Anna C. Flowers
If you’re a die-hard follower of the EAW product, there’s a good chance that you own a few items of merchandise from your favorite Elitists.
From t-shirts and titles to action figures and footwear, fans have been able to purchase anything and everything to do with EAW and its performers over the decade. Merchandise sales have quickly become one of the most important parts of the wrestling business. For EAW Elitists, it is a barometer of their worth to the company – the more stuff of yours that sells, the more important you are in the grand scheme of things. Around the holidays, it can become increasingly apparent which stars are selling more based on reports from the North Pole – merchandise from a select few EAW Elitists were found at the top of kids’ Christmas lists this year. So, which wrestlers sold the most this holiday season? Well, that’s what we’re here to discuss today!
So, without any further ado, let’s get into our list of 10 superstars who sell the most merchandise for the EAW:
10. Drake King
Drake King’s merchandise sales have seen a major surge during the fourth quarter, so much so that he’s managed to skyrocket himself into this years top 10. The Ok Movement is one of EAW’s most unexpected, yet pleasantly surprising developments of Season 12 as the young upstart Drake King has managed to win over the support of millions. Several variations of his “Ok” phrase can be found on different products that have been flying off of the shelves. A lot of people anticipate this to be a fad that eventually dies down and Drake himself looks to be moving towards a different direction, but I think that as long as he continues to evolve at the rate that he has, his brand will be defined by much more than the Ok Movement.
9. Cameron Ella Ava
Cameron Ella Ava is considered one of the spearheaders of modern women’s wrestling, as she is the first female to hold a male singles championship and be a full-time member of a male-dominated EAW brand. Ava’s influence was not merely constrained to the realm of pro-wrestling, however, as she is one of the most popular cross-promotional Elitists whose popularity fork-lifted her into reality television stardom as well. With the announcement of True Avas at the beginning of 2018, a spin-off of the already incredibly successful show True Vixens, the Hall of Famer has proven herself dedicated to further cementing the vested interest that pro-wrestling was already beginning to foster on a worldwide level. With multiple appearances on shows such as Dancing With The Stars in late-2017 and American Ninja Warrior in 2018, Ava has easily become one of the most easily recognizable EAW Elitists in history, and making a pretty penny from her EAW merchandise.
8. Jamie O’Hara
There is no question to the influence that Jamie O’Hara has had on the EAW Universe since his inception as the Ace of Elite Answers Wrestling. Recognized globally as an absolute genius when it comes to design, branding, and marketing, Jamie has been one of our top ten merchandise sellers even after his brief departure from EAW in June earlier this year – possibly due to the help of his face on the cover of EAW2K19’s Legend Edition. He has consistently been a fan favorite and one of the biggest draws of 2018, as his merchandise design and visual graphics have basically sold themselves for the second half of the year. Now that he has returned full-time to EAW and after seeing what he is capable of creatively after revealing himself as the mastermind behind the enigmatic SYNCON figure, the possibilities are endless when it comes to Jamie O’Hara expanding his brand.
7. Malcolm Jones
EAW’s Interwire Champion, following in the footsteps of his former mentor and EAW Chairman Mr. DEDEDE, has increasingly grown in popularity since the REVOLT! merger, and his sales show no signs of slowing down anytime soon. As we can tell by his sponsorships with companies such as Off-White and Vlone, Jones has benefited greatly from being one of the best talkers in the company, which has created plenty of MJ fans, despite his status as a heel. Upon his debut to EAW, Jones seamlessly inserted himself into the main event scene by racking victories up against the Hall of Famer, Heart Break Boy, and the current EAW Champion, Ahren Fournier. Over the last couple of months, fans have been able to see Malcolm Jones develop into one of the most well-rounded in-ring performers in EAW – and it is definitely paying off – with his top-notch mic skills making him a better attraction than some might have initially expected from the rookie.
6. Rex McAllister
Rex McAllister has described himself as a competitor that is strong willed, commanding on the mic, intense, passionate, and a little zealous. With his commitment to being a role model coupled with his success as EAW World Heavyweight Champion, it is hardly surprising that The Rex Master has found his way onto this list. He’s old school personified – a trait that sets him apart from a majority of the EAW roster today. He has the look and charisma of the perfect wrestler and has consistently defied the odds and emerged victorious throughout 2018. Rex is beloved and cherished both by the younger members of the audience as well as most casual fans.
5. Theron Nikolas
Theron Nikolas has been one of the EAW‘s biggest names for about two years now, and following his recent resurgence and his proclamation that he wants to become the “God Emperor,” the EAW Universe has really taken to Nikolas despite his status as a heel – especially after he won King of Elite in January of this year and eventually became the EAW Answers World Championship in October at Operation: Doomsday. After forming the 1% alongside Jack Ripley and Mr. DEDEDE, Theron quickly became one of the most watched and most popular stars on EAW television to date, marking an increased demand for merchandise featuring Nikolas. Theron Nikolas has a new t-shirt design nearly every week – or at least it seems that way. Some more of his merchandise also includes clocks, lunchboxes, mugs, and even underwear – you name it, there’s probably a Theron Nikolas item of merchandise for it.
4. Diamond Cage
Diamond Cage has fought tooth and nail all throughout 2018 to deliver nothing other but the most “Explicit Content” the EAW Universe has seen from the Hall of Famer. His smash-mouth, hardcore wrestling style and rebellious attitude has earned Cage an unmatched level of respect and admiration from the EAW Universe for his authenticity and sincerity. Throughout his tenure in EAW, Cage’s popularity never took a hit with the fans during his hiatuses over the years – 2018 being his best year so far. After winning the EAW Championship in June – doubling his time as champion since his last reign – Cage changed what it meant to be an EAW by holding true to himself and his gimmick, becoming one of the most beloved and influential performers in EAW today.
3. Jaded Wolfe Hearts
The influence that the members of the Jaded Wolfe Hearts hold individually only increases exponentially when they are together as a unit. Tyler Wolfe’s persona – an aggressive, blood thirsty, ruthless female brawler – is her greatest selling point, making her relatable, admirable, and above all else, marketable. Sienna Jade and Kassidy Heart have landed themselves multiple commercial deals and sponsorships from brands such as Mac Cosmetics, Ulta, Sephora, and others – a series of sponsorship deals that has expanded their influencer status further than EAW’s audience. Tyler’s hardcore attitude coupled with Sienna Jade’s and Kassidy Heart’s lovable, mean girl essence make for a unique, yet seemingly unlikely union between the three Elitists – and it’s part of what makes them stand out as much as they do on the Empire roster.
2. Mr. DEDEDE
There is no questioning whether or not Gawd himself, Mr. DEDEDE, has solidified his status as the face of Elite Answers Wrestling, a position backed by his colossal merchandise sales year after year. After Mr. DEDEDE “came out of the closet,” there was a tremendous jump in his merchandise sales. Surveys conducted by EAW’s marketing teams later revealed that this spike in demand for DDD merchandise in the first half of 2018 came from the LGBT, misinterpreting his deliberate trolling as support and acceptance of same sex marriage, and mistaking him for an ally. Capitalizing on the publicicity of his “coming out” story, Mr. DEDEDE accepted many endorsements from celebrities as well as lucrative sponsorships from several major corporations. Although it was later revealed to be a publicity stunt, somehow, sales of DDD’s merchandise did not take a dip whatsoever, making it clear that despite his questionable tactics, Mr. DEDEDE knows exactly what to do in order to become a top merchandise seller.
1. Chris Elite
Chris Elite is arguably one of the single best drawing Elitists in EAW history. His first EAW t-shirt sold out almost instantly in April 2018 after he won his first EAW World Heavyweight Championship in March, and he would, of course, go on to headline a number of sellout EAW events – even after losing the title in August. The former World Heavyweight Champion was featured on the cover of EAW2K19, an edition of the game that flew off of the shelves this holiday season. Elite has been featured prominently as a headliner on Showdown and appears to be getting over with the masses ever since his debut, his sales only doubling each quarter – a trend not yet seen in EAW history. The self-proclaimed Elitist of the Year has had sponsors and brands nearly busting down his door to offer sponsorships deals including Nike, Timberland, Adidas, and more. With an unsurmounted ability to continue to bring in some hefty checks, Elite is the new king of EAWshop.com and concession stands worldwide.
Honorable Mentions
There were a handful of names Santa brought to our attention, but didn’t quite equate to the level of end-of-quarter sales we saw from the previously mentioned Elitists. Amongst them are Ahren Fournier (BAAAA!), Madison Kaline, Impact, Astraea Jordan, Noah Reigner, and Andrea Valentine. According to our marketing team, these names are projected to do fantastic numbers in the upcoming year.
