Nostalgia for the Nineteen Eighties and Nineties has taken maintain of tradition as an entire, and for wrestling followers, that is no totally different. Reminiscences of these a long time have materialized in recent times in numerous methods, some good and a few dangerous. What began life as a reasonably throwaway piece of merchandise has since taken on a lifetime of its personal and grown a cult following. No piece of wrestling merchandising has ever fairly had a following just like the WWE’s ice cream bars.
Although the newer callbacks could also be what followers know most in regards to the WWE’s trademark frozen deal with, the fabled ice cream bar has a surprisingly lengthy lineage that many may not concentrate on. Going from a preferred wrestling dessert earlier than slowly fading out of the candy limelight, earlier than later coming again into the forefront of wrestling nostalgia, the WWE Ice Cream Bars have a narrative price unpacking from the freezer.
UPDATE: 2024/02/23 20:00 EST BY BENJAMIN VIEIRA
Nostalgia could be a highly effective factor. All through skilled wrestling historical past, there have been some really iconic items of merchandise that acquire an unbelievable quantity of iconic standing. Whether or not that be t-shirts or motion figures, something can hit that sure a part of nostalgia. That even consists of WWE’s ice cream bars. Even within the 2020s, they proceed to carry a particular place within the hearts of followers. The candy treats have been a staple of WWE concession stands for many years.
WWE Ice Cream Bars Emerge Amidst the Heights of Hulkamania
They Initially Ran From 1987-2008
They have been initially produced by Gold Bond Ice Cream Firm. WWE buying and selling playing cards have been packed in with the ice cream bars. Good Humor continued the partnership in 1989.
WWE Ice Cream Bars first hit concession stands in 1987, a partnership with the Gold Bond Ice Cream Firm primarily based out of Inexperienced Bay, Wisconsin. Collectively, the 2 would produce the primary collection of WWE Ice Cream Bars, which might find yourself as essentially the most iconic vary the deal had ever put out. The premise is pretty easy; a loving serving of vanilla ice cream, sandwiched between a layer of stable chocolate and a cookie, which had designs of the corporate’s largest superstars printed on high, all collectively on a stick.
The primary collection included apparent decisions like Hulk Hogan, “Macho Man” Randy Savage and Andre The Big, but additionally some extra puzzling picks just like the tag workforce Strike Pressure, Tito Santana and Rick Martel. Every bar would additionally come packaged with a WWE collectible buying and selling card, sweetening the deal. In 1989, the Gold Bond Ice Cream Firm was purchased by Good Humor, however the partnership continued thereafter. While the sooner editions of ice cream bars have been essentially the most fondly remembered, they continued into the New Technology period and past.
Although maybe not fairly as in style as its first few years, shifting away from the arenas’ concession stands to residence freezers, the WWE stored producing ice cream bars all through the Nineties, and even into the 2000s. Superstars all the best way from Diesel and the 1-2-3 Child to The Rock and John Cena all discovered themselves emblazoned on the cookie layer of a famed WWE Ice Cream Bar. The ultimate collection of WWE Ice Cream Bars would come out in 2008, that includes superstars like Carlito, Bobby Lashley, and even the person that may assist spark its resurgence, CM Punk.
The Resurgence of WWE Ice Cream Bars
The 2020 Sequence Featured John Cena, Roman Reigns, Becky Lynch, And Randy Savage
CM Punk was a vocal advocate of WWE ice cream bars returning. They returned in 2020 for a quick time. The 2020 revival solely ran for one collection.
Maybe the second that WWE’s Ice Cream Bars are most well-known up to now is their reference throughout CM Punk’s phase in Mr. McMahon a number of weeks after profitable the WWE Championship at Cash within the Financial institution in 2011. In it, itemizing his calls for, Punk proclaimed that he needed his very personal ice cream bar. What may have been an simply forgotten line ended up resonating with a lot of the WWE viewers, and the joke ended up revitalizing the fandom for WWE Ice Cream Bars.
They would seem increasingly, being featured on the poster for 2011’s TLC pay-per-view, referenced in WWE’s Slam Metropolis animated collection and thru some items of merchandise. However, WWE’s curiosity within the ice cream bars quickly waned, and Punk could be gone with out a frozen deal with to his identify. Wrestling’s favourite dessert would stay on within the hearts of followers although, and it was their continued want for extra that WWE would finally buckle.
As soon as once more partnered with Good Humor, WWE introduced out one other collection of famous person branded desserts in 2020, although in a barely totally different type from what followers had fondly appeared again on. Gone have been the wood sticks and the layer of chocolate, as a substitute, opting to enterprise into the world of ice cream sandwiches. The choice was solely out of 4 superstars; Becky Lynch, Roman Reigns, John Cena and Randy Savage as soon as once more. They have been a superb strive, however they only weren’t the identical.
Ice Cream Bars Come To All Elite Wrestling
CM Punk Lastly Bought His Ice Cream Bars
CM Punk returned to skilled wrestling in 2021. Punk employed Fairly Cool Ice Cream to provide CM Punk ice cream bars. They produced 15,000 ice cream bars for followers on the United Heart for AEW’s The First Dance Rampage Particular.
However, in 2021, the legendary ice cream bars discovered a extra trustworthy revival. All Elite Wrestling’s The First Dance version of Rampage will perpetually go down within the historical past books for the monumental return of CM Punk after years away from the wrestling enterprise. As a part of his return, in addition to talking from the center and calling out Darby Allin, Punk had one final present for the followers. Earlier than strolling again up the ramp, he implored these in attendance to seize an ice cream bar on him. In a complete shock, Punk had employed an area Chicago firm, Fairly Cool Ice Cream, to provide the dairy delights. Fairly Cool, an organization of lower than 10 staff on the time, produced 15,000 ice cream bars for these on the United Heart, earlier than making much more for their very own store, and a few for Punk’s later appearances.
The First Dance was proof of how WWE’s traditional ice cream bars had grow to be so built-in right into a weird wrestling fandom. Instantly after the occasion, ice cream bars, and even CM Punk wrappers, flooded eBay for tons of of {dollars}. A price ticket like that may by no means have occurred if it weren’t for all of the nostalgia of the unique bars, and their transient resurgence within the 2010s. All that hype for simply an ice cream, there are wrestlers on the market who want they have been that over.
