There are a vast number of ways a wrestler can get over with fans. Being a babyface or heel isn’t enough -- there needs to be a great catchphrase, an awesome finishing move, or a signature pose, among many others. For some wrestlers, it’s a prop, be it a weapon, prized possession, or a random object. Not only is a physical object generally pretty easy to understand, but it can also be an easy way to sell merch.
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Loads of wrestlers carry props, but there are some who get so inextricably linked to their item that it defines them, even if they end up moving away from the gimmick where it made sense for them to carry it.
10 Mick Foley: Mr. Socko
In 1998, Vince McMahon was (kayfabe) laid up in the hospital, resulting in a pretty funny skit with Mick Foley (as Mankind) trying to cheer him up, at one point, using his own sock as a puppet named Mr. Socko. It was only supposed to be a one-off gag, but the act took off so much with fans that it became a part of Foley’s repertoire, as he would pull out Mr. Socko and wear him for his signature Mandible Claw finisher. It’s so much become a part of Foley’s gimmick that he’s done it while portraying Santa Claus on WWE television.
9 Jim Duggan: 2x4
Despite never winning a title in WWE, “Hacksaw” Jim Duggan made a huge impression with fans with his “Hoooo!” catchphrase and signature 2x4, which fans could buy a foam version of as a souvenir back in the day. The origin of Duggan’s use of a piece of lumber one could buy at Home Depot is hilariously practical, stemming from Duggan’s days in the territories. West Texas was known for having rowdy, belligerent fans, so mentor Bruiser Brody advised Duggan to come out with a weapon to ward off potential attackers. Duggan decided on a 2x4, and it soon became part of his character.
8 Xavier Woods: Francesca
One of the more common WWE tropes involves a wrestler anthropomorphizing an everyday object by giving it a name. Dean Ambrose had Mitch the potted plant, Jack Gallagher had an umbrella named William, and Xavier Woods of The New Day still has his trusty trombone, Francesca.
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It was a great way for Woods to be obnoxious, especially during New Day’s heel run, as he’d incessantly play it during matches, often to lead a “New, Day Rocks” chant or sometimes as sound effects for his partners’ moves. As recently as Extreme Rules 2021, Xavier Woods has tooted some variation on Francesca.
7 The Undertaker: Urn
Before he evolved into an undead cowboy MMA fighter who looks like Dr. Frasier Crane, The Undertaker was explicitly a supernatural character whose powers came from an urn. Carried around by his manager Paul Bearer, the urn was originally your run-of-the-mill foreign object, but it functioned as a videogame power-up once ‘Taker turned babyface, aiding “The Dead Man” in a comeback. In more recent years, WWE commentators would stress that the urn was purely symbolic.
6 Hiromu Takahashi: Daryl Takahashi
One of the most fun stars of New Japan Pro Wrestling is Los Ingobernables de Japon member Hiromu Takahashi, a junior heavyweight weirdo who does lots of wacky things to troll his opponents (often with props) yet somehow avoids being labeled a joke character. One such prop is a plush cat named Daryl Takahashi, which Hiromu would carry around a lot to the point where he basically became an unofficial member of LIJ. Bad Luck Fale once ripped him up, but he got better, eventually acquiring a girlfriend (Carol) and a son (Daryl Jr.).
5 Sandman: Singapore Cane
The kendo stick (or shinai) has become such a common weapon in pro wrestling that it’s easy to forget that it was introduced as a topical reference. In 1994, American citizen Michael P. Fay made headlines when he was sentenced to a caning in Singapore as corporal punishment, and ECW capitalized on the notoriety by booking a “Singapore Cane” match between The Sandman and Tommy Dreamer that same year. Instead of an actual cane, they opted for a kendo stick instead, which isn’t as harmful and makes a nice sound when you hit people. The object became a Sandman signature, and he carried it around for the rest of his career.
4 Jake Roberts: Damien
When Jake “The Snake” Roberts adopted his nickname, carrying around an actual snake was not part of the equation. He came up with the idea of carrying around a live snake back in his Mid-South Wrestling days, but promoter Bill Watts shot it down, deeming it too stupid and circus-like. So, of course when he came to WWE, the company pitched Roberts the same idea.
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Roberts would come to the ring with his snake Damien in a bag, pulling it out to place on his opponents’ unconscious bodies during his heel days. Over the years Roberts would have a number of snakes, including a cobra that famously sunk its (defanged) teeth into Randy Savage and refused to let go.
3 Al Snow: Head
After a stint wrestling for WWE under various unpopular gimmicks like Leif Cassidy of The New Rockers and Avatar, Al Snow went over to ECW as part of WWE’s working relationship with the Philly promotion. It’s there that he developed his most famous character, a crazy person who talks to a mannequin head named Head. The idea was that his run in WWE sent him off the deep end, but Head was also fodder for raunchy humor. Al Snow would bring Head with him back to WWE, becoming a pretty fun comedy character in the process.
2 Jeff Jarrett: Guitar
It’s unknown if anyone’s really a devoted fan of Jeff Jarrett, but there’s one thing most can agree on: it’s good when he smashes a guitar over someone’s head. It stems back to his WWE character, debuting back in 1993 as a country music singer nicknamed “Double J.” It wouldn’t be long before he started braining dudes with acoustic guitars, a practice that would continue long after the musician gimmick went away. He even turned heel and joined Bullet Club in NJPW via guitar smash. It’s a gimmick that always works.
1 Kurt Angle: Olympic Gold Medal
A legend in both WWE and Impact Wrestling, Kurt Angle is famously an Olympic gold medalist, having competed in wrestling at the Summer Olympics in 1996. Like many successful amateur wrestlers, Angle would eventually be scouted by pro wrestling and debuted for WWE in 1999, where he’d quickly adopt a heel persona. As a “legitimate” athlete, he had a sense of superiority and was obnoxious about his Olympic achievement, which of course would lead to him defending the gold medal in matches and briefly losing it to Eugene.
