TRISTAR SIGNS KEVIN NASH AS CELEBRITY SPOKESMAN
FOR EXCLUSIVE TNA WRESTLING TRADING CARDS AND MEMORABILIA
HOUSTON, March 23, 2008 – TRISTAR recently announced that the company has joined forces with Total Nonstop Action (TNA) Wrestling as the exclusive licensee for the production and distribution of TNA trading cards and memorabilia. Now, the company has signed a wrestling icon – who is also a long-time collector of trading cards and memorabilia – as the celebrity spokesman for the new products.
Kevin Nash, one of the most dominant big men in professional wrestling history, has signed an agreement with TRISTAR to headline the company’s campaign to promote the new products, including special public and media appearances centered around the products.
Nash will also contribute his insight and expertise to a specially-focused card sub-set within at least one product, and his autographs and event-worn attire will be featured in each of the upcoming releases.
“Kevin Nash was a natural selection as the celebrity spokesman for TRISTAR’s TNA trading card and memorabilia products,” said TRISTAR President and CEO Jeff Rosenberg. “He is one of the top wrestling stars in history, he is knowledgeable about the business of trading cards and memorabilia as a collector himself, and he is widely known and recognized outside of wrestling circles based on his appearances in movies and television shows. We look forward to working with Kevin Nash to promote the exciting, new TRISTAR TNA products.”
The inaugural TRISTAR TNA trading card set - “TNA iMPACT!” - will debut in May 2008 and will include cards of TNA wrestlers, TNA Knockouts (the company’s female stars), autographed cards and event-used memorabilia cards. Nash will make his mark on this first release with his addition of unique inscriptions to his autographs that will be coveted by collectors.
"It's an honor to again work with TRISTAR," said Kevin Nash. "I had the privilege back in the nWo days to do some autograph signings with TRISTAR, and the company always is first-class. TRISTAR is synonymous with first class collectibles and bringing the finest autograph signers to their events.
"One of my earliest and fondest memories was my brother, Mark, and I trying to complete the 1968 Topps baseball card set, and that was of course before anyone knew you shouldn't be marking (on) the checklist card. All we needed to complete the set was Cookie Rojas. Back then, I believe packs were 5-cents each or a box for $2. So we took our $2 allowance and each of us bought a box of cards, but we didn't even get one Cookie Rojas card. We then went to our friend's house and saw that he had 10 Cookie Rojas cards. Unfortunately we confessed that we needed just the Cookie Rojas card to complete our set, so he insisted we give up our Harmon Killebrew and Al Kaline doubles. So we did, and completed the set.”
Nash's memorabilia collection includes a signed baseball from all members of the exclusive 500 Home Run Club.
"It's funny, so much is made in the hobby about the T-206 Honus Wagner card from 1909, long considered the Holy Grail of Trading Cards ... well, I have a whole bunch of T-206 Wagner cards in the garage, and they’re on an uncut sheet," said Nash, trying to hide his grin.
TRISTAR plans to release three TNA trading card products in 2008. The first release, “TNA iMPACT!,” is named after TNA’s two-hour weekly program on SpikeTV, viewed by an average of 2.3 million viewers weekly. In the fall, TRISTAR will release its second TNA set, tentatively titled “Cross The Line.” And just in time for the holidays, “TNA Knockouts” will feature a look at the attractive females on TNA’s roster, aptly referred to as “Knockouts.”