6 secrets of the WWE ring and weapons you must know about

Enter captio

Ever wondered what the WWE ring is made of, or how they come up with the weapons? While most of us are busy watching the wrestlers pulling off amazing moves in between the ropes, we probably miss out on the details that keep the same wrestlers safe. A lot of engineering and precautions go into the ring and the weapons for this purpose and all the wrestling fans out there would be very interested to know all about these aspects.

So here is a look at the efforts put in by the ring crew day in and day out so that all your favorite wrestlers can shine under the limelight safely.


#1 Tables and other weapons

Tables break easily if force is applied to the center
Tables break easily if force is applied to the center

The tables in the WWE are not like the tables we have at home. WWE use thin wood or plywood to manufacture these tables, making them easier to break if enough force is used at the center.

The steel steps near the rings are indeed steel. The big one weighs around 250 pounds (same as John Cena) and the smaller one weighs around 150 pounds. The kendo stick is hollow inside and is made up of thin wood.

The other weapons like tacks, sledgehammer or steel pipes are genuine, but it is the way they are used that helps avoid any accident. For example, Triple H covers the sledgehammer with his hand whenever he hits someone with it.

All this work of putting up the ring and weapons is done by the ring crew, who deserve a lot more respect than what they get now. But despite all these precautions and safety measures, the professional wrestling business is prone to accidents at every turn; as we have seen several times, it’s never advisable to try any of it at home or in school.

#2 Turnbuckles and ring posts

The Ring posts support the entire ring structure
The Ring posts support the entire ring structure

The steel beams that support the ring structure were mentioned earlier, and it’s the same steel beams that form the four ringside posts. We are talking about thick steel here so these are padded on some occasions so that they don’t cause any injuries to the Superstars.

The turnbuckles are attached through these four posts with the help of screws that hold the ring ropes as well. These are joined with the help of a common binding, and the tension helps keep everything tightened up.

The turnbuckle covers (the ones with the logo) are used to cover these screws and these are heavily cushioned. So basically hitting them would feel like punching a pillow.

#3 The Ropes

The ring ropes are given different color with the help of tapes
The ring ropes are given different color with the help of tapes

The ropes are made of strengthening wires. These wires are tied around the squared circle through the turnbuckles and have a lot of tension so that they give the elastic effect when used right. The strengthening wires are first coated with a layer of foam that is held to the wire using colored tape, which in turn gives us colored ring ropes for different occasions.

It might look easy to bounce back from the ropes, but it can be a painful activity for people who do not know what they are doing.

#4 Outside the ring

The steps are made of solid steel
The steps are made of solid steel

The space outside the ring is covered with hard foam mats, similar to the ones we use in a karate studio. They are usually 3/4“ thick and help protect the wrestler from the concrete beneath. The same foam coating is used to cover the barricades.

The barricades are usually made of hollow tube-like steel in the form of a squared-off fence. There are foam cushions inside the barricade as well, and they use a Velcro top to keep the inner foam and outer foam together. Similar Velcro is used to keep the apron together with the actual wrestling mat as well.

#5 Chairs and Ladders

Chairs and ladders are made of light metal
Chairs and ladders are made of light metal

These are the most commonly used weapons in the WWE, and they are designed or used in such a way as to cause minimal damage to the wrestlers. First of all, the chair is indeed metal but it is not always steel as they claim it to be. They use light metal to make the chair on most occasions. Usage of such metals causes less physical damage and at the same time produces good sound effects.

Now, there are instances where real steel chairs are used, but irrespective of the metal used to make the chair, wrestlers follow a lot of safety measures while using them.

Ladders are also made from similar light metals and are hollow on the inside. This is what causes the ladders to shake violently whenever a wrestler tries to set it up. Even though it is light metal, it hurts like hell if there is enough force.

#6 The Ring

The WWE rings are complex structures
The WWE rings are complex structures

Let’s start off with the basics, shall we? The wrestling ring is made of an extremely tight foam cover. This thin foam pad is the top layer of the ring mat and below this is a 1” piece of plywood.

Then comes the most important part of the ring: the springs. The suspension springs are placed just below the plywood. These springs respond according to the weight on top of them. It’s the springs that help Superstars avoid getting injured when they fall into the mat.

A skeletal sheet follows the springs and this sheet along with the entire structure is then held together by steel beams.

The WWE ring is usually 20 by 20 feet in size, and it is raised from the ground by about 4 feet or higher.

Meet the man who called CM Punk the softest man alive HERE