WRESTLING NEWS
The Origins Of The DDT Can Be Traced Back To Before Jake 'The Snake' Roberts Pioneered It
By ELLA JAY
Traditionally, a DDT involves engaging an opponent in a facelock or headlock and falling down, sending the opponent’s head into the canvas. Although Jake “The Snake” Roberts is usually credited with creating the DDT finisher — a move that he claims to have discovered accidentally during a match — he isn’t the first wrestler to use this powerful move inside the ring.
As it turns out, Mexican wrestler Black Gordman used the DDT in the ‘70s, and is often praised for his innovation in executing moves. Going by multiple names during his pro wrestling career that peaked in the late ‘60s and ‘70s, Gordman won the Mexican National Heavyweight Championship by defeating Pantera Negra.
Now retired, Gordman is the earliest known practitioner of the DDT, which Roberts made famous later on. Regarded as a dominant finisher by WWE HOFer Jim Ross, today, the DDT has several variations, including Alexa Bliss’ Bliss DDT and Randy Orton’s elevated version of the maneuver.