The Origins Of Wrestling’s 6 Favourite Foreign Objects

6. Sledgehammers

Invention:

Sledgehammers are a modification of the primitive hammer tool used by early man. The sledgehammer can be traced back to the Anglo Saxons. Its “sledge” prefix is derived from the Anglo-Saxon word "slægan” – a verb that means “to strike violently”. The modern incarnation is a heavy and often hard to wield tool, commonly used for demolition work.

Innovation:

The sledgehammer’s use in professional wrestling is its most apt application considering its naming origins. In WWE, as a weapon it first rose to prominence during the 1998 feud between The Undertaker, Kane, and Mankind. During SummerSlam 1998, after no showing on then tag team partner (and co-champion), Kane used a sledgehammer on Mankind, after the latter had lost their Tag Team Championships in a handicap match against The New Aged Outlaws.

Innovator:

The sledgehammer has become synonymous with Triple H and is integral to his ‘The Game’ gimmick. The first time he brandished the weapon on TV was during a Casket Match between The Undertaker and The Rock on 17 May 1999 edition of Raw. Triple H interfered attacking The Rock’s arm, which was already in a cast. Once The Rock was trapped inside the metal casket, ‘The Cerebral Assassin’ mercilessly beat it with the sledge.