How long have heels had their own merch?

[Guest saturnmark4life]

Back in early-to-mid nineties, kayfabe was still alive on tv, and merchandise was big in wrestling. I don't recall any heels having t shirts because we weren't supposed to like em, and whilst HHH was top heel in 2000 and had a visible fanbase, surely he wasn't the first to have loads of merchandise like they all do now? I can't think of anyone before him, but I'm probably missing loads of obvious ones, and I didn't have access to WCW back then.

[Guest oldschoolwrestling]

I had a Four Horsemen shirt back in 87 with Flair-Arn-Tully and Luger on it. I also remember people with Rowdy Roddy Piper shirts back in the day.

[Guest Dr. Wrestlingphysics]

I'm not sure, as I never paid attention to merchandise, but the Heel NWO had a load of people buying their t-shirts back in '96.

[cawthon777 0]

Flair had his own WWF shirt, poster, etc during his initial run in 91/92. I believe the Undertaker had a few items during his first year (might have started when he turned face in early 92, not sure).

[Guest Choken One]

I am certain the HOT ROD shirts were the first heel shirts ever.

[Guest Grenouille]

I'd agree that Piper's was probably the first, but after that it wasn't all that uncommon for heels have shirts. King Kong Bundy had one back in 86/87. Even low end heels like Dick Slater had shirts in the late 80s.

[Guest wayzing]

Honky Tonk Man, King Kong Bundy and Andre had merchandise in the WWF magazines back in 1987. Andre had that T-shirt with his handprint on and it only came in Andre's size. Jesse Ventura had a T-shirt too. Mr perfect had a blue T-shirt in 1988 that could qualify as one of the ugliest T-shirts ever.

 

Eh, come to think of it, I guess most of them were pretty ugly as they usually featured a badly drawn picture of the superstar (aaah, I love to call people like Koko B. Ware and The Killer Bees superstars )

 

Didn't the Road Warriors have any merchandise during their initial heel run? That would preceed Piper's Hot Rod shirt.

 

It's just a guess but I wouldn't be surprised if early 80's Superfly Jimmy Snuka had a T-shirt even though he was a heel. And what about Superstar Billy Graham's title reign 1977-78? Harley Race?

 

And that, folks, wraps up another edition of Wayzing's guessings. I'm Wayzing - surfing in the nude as usual

[Guest converge241]

The first i remember seeing/buying was the IV horsemen

[Guest saturnmark4life]

Yeah I thought of the horsemen too, but then my knowledge from back then is full of gaps and unless vince releases old WCW tapes (sheyeah right) it's gonna stay that way. Thanks for the info people.