Ladder match

The ladder match could have been invented by either Dan Kroffat of the Stampede Wrestling organization from Calgary, Alberta, Canada or British wrestler Kendo Nagasaki.

In September 1972, Stampede Wrestling held the first ever ladder match between Dan Kroffat and Tor Kamata, where the object to be grabbed was a wad of money.

Hart went on to join the World Wrestling Federation in 1984, and, in the early 1990s, suggested this type of match to promoter Vince McMahon, years before the gimmick achieved its eventual popularity.

The match was taped for Coliseum Video and included on the 1993 VHS release Smack 'Em Whack 'Em, but never aired on television and remained widely unseen until its inclusion on the 2007 The Ladder Match DVD and among the bonus material on the 2011 DVD and Blu-ray collection WWE's Greatest Rivalries: Shawn Michaels vs. Bret Hart.

[4] Moreover, the ladder serves as the wrestlers' inanimate opponent, facilitating a "man versus machine" narrative conflict and providing a demonic structure.