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Jim Duggan said he began carrying a 2×4 to the ring on the advice of fellow wrestler Bruiser Brody, who told him to bring something he could actually use rather than the flashy costume accessories common in the territories. The “Hacksaw” nickname, by Duggan’s own account, has a separate origin in his college football days, so the board and the name were never a deliberate pair.
Where the 2×4 idea came from
In a 2018 WrestleZone report on an interview with Lanny Poffo, Duggan recalled Brody’s advice in his own words: “[Brody] came in and he looks at me and goes ‘Duggan,’ he says ‘if you carry something to the ring carry something you can use. Forget those feather boas and those sequined robes!'” The point of the advice, as Duggan tells it, was practicality. Wrestlers of that era often walked out with boas, robes and other costume pieces. Duggan’s answer was a piece of lumber he could use as a prop in the match.
Duggan gave a closely similar account in a separate interview, saying he had traveled with Brody and that Brody’s suggestion was how the “Hacksaw” persona began to take shape. The accounts agree on the Brody link. They do not supply a specific date or match for the first time Duggan carried the board, and no contemporaneous backstage record of the conversation has been identified in the sources reviewed.
Where the “Hacksaw” name came from
Duggan has been consistent that the nickname does not come from the board. In a 2018 interview quoted by Wrestling Inc., he said: “It’s actually from my football days. I used to hack my way through the wedge. So we tried Hacksaw and it kind of stuck.” The wedge he refers to is the football formation he broke through as a player, and the image of hacking a path through it became the name.
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That separation matters for the original question. A reader might assume a wrestler named “Hacksaw” chose a board because it was a woodworking joke. Duggan’s own account points the other way: the name came first from football, and the prop came from a suggestion about what to bring to the ring.
Why the pairing still confuses people
The mismatch between a saw-related name and a piece of lumber is the reason the question keeps coming up. Duggan addressed it directly when people pointed out the oddity. His answer was short: “It’s wrestling, it doesn’t have to make sense.” That line is characteristic of how he has discussed the gimmick over the years, treating it as a performance choice rather than a carefully engineered concept.
Rank #2
- WWE Elite Collection
- RetroFest
- Hacksaw Jim Duggan
- Ages 8+
Where to see him explain it
WWE’s official video listing for a Table for 3 segment describes Duggan revealing why he started carrying a two-by-four to the ring. The listing confirms that he has addressed the question on WWE’s own platform. Its page does not add detail beyond that description, so the full explanation is best heard in the segment itself.
What is and is not established
- Established by Duggan’s recollections: Bruiser Brody suggested he carry something useful into the ring, and that suggestion led to the 2×4.
- Established by Duggan’s recollections: “Hacksaw” came from his football days and breaking through the wedge, not from the board.
- Not established by the sources reviewed: the date of the first 2×4 appearance, the specific event, and any independent confirmation of the Brody conversation.
All of the origin details rest on Duggan’s own telling across interviews from 2018, so they should be read as his account rather than documented history.
Rank #3
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Further reading
Duggan’s autobiography, Hacksaw: The Jim Duggan Story, covers his career in more depth. Check the current edition and availability before purchasing, as listings change.
Quick Recap
Best Value
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- Includes interchangeable hands and iconic accessories, like entrance gear or WWE championships for play or display!
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