10 Weapons From WWE History You Don't See Anymore

Beginning in 2008, WWE moved from an edgier TV-14 product to a PG format, which watered down their use of violence. While professional wrestling remains an incredibly physical form of entertainment, the use of weapons and gratuitous violence was lowered, which angered fans of hardcore wrestling. Weapons have continued to be used in different capacities and the product has slowly become edgier, but some things have never returned to normal.

As the WWE product has evolved over the years, so have the different weapons that are used during applicable matches. Some weapons are only brought out as special, one-time occurrences which have left fans wanting more, while others have proven to be too unpredictable and dangerous to be used on a consistent basis. Sometimes, crazy weapons may pop up again, but many of these have been discontinued for the foreseeable future.

10 Fire

Fire comes into play in only the most extreme wrestling environments and matches. Whether it is the infamous Fire Match from FMW in Japan or the times it was used to intensify a feud in ECW, fire is one of the most dangerous elements that can be introduced into a wrestling match.

WWE has only introduced fire a handful of times, most of which involved Mick Foley. Following the hardcore match between Edge and Mick Foley at WrestleMania 22, fire has only been used in special effects and not for the purposes of violence during a match. Due to the unpredictability of the element, fire is certainly not something to expect in WWE very often.

9 Bowling Ball

During the era of the WWE Hardcore Championship, it was not uncommon to see strange weapons make appearances in matches. From kitchen sinks to potted plants, wrestlers would use any object necessary to make it out of hardcore matches as the victor. Al Snow was among the most creative and is credited with being the first wrestler to utilize a bowling ball against his opponents.

Following the phasing out of the hardcore division in 2002, bowling balls were used much more sparingly as a weapon. Making its most recent appearance in 2018 during a Miracle on 34th Street Fight with Lashley and Elias, it is a far cry from seeing it during every Al Snow match in 2000.

8 Barbed Wire

One of the most painful weapons that has ever been introduced to professional wrestling is barbed wire. While it can be gimmicked to not hurt or stick to an opponent, that is not evident during WWE's most hardcore matches where the razored wire sticks directly into a wrestler's skin.

WWE has only featured a single barbed-wire match in history when The Big Show and JBL faced off in a barbed-wire steel cage match. Any other time barbed wire has been used, it has been as a weapon during a match, but it has always been sparingly. In comparison, AEW utilizes barbed wire in most of their hardcore matches and it is much more commonplace.

7 Sledgehammer

If used often enough, a weapon can become synonymous with a single wrestler and it becomes difficult to associate it with anyone else but them. For instance, it is difficult to think about brass knuckles without thinking about William Regal's power of the punch. When a wrestler moves on from WWE, their signature weapon may also become retired with their character.

Triple H began using his signature sledgehammer in 1999, and it became one of the most memorable weapons in WWE history. Using it in a sadistic fashion, Triple H would bring out a sledgehammer as an equalizer against opponents or inflict as much damage as possible. Given how closely related Triple H is with the sledgehammer, it would be unlikely that another wrestler would begin using it any time soon.

6 Chainsaw

Professional wrestlers constantly walk a line between sports-entertainment damage on their opponent and inflicting real-life harm, which can be particularly difficult when it comes to hardcore matches. Even if "anything goes" during a match, using a weapon which causes bodily harm would be too far.

However, several wrestlers have threatened the use of chainsaws in the past, most notably Terry Funk during his WWE run as Chainsaw Charlie. Brandishing a power tool as a weapon, Funk would come at his opponents with the intent to maim, but he would never make contact. Thankfully, this is not something used often, even as a scare tactic.

5 Thumbtacks

Wrestlers put their bodies on the line every time they step inside the ring, and that instantly makes them some of the toughest people in the sports and entertainment world. However, not every wrestler is okay with the idea of being planted on thumbtacks and having them become embedded into their bodies.

While AEW does not shy away from using thumbtacks often during anything-goes matches, WWE has only used them sparingly. Chris Jericho was the last WWE wrestler to suffer thumbtacks in 2018, and with fewer extreme wrestlers on the roster, it has become increasingly less common.

4 Salt

Mr. Fuji throwing salt at Bret Hart while he applies the Sharpshooter to Yokozuna

Introducing wacky characters and gimmicks during WWE's New Generation era allowed them to become creative with how characters could interact during matches. While it was not always the most serious of affairs, fans were still able to become invested in the action.

Having a beloved wrestler lose by interference remains a great way to take fans on an emotional roller coaster, and it is a tactic that has been used to perfection. Consider when Bret Hart lost the WWE Championship to Yokozuna at WrestleMania 10 as a result of Mr. Fuji throwing salt into The Hitman's eyes. While salt is not often used anymore, it was a great way to keep fans invested in what would happen next.

3 Nightstick

Over the years, WWE has moved away from colourful and career-based gimmicks and has steered more to looking at wrestlers as regular people. Wrestlers have continued to have weapons associated with them, but not as many with their gimmick itself.

Known as a former prison guard, The Big Bossman touted his nightstick to the ring and would use it to gain the upper hand in his matches. Following his passing in 2004, there has not been a wrestler with a prison gimmick, and the nightstick has not made an appearance since either.

2 Glass

Shawn Michaels Marty Jannetty Barbershop window.

When Shawn Michaels threw Marty Jannetty through the Barbershop window in 1992, it was seen as the most brutal betrayal in WWE history. The violence of being thrown through a window instantly made the moment iconic, and it has yet to be duplicated with such perfection.

While other wrestlers have been tossed through glass during hardcore matches, WWE has come up short in creating any moment which rivals when it was done the first time. Due to the unpredictability of using glass in matches, it has not occurred in a long time and is now only reserved for big-ticket moments.

1 Snakes

Jake "The Snake" Roberts remains one of WWE's most charismatic characters who was able to command the control of a crowd with his soft-spoken voice. Fans never knew if Roberts was going to be a good or bad guy, and they were compelled to see what he would do next.

Roberts touted a snake with him for most of his WWE career, but he only used it once deliberately to harm his opponent. In 1991, Roberts unleashed a cobra on "Macho Man" Randy Savage in one of WWE's most violent moments. After minutes of biting Savage's arm, the cobra finally relented, but a snake has never been used in this fashion again.