10 Inanimate Objects In Wrestling That Somehow Got Over

Turns out we like things more than people sometimes.

Xavier Woods Trombone
WWE.com

Pro wrestling is a funny business. Not always "ha ha" funny, but more like "Why in the hell do they keep creating fake versions of popular characters?" funny and "Won't someone please tell Vince McMahon to stop doing abortion storylines?" funny.

It's a fickle industry predicated on the audience's complete suspension of disbelief. But it's that combination that has allowed some truly spellbinding characters to emerge from behind the Gorilla Position over the years. Fans have had no problem cheering for guys like The Undertaker or The Ultimate Warrior, whose vaguely supernatural gimmicks are a bit silly even by most horror movie standards.

So it makes sense that every once in a while a random prop is able to achieve major success. If audiences can give up huge pops to Too Cool or Disco Inferno, what's stopping them from making signs declaring their love for a mop that's been painted up to look like a woman?

Here's to the lifeless, insentient, and wonderfully bizarre props that have captured wrestling fans' imaginations over the years.

10. Mine - George The Animal Steele's Teddy Bear

Xavier Woods Trombone
WWE.com

In reality, there are few things more terrifying than a mentally-disturbed adult man who constantly totes around a teddy bear. But put that man in some tights and have him talk to a platypus-shaped stuffed animal during a wrestling match - in between biting the stuffing out of the turnbuckles - and all of a sudden it's a cute "gimmick".

The origin of Mine is based, as so many of WWE's creative decisions are, on the potential for moving merchandise. In an effort to get Mean Gene Okerlund to crack during an interview, Steele whipped out a novelty plush toy called Earl the Dead Cat and began treating it like his new best friend. Vince, seeing giant dollar signs, decided to license an actual WWE plushy for George to lug around that they could also sell to tots.

But all of the credit for the Mine doll goes to Steele, who did everything he could to get the toy over with kids shy of booking it for a guest appearance on Sesame Street. The Mine gimmick was the last truly successful run Steele had with the company before retiring from in-ring action.

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