By Michael Moore, PWTorch Collectibles specialist

In Brief: A clean signature, unique inscription, or some sort of artistic design can add to the value of a wrestler's autograph.

There are several factors that influence the value of a wrestler’s signature: his place in the industry, popularity with fans, how frequently he signs, the scarcity of the item that is signed, and more.

The clarity of a wrestler’s autograph also can have a significant impact on its value. Chris Jericho, for example, is a notoriously tough signer and has only one certified autographed trading card, yet the secondary market value and demand is somewhat low for a wrestler of Jericho’s stature and historical significance. This may be due in part to the sloppiness of Jericho’s signature and the little time and effort he puts into signing.

Many of wrestling’s top stars have produced sloppy signatures over the years, from Hulk Hogan to John Cena. But, there are plenty of wrestlers who take great care when signing for fans. Here is a look at 10 sweet signatures that are especially clear, unusually artistic, or just plain cool.

(1) The Undertaker. The most sought-after signature in wrestling is also the best looking. Every letter of Undertaker’s autograph is easily readable, and his finishing touch is a devil-like tail. (Note that in the card pictured, Undertaker’s autograph is signed in gold ink along the left side. What appears to be a more visible signature is actually an embossed facsimile that appeared on all cards in this set.)

Taker’s first certified autograph was released in the 1994 Action Packed series of WWF trading cards, and he has signed for only one other series since. WWE occasionally offers signed ‘Taker merchandise through wweshop.com. For nearly 20 years, Undertaker has been providing lucky fans with a cool, artistic signature.

(2) Bret Hart. “The Hitman” was a wrestling perfectionist who took pride in everything he did, including how he signed items. Bret’s signature always includes his famous nickname and four dots, one for each of his kids. Whether you’ve got a signed Sport Kings trading card or a photo from BretHart.com, you’ll be able to read every letter of Bret’s autograph.

(3) Shawn Michaels. “The Heartbreak Kid” signed cards for a few different sets of Topps WWE cards in the mid-2000s, each one inscribed “HBK.” Shawn doesn’t sign as frequently as some wrestlers, but when he does, he puts great time and effort into each signature.

(4) The Miz. When your wrestling name is just three letters long, there’s only so much you can do with your signature. Fortunately for autograph hounds, Miz shows off his artistic abilities whenever he signs his name. The Miz signed his first trading cards for Topps when he was still just the host of Smackdown!, and included a cool little cartoon face with his signature. Today he’s one of WWE’s top stars, but his signature hasn’t changed. He still takes the time to add that same trademark face to each autograph.

(5) C.M. Punk. Punk’s autograph isn’t a clean one in the traditional sense, but it fits his character perfectly. He always signs the “C.M.” part of his name within a straight edge “X,” making his signature one of the more unique autographs out there. Punk has been signing cards for Topps since his early days in the WWE version of ECW, and WWE has produced more and more collectibles as his star has risen. WWEshop.com is currently selling a signed plaque that includes a piece of the mat from his Survivor Series victory over Alberto Del Rio.

(6) Samoa Joe. Joe’s signature itself is cool but unspectacular: just a legible autograph written in cursive. But, Joe has added some cool inscriptions to his autographs for a few different TRISTAR trading card products. When Joe adds something like “Samoan Submission Machine” or “Nation of Violence” to his signature, he takes an unprecedented level of care to make sure that each one is crisp and clean.




(7) The Ultimate Warrior. The always-kooky Warrior has been known for long-winded ramblings, misuse of big words, and completely nonsensical rants. It may be somewhat surprising, then, to know that Warrior usually produces one of the clearer signatures in wrestling. His only certified signature was included in the 2007 Americana and 2008 Sports Legends sets from Donruss. Since then, the secondary market supply has dried up and collectors are paying higher prices to get one.

(8) Stephanie McMahon. Fleer included Stephanie’s signature from her days on WWF TV as Stephanie McMahon-Helmsley in its WWF Championship Clash set in 2001. Her handwriting is what some might call “girly,” and in a very good way. She has a very crisp, clean, cursive style of writing, with lots of loops and curls for a very appealing signature. Stephanie’s signature also pops up on eBay from time to time on letters to aspiring Creative team members who didn’t make the cut.




(9) Ric Flair. There’s nothing especially cool or unique about Flair’s signature, but he always takes the time to sign clean autographs. Flair’s legendary status makes his signature one of the most sought after in all of sports; several people who attended the National in Chicago last year reported that Flair’s line for autographs was longer than most big name athletes from other sports.

(10) Velvet Sky. She might not get as much TV time as some other Knockouts, but Velvet Sky is always a key part of TNA’s marketing. Her autographs are always among the top sellers, whether she’s signing trading cards, plaques, or other memorabilia. Velvet has a crisp, clean signature and uses a dollar sign to start off her last name.

Trivia Question

The late Dick Woehrle was part of the rare Mat Mania series of AWA figures from Remco and will be featured in next Tuesday’s Action Figure Spotlight. But, Woehrle’s wasn’t the only referee toy produced by Remco. Can you name the other variations? Send your answers to michaelmoorewriter@gmail.com.

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