Mighty Champions: Action Figure Radio kicks off Series 2 with a full breakdown of the 2025 Action Figure Awards, celebrating the best, boldest, and most talked-about figures and lines of the year — without holding back on discussion or debate.

In this episode, the hosts reflect on 2025 across every corner of the hobby, covering wrestling figures, superhero lines, G.I. Joe, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, video game figures, vehicles, exclusives, surprises, and head-scratching releases. From WWE and AEW to Marvel Legends, DC Multiverse, G.I. Joe Classified, NECA, Super7, McFarlane Toys, Jazwares, Hasbro, Jada Toys, and more, nothing from the year is off the table.

The conversation spans personal collecting highlights, major retail and convention exclusives, vintage pickups, modern standouts, new lines, unexpected collaborations, peg warmers, and figures that sparked the most conversation in the community. Categories range from wrestling and superheroes to vehicles, WTF releases, and overall Figure of the Year — with plenty of context, history, and collector perspective along the way.

This episode marks the official start of Series 2, setting the tone for the next wave of Mighty Champions with deeper discussions, bigger segments, and continued focus on both vintage and modern collecting. No rankings are spoiled in advance — listeners are invited to experience the full awards discussion as it unfolds.

If you collect WWE, AEW, Marvel Legends, DC Universe Classics, G.I. Joe, TMNT, video game figures, or just love talking toys at a high level, this episode is the definitive wrap-up of 2025 and the perfect launch point for what’s next.

New series. New wave. Same love for the hobby.

The Mighty Champions: Action Figure Radio holiday special delivers its biggest episode yet, packed with toy collecting, pop culture nostalgia, and imagination-driven fun.

The episode opens with a recap of Christian’s birthday toy hunt across Houston, including stops at Texas Time Warp and Misfit Toys, with discussion of vintage finds, modern pickups, and the current state of the toy hunt scene. From there, the conversation shifts to Jon’s recent trip to Mexico City, covering international toy shopping, local market differences, and online purchases made during the week.

The centerpiece of the episode is Toy Aisle Time Capsule: December 1996, a deep dive into what toy aisles looked like heading into Christmas at the end of 1996. The hosts break down the dominant toy lines and pop culture of the era, including Star Wars Power of the Force, Kenner, Marvel, DC, Batman, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, WWF, WCW, Spawn, Power Rangers, Playmates, Toy Biz, McFarlane, Nintendo 64, PlayStation, Pokémon-era prelude gaming, blockbuster movies, television, music, and the overall pop culture landscape that defined the time.

The show then moves into News of the Week, featuring major updates and discussion around McFarlane Toys, Marvel Legends, Star Wars action figures, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and the latest developments in the modern toy collecting hobby.

The episode closes with the return of Action Figure Mission, a story-driven segment where the hosts are given a full mission briefing and must work together to select five action figures capable of completing the objective. Strategy, character abilities, accessories, vehicles, and teamwork all come into play as the mission unfolds.

Episode 27 is a long-form Christmas special built for toy collectors, action figure fans, and pop culture enthusiasts, blending nostalgia, modern news, and creative play into one packed holiday episode.

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, and the Mighty Champions are making their lists and checking them twice. Jon’s gearing up for a Christmas trip to Mexico City with CMLL tickets, Christian’s celebrating his birthday with a three-store toy hunt across Houston, and both are dreaming of what might be under the tree this year.

In this festive episode, the guys read their letters to Santa, sharing the toys they’re chasing, the wishes they have for the hobby, and a few things they hope to see in the future of collecting. Then it’s time for the return of What’s in the Box? This time with a holiday twist: a mystery gift exchange between hosts. What could it be? Marvel? Wrestling? DC? Predator? Star Wars? 

Grab some cocoa, cue up the holiday playlist, and join us for a Christmas-themed episode full of nostalgia, surprises, and action figure collector cheer.

This week, Jon returns from the West Coast with a bag full of stories (and figures) from California’s Bat Cave Toys & Comics in Santa Rosa, while Christian dives into a local haul from Austin’s Bat City Toys. Then it’s time to chill out as we count down our Top 10 Frozen Figures  (no, not that Frozen)  from McFarlane Sub-Zero to BTAS Mr. Freeze to The Iceman Dean Malenko himself.

We hit the latest action figure news from McFarlane Toys, NECA TMNT, WWE’s Monday Night Wars, MOTU Origins, Jada Street Fighter, and more.

Finally, we dive deep into the rise and fall of Toy Biz! The highs, the misses, and the legacy it left behind.

A frosty blast of nostalgia, news, and nerd talk.

Toys Discussed: McFarlane Mortal Kombat Klassics, Star Wars, Kenner Batman, Playmates TMNT, Toy Biz X-Men, Spider-Man Classics, Marvel Legends, TMNT Mezco, MOTU Mondo, and more!

🎙️ Episode 24 – “Chemical Toy Fair, Required Viewing & The On Deck Collection”

Recorded early due to Thanksgiving travel, Episode 24 brings the heat like a blast from a Kenner Predator shoulder cannon. We kick things off with a full recap of our epic trip to Chemical Toy Fair in Austin—what we saw, what we scored, and the one that got away.

Then we dive into the official Mighty Champions Action Figure Radio Letterboxd list: “Required Viewing”—a curated collection of essential movies for toy lovers and collectors. We debate what should and shouldn’t be included, and what makes a movie worthy of MCAFR canon.

Finally, it’s another round of On Deck Collection, where we talk about the next lines calling our names. Jon is on the hunt for vintage Kenner Predator MOC, while Christian feels the Force pulling him toward Star Wars Episode I–III collectibles. It’s toy therapy at its finest.

🔘 Toy shows

🎬 Movie canon

📦 Future grails

This week on Mighty Champions: Action Figure Radio, the fellas play a brand-new game segment: The Price is Right — Action Figure Edition! Can Jon and Christian guess the final eBay prices of wild listings like a Green Ranger autographed figure, a sealed Naked Gun VHS box set, a DC Universe Classics Giganta Wave lot, and more?

Then it’s time for your weekly toy news rundown, with updates and opinions on fresh drops from:

• McFarlane Toys
  
  
  
• WWE Mattel Elite & Ultimates
  
  
  
• TMNT lines
  
  
  
• Jada Toys Street Fighter
  
  
  
• Boss Fight Studios
  
  
  
• …and more!
  
  
  

We close out with a special Thanksgiving-themed collector survey where Jon and Christian share their answers on everything from:

• The toy line they were most thankful for as kids and now
  
  
  
• The “Turkey Award” for worst figure
  
  
  
• Black Friday hunt predictions
  
  
  
• A figure they regret skipping
  
  
  
• Which food-themed figures they are still grateful for (Gobbledy Gooker alert!)
  
  
  

If you’ve ever wished Stone Cold Steve Austin & The JLA could pull up to Thanksgiving with a six-pack and some stuffing, this is the episode for you.

🎧 Tune in now — and don’t forget to rate, review, and tell your collector crew.

#ActionFigures #ToyPodcast #WWEFigures #MarvelLegends #JadaStreetFighter #TMNTtoys #VintageToys #ToyCollector #ToyNews #BlackFridayToys #ThanksgivingSpecial #MightyChampionsRadio #RetroToys #McFarlaneToys #BossFightStudios

It’s a wild one this week on Mighty Action Figure Radio. We kick things off with a real-life action sequence: Christian recounts a chaotic car breakdown saga, while Jon reveals how pushing the limits in the gym led to his first workout puke in over 20 years.

Then we get hands-on with a live unboxing and review of the new Punisher & Nick Fury Gamerverse 2-pack from Marvel Legends—does this set hit the mark or miss the target?

From there, we dive into our Top 10 villain action figures of all time. Who made the list? Who got snubbed? We break down the most menacing and must-have plastic bad guys ever made.

Finally, it’s time for TOY HOT TAKES, where controversy reigns. Christian buries Transformers and Pokémon six feet deep. Jon takes aim at the so-called “golden eras” of collecting and reveals which time period absolutely sucked.

⚠️ Warning: This one’s not for the faint of heart...

Ep 21 – Power 5 Vehicle Draft & Toy Aisle Time Capsule (1993)
We’re back from the road and we brought the heat. This episode kicks off with a full breakdown of our pilgrimage to Dallas Vintage Toys—a toy hunter’s mecca—and the legendary hauls we scored. Then we time-travel back to Fall 1993, where the toy aisles were overflowing with plastic greatness.

We're talking Batman: The Animated Series, Jurassic Park, Power Rangers, Street Fighter II, Kenner Aliens, Ninja Turtles, Sonic the Hedgehog, Spawn, WWF Hasbros, and more. It was the golden era of after-school cartoons, SNES and Genesis wars, and action figures with firing missiles, glow-in-the-dark slime, and way too many accessories.

From there, it’s time for the Power 5 Vehicle Draft—where we each build the ultimate fleet of toy vehicles across land, sea, and air. Batmobiles, Blimps, Tanks, Blasters, Boats, and deep cuts like the Bigfoot Champions Crunch Arena all collide in a heated draft for toy supremacy.

Plus: all the latest action figure news from Hasbro, Mattel, McFarlane, NECA, Super7, Jada, and more.

Road trips. Retro toy aisles. Draft day chaos.
This one hits the gas and never lets up.

Before the toy hunt begins, we reflect on the last toys of our childhood. Those final figures we clung to before growing up (or pretending to). Then we dive into our Hit Lists ahead of a road trip to Dallas Vintage Toys, packed with nostalgia-fueled grails like WWF Hasbro, Toy Biz Marvel Legends, Kenner BTAS, DCUC, GI Joe, and more.

From there, it’s a tour through the latest action figure news from Mattel, McFarlane, Hasbro, Super7, NECA, Jada, and beyond, plus some early holiday hype.

Finally, we close out with a brand-new segment: "Paying Respects" to the toy lines that raised us. We shout out legends like Playmates TMNT, Jurassic Park ‘93, Batman Returns, Toy Biz X-Men, Mortal Kombat, Street Fighter, Beetleborgs, Stranger Things, and more.

🟠 EPISODE 19:  SPOOKY TOY LINE RESURRECTION & HALLOWEEN MISSION REPORT 🎃

This week, we’re diving into Halloween memories, radioactive nostalgia, and undead toy lines!

🎃 First, the Champions share their childhood Halloween traditions and crack open a live Jurassic Park figure unboxing.

🧟 Then it’s time for Toy Line Resurrection—Jon revives the gloriously gross Kenner Swamp Thing line while Christian brings in the debatably spooky but undeniably explosive Small Soldiers. We dig into what worked, what failed, and what these lines could be today.

📰 In Action Figure News, we react to McFarlane’s Fallout wave, a slick new Batmobile ‘66 release, and more.

🕵️‍♂️ Finally, we suit up for the Mission Report: Operation Shadow Veil. An elite Halloween team is needed, and YOU might be the one to assemble it. We break down the picks, the spookiest specialties, and a few figures that are burning up the search charts right now…

Subscribe, rate, and follow Mighty Champions Action Figure Radio for new drops every Monday!
🎧 Available on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, and wherever you get your pods.