In the early 2010s, Mattel was still wrapping its head around the massive WWE figure license and meanwhile, the product was changing considerably.
No longer infused with "WWE Attitude" or really, "Ruthless Aggression," WWE was becoming increasingly PG. While they certainly continued to crank out larger 6 inch figures for the average and adult collectors, Mattel also wanted to capitalize on the PG era with figures that may appeal more to a younger generation.
Enter WWE Rumblers, a line that was created in 2011 and featured tiny, cartoonish minifigures of most of the era's top stars. These are not to be confused with the Slam City line, which were created roughly around the same time. See below for just some of the examples...
While the figures lacked the articulation and detail of their larger counterparts, they weren't without their charm. The collection included minifigures of:
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Alberto Del Rio
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The Big Show
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Booker T
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Brock Lesnar
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Brodus Clay
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Christian
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CM Punk
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Cody Rhodes
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Daniel Bryan
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Edge
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Evan Bourne
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Ezekiel Jackson
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Goldust
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The Great Khali
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Hornswoggle
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Jack Swagger
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John Cena
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John Morrison
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Justin Gabriel
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Kane
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Kofi Kingston
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The Miz
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R-Truth
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Randy Savage
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Rey Mysterio
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The Rock
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Santino Marella
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Sin Cara
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Sheamus
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Stone Cold Steve Austin
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Tensai
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Triple H
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The Undertaker
.... as well as a few others I'm probably forgetting offhand. The figures came as singles, two-packs and gift sets over the years, some containing accessories such as tables, garbage cans and what not. Some came packaged separately as part of a tablet app game.
There were also ring playsets, including the one you see pictured with the wrestlers above. A $ 4 purchase at a flea market, this Rumblers ring had round disks in it that you could move up and down by pressing levers out of the ring. With a bit of imagination, you could fill the ring with Rumblers and attempt a Royal Rumble.
Were WWE Rumblers a particularly great line of figures? Not really. But looking back they certainly captured the spirit of the PG Era quite well.