A lot of different factors goes into the creation of a professional wrestlers career. From hairstyle and ring attire, to physique and interview style, every aspect of a wrestler is calculated and planned out. A wrestler needs to decide if he wants to be cheered or boos and how he will go about getting that reaction. He has to pick out a wardrobe that fits his persona. Even his name is a vital part of his success or failure. One of the most important things a wrestler needs to decide on his his finishing maneuver. A great finisher can make up for a lot of weaknesses in other areas. Perhaps no finisher in all of wrestling has ever been better than The DDT.
The creation of the DDT is usually credited to Jake “The Snake” Roberts. As Jake usually tells the story, he was wrestling The Grappler in the early 80s and applied a front face lock. There was a miscommunication between the two and Roberts stepped on The Grappler’s foot, tripping and falling backwards. Since he didn’t release the front face lock when he fell, Roberts accidentally drive The grappler’s head to the mat. The crowd had a strong reaction to the move and The grappler had the good sense to sell being knocked out by the impact. From that point on, Roberts would purposely utilize the move, adding a snapping motion with his leg to increase the momentum with which he spiked his opponent’s head to the mat.
The DDT maneuver catapulted Jake Roberts up the ranks in professional wrestling. Fans everywhere loved the DDT, chanting the letters and wanting to see it every time Jake entered the ring. Since they were all anxious to see the DDT, they were also anxious to see it’s inventor.
The DDT is one of the few perfect finishing moves in all of wrestling. There is literally no weakness to the move. For starters, since it doesn’t involve needing the strength to lift an opponent, it can be applied to anybody. No matter how large or small the opponent is, the DDT can be used against them. It is also a move that requires no elaborate set-up to pull off. All it takes is a front face lock and the DDT can be delivered. As a result, it is a move that can be hit out of almost any situation. It can be gradually built towards, or it can be a surprise maneuver, used as a shock to the opponent or a counter when on the defensive. In a deeper, more subtle sense, it is also a move that can be countered in several different ways, so it can be teased and built towards, adding to ring psychology and building a story of a match, as the user of the move tries again and again to deliver it, while the opponent desperately tries to avoided it, knowing that if it is hit, the match is most likely over.
This is perhaps the strongest aspect of the DDT. It is a move that is well respected and always sold as a devastating maneuver. No matter who you were, if Jake Roberts hit you with a DDT, you were out for the count. A perfect example of this took place November 24, 1985 when Jake Roberts challenged the NWA World heavyweight Champion, “Nature Boy” Ric Flair.
Before the match started, the two men met in the center of the ring. Ric Flair, known for his stylish taste, began mocking Roberts for his tattered clothes. The mocking became more heated, pushes were exchanged and Jake put the DDT on Ric Flair, knocking the champ out cold before the match even began! Flair lay on the mat, unmoving, as Jake demanded the referee ring the bell. While Jake argued with the referee, Ric Flair rolled out of the ring, desperately trying to recover from the brutal move. Flair stalled as long as he could on the outside while Jake led the crowd in a chant of “DDT!” on the inside. Finally, after several minutes, Flair re-entered the ring and the bell rang. The rest of the match, Jake tried to hit th DDT a second time while Flair did everything he could to avoid the move. The beginning of the match made the message crystal clear: if Jake Roberts delivered the DDT to Ric Flair a second time, Jake would win the NWA World Championship. It was a very unusual start to a match, but an effective one. The DDT was cemented as the most dangerous move in wrestling, one that could incapacitate even the World Champion if applied.
A great finishing maneuver can be the difference in a career. Just as the DDT elevated Jake Roberts to the next level, others have followed suit, using a “hot” move to get over with the crowd. Diamond Dallas Page, who had previously been struggling to climb out of the bottom of the heap in WCW, found himself a main event star once the DIamond Cutter became the hottest wrestling move of the mid 90s. Even somebody who had a lot going for them, like Steve Austin, was propelled to even greater heights by the Stone Cold Stunner.
However, anyone in the last thirty years who has had their career helped by a finishing move that caught on with the fans owes a debt of gratitude to Jake Roberts. When he invented the DDT, he proved that fans are willing to not only get behind a wrestler, but a specific wrestling move.
The DDT was so popular, that it has been used by countless wrestlers over the years. As time has gone on, the move has grown in popularity and variations of the DDT have been invented by wrestlers from all over the globe. The Fabulous Freebirds, Arn Anderson, Edge, Chavo Guerrero, Randy Orton, The Rock, Chyna, Cactus Jack, Sting, Drew McIntyre and many, many more have used either The DDT or one of it’s variations as a part of their arsenal of moves.
As long as their is professional wrestling, The DDT will live on. almost 30 years since it’s invention, it is still being used, still being altered, still being remembered as one of the greatest moves in the history of wrestling.
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I remember hearing that Genichiro Tenryu might’ve been using the DDT a few years before Roberts in the Texas area when was on excursion in the states.
Yeah, there are a lot of people who dispute Roberts’ claim that he invented the move. Most people agree he did name it, and whether he actually invented it or not, he is the one who popularized it and brought it to the forefront. It’s certainly possible it was first used by Tenyru or somebody else. Part of the problem is Jake never tells a story the same way twice. Whoever it was who actually first used it, they did the wrestling world a big favor, as it is a great, great move.
I also forgot, Black Gordman may have invented it in California in the mid-70’s as The Diamond Twist.
I had heard the Tenyru speculation before. Never heard of Black Gordman! You learn something new every day!