any ongoing disputes or past lawsuits, McMahon was willing to set aside personal differences for the betterment of business," Padawer acknowledged.

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, Ben Jordan Kerin Oct 01, 2023 11:27AM