The DDT is arguably one of the most famous finishing moves in wrestling history. It’s also one of the more believable.
Hogan’s leg drop.
The People’s Elbow.
A fat samoan pretending to be a Japanese sumo champion dropping his ass on a man’s chest.
All memorable moves but none really convince a crowd that they’d knock a guy out for three seconds.
The DDT though, that quick face plant to the canvas, that’s believable. It was also completely accidental, according to the originator, wrestling legend Jake “The Snake” Roberts.
In an interview with with Niagara Frontier Publications, to hype the forthcoming Niagara Falls Comic Con, Roberts explained the backstory of the DDT and how it all really happened thanks to a clumsy opponent.
JM: You invented it? How did that happen?
Jake Roberts: Yeah, it was an accident. I was in the ring wrestling. I had a front facelock on a guy. He stepped on my feet and we fell backwards. He went on his head. I went on my back. And the fans went “OOOOHH.” I went, “Wait a minute; I’ve got something here.” And I started working on it, and come with it, and named it after the poison that everybody outlawed. I picked up the paper one day, and the front page was “[DDT] outlawed.” I was like, “Wait a minute. Very cool.” They had … “[DDT] poison to the brain.” I said, “Way cool.”
For more about one of the greatest minds, and workers, in wrestling history, check out the The Resurrection of Jake the Snake on Netflix.
[via With Spandex]