DDT (professional wrestling)

In professional wrestling

Professional wrestling

Professional wrestling, or pro wrestling, is an athletic performing art where matches are prearranged by the promotion's booking staff. It is a non-competitive sport which contains strong elements of theatre, mock combat, and catch wrestling. Wrestling's origins date to 19th-century carnival...

 a DDT is any move in which the wrestler falls down or backwards to drive a held opponent's head into the mat. The classic DDT is performed by putting the opponent in a front facelock and falling backwards so that the opponent is forced to dive forward onto his or her head.

The move was named by Jake "The Snake" Roberts

Jake Roberts

Aurelian Smith, Jr. , is a second-generation American professional wrestler and the son of former wrestler Aurelian "Grizzly" Smith...

, who accidentally invented the move in the 1980s. Rumors abound as to what the letters DDT supposedly stood for, including Drop Dead Twice, Demonic Death Trap, Death Drop Technique and Damien's Dinner Time after Jake's pet python Damien. When asked what DDT meant, Jake once famously replied "The End." The abbreviation itself originally came from the chemical dichloro-diphenyl-trichloroethane

DDT

DDT is one of the most well-known synthetic pesticides. It is a chemical with a long, unique, and controversial history....

, a notorious pesticide

Pesticide

A pesticide is a substance or mixture of substances used to kill a pest.A pesticide is any substance or mixture of substance intended for:- preventing, destroying, repelling or mitigating any pest....

, as stated during shoot interviews and Jake's Pick Your Poison DVD

DVD

DVD, also known as Digital Versatile Disc or Digital Video Disc,is an optical disc storage media format, and was founded in 1995. Its main uses are video and data storage...

. Many think the term DDT was applied because the chemical DDT is a hazardous chemical buried in the ground which potentially causes brain damage and defects. Similarly, the DDT maneuver buries an opponent's head into the mat, and is therefore (in kayfabe

Kayfabe

In professional wrestling, kayfabe is the portrayal of events within the industry as "real." That is, the portrayal of professional wrestling as being genuine or not worked...

) hazardous to the brain and spinal cord.

Argentine DDT

The wrestler lifts the opponent onto his shoulders as in a Argentine backbreaker rack, pushes the opponent's legs while still holding the front facelock, flipping them over to the front of the wrestler. The wrestler falls down to the mat back first, driving the opponent face first down to the mat.

Double underhook DDT

Instead of applying a head or face lock, the wrestler bends his opponent forward and hooks each arm behind the opponent's back, tucks the opponent's head under one of his arms, and then falls back to pull the opponent down either flat on his face, which is the more common variant, or onto the top of their head, causing them to roll over, like in a regular DDT. It is also known as a double arm DDT or a butterfly DDT. The faceplant variant is technically known as an implant double underhook DDT. Other modified versions exist, such as a lifting version and a variation where the attacker applies body scissors prior to executing the move.

Elevated DDT

This version of a DDT first sees an attacking wrestler place the opponent on an elevated surface, usually the ropes/turnbuckle, while applying a front facelock. The attacking wrestler next draws the opponent away from the elevated surface leaving the opponent's feet over the elevated surface (i.e. ring ropes), making them the only thing other than the wrestler keeping the opponent off the ground. The attacking wrestler then falls backwards so that the opponent is forced to dive forward onto his/her head with extra force due to the height of which they were dropped. This can also be performed as a double team move. A slight variation, known as a diving DDT or a Halo DDT, exists and sees the wrestler and the opponent both on an elevated surface, albeit with the wrestler facing the ring. With the opponent in the front facelock, the wrestler and the opponent both dive off the elevated surface, resulting in the wrestler falling forward to perform the DDT instead of falling backwards.

Flip DDT

Also known as a front flip DDT. After applying a front facelock, the attacking wrestler pushes off the mat with his/her legs to flip the opponent and drive them onto the top of their head in a manner similar to the flip piledriver.

Flip-over DDT

Also known as a Samurai Driver, this DDT sees a wrestler place his/her head between the thighs of an opponent before jumping up while pushing away from the opponent's thighs to flip up and sit on the shoulders of the opponent. The wrestler then spreads their legs, dropping off the opponent's shoulders as they grab hold of the opponent's head in a front facelock to fall down to the mat back first, driving the opponent's head down to the mat. This move sees the attacking wrestler get lifted up in a powerbomb

Powerbomb

A powerbomb is a professional wrestling throw in which an opponent is lifted up and then slammed back-first down to the mat. The standard powerbomb sees an opponent first placed in a standing headscissors position...

 position so often this move is used as a counter to a powerbomb.

Float-over DDT

This DDT sees the wrestler stand in front of his opponent facing at him, duck, hook one of his arms over the opponent's shoulder (if it's the opponent's left shoulder that the attacker chooses to seize, he hooks with his right, or opposite if sides are reversed), swing himself under the opponent's armpit then around and over the opponent's back so that he faces the same way as the opponent, lock the opponent's head under his other hand's armpit, spin another 180°

Degree (angle)

A degree , usually denoted by ° , is a measurement of plane angle, representing ¹⁄₃₆₀ of a full rotation; one degree is equivalent to π/180 radians...

 to end up having the opponent locked in a front facelock and fall back to drive the opponent skull first to the mat, as in a regular DDT. The maneuver is usually performed after the attacker ducks a punch or a clothesline.

Fireman's carry DDT

Also described as a fireman's carry implant DDT, this move sees the attacking wrestler first put an opponent up in the fireman's carry (across the wrestler's shoulders) position, then throw the opponent's legs out in front of him/her to spin them out while the attacking wrestler switches the position of his/her arm that's holding the opponent's head to a front facelock and falls backwards to drive the top of the opponent's head in to the mat.

Fisherman DDT

After applying a front facelock, the wrestler hooks the opponent's near leg with his other arm, lifts them up into a vertical position, and falls backwards on to his back, driving the opponent's head down to the mat. This move is also known as a leg hook DDT.

Implant DDT

Implant DDT refers to variations of the DDT where the opponent is driven to the mat face first, as in a faceplant, and not on to their heads. The most common variation is the lifting DDT. A common variation of the Double underhook DDT is the implant variation. Another variation of the implant DDT sees the wrestler place their opponent in a headlock, but instead of falling backwards they leap backwards onto their back, pulling the opponent with them face first to the mat.

Jumping DDT

A slight variation where instead of just falling backwards, the wrestler jumps up while holding the front facelock and then uses the weight and momentum to pull the opponent down on their head. Also, a variation of this move is sometimes seen where, as the wrestler jumps, they use the horizontal position to execute a Front Dropkick to the knees of the opponent to add additional impact to the move.

Legsweep DDT

Also known as the russian legsweep DDT.In these versions of a DDT the wrestler applies a front facelock and then performs a type of legsweep to essentially take out the legs from under the opponent before falling backwards to drive the opponent face first down to the mat.

Lifting DDT

This version of a DDT is similar to a spike DDT and is often referred to as a low angle brainbuster

Brainbuster

A brainbuster is a professional wrestling throw in which a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock, hooks his/her pants, and lifts him/her up as if he/she was executing a vertical suplex...

, or simply as an implant DDT. The attacking wrestler applies a front facelock to an opponent then lifts the opponent off the ground just before falling backwards to drive the opponent face or head first down to the mat.

A slight variation of this, sees the wrestler spin the opponent's body away from themselves as they raise the opponent off the ground. Another version, the lifting reverse DDT, sees the wrestler apply an inverted face lock, lift the opponent off the ground and fall back.

Over the shoulder DDT

The attacking wrestler puts the opponent over the shoulder as in a powerslam set up but instead throws them off and around their body grabbing their head and executing a modified DDT or a modified facebuster

Facebuster

A facebuster, also known as a faceplant, is generally a takedown move in professional wrestling in which an attacking wrestler forces his/her opponent down to the mat face-first without involving a headlock or facelock. If these are used then the move is either a DDT or bulldog variation. Inverted...

.

Running DDT

The wrestler charges at a bent-forward opponent and applies a front facelock before dropping backwards to drive the opponent down to the mat head first. In another variation the wrestler will also push the opponent up with his free arm, hitting a spike DDT version of the move.

Scissored DDT

This move sees the wrestler apply the front facelock and then puts one of their legs on one of the opponent's arms before falling backward and driving the opponent head first to the mat

Single underhook DDT

Instead of applying a head or face lock, the wrestler bends his opponent forward and hooks the outside arm behind the opponent's back, holds the inside arm out straight, tucks the opponent's head under one of his arms, and then falls back to pull the opponent down either flat on his face, which is the more common variant, or onto the top of their head, causing them to roll over, like in a regular DDT. It is also known as a single arm DDT. The faceplant variant is technically known as an implant single underhook DDT.

Snap DDT

The wrestler applies a front facelock to their opponent. The wrestler then jumps down onto their back, swinging their legs forward, bending the opponent, and driving them down to the mat face, forehead, or head first.

Swinging snap DDT

The attacker draws one of their legs backwards (usually the leg closest to the opponent) before swinging it forward to build extra momentum. They then drop onto their back, driving the opponent head first to the mat. This variation is known as a swinging snap DDT. Another version is when the wrestler kicks the opponent in the gut as in a flowing DDT and hits the snap DDT.

Swinging DDT

The wrestler applies an inverted facelock on the opponent then the wrestler twists 180 degrees around his opponent to slam him face-first to the mat. This move is also known as a Twisting DDT.

Spike DDT

The wrestler applies a front facelock to his opponent and lifts them up with his free arm. He then falls backwards, driving the opponent vertically down to the mat head first. The spike DDT is a version of the DDT which is somewhere between a lifting DDT and a brainbuster

Brainbuster

A brainbuster is a professional wrestling throw in which a wrestler puts his/her opponent in a front facelock, hooks his/her pants, and lifts him/her up as if he/she was executing a vertical suplex...

.

Tornado DDT

The tornado DDT is also referred to as a swinging DDT/spinning DDT. A wrestler applies a front facelock to an opponent from an elevated position (for example, sitting on the top turnbuckle against an opponent standing on the mat, or from the apron against an opponent standing on the ground). The wrestler then jumps forward and swings around to fall backwards and drop the opponent's head into the mat.

There are variations to this move which are all commonly known as a tornado DDT. One version sees the wrestler apply the front facelock while on the same level as the opponent and then run up the ring ropes (or even another opponent) to springboard round and deliver the DDT. In grounded versions a wrestler charges at a standing opponent, jumps up and applies the front facelock in mid air before swinging his/herself round and falling backwards down to the mat to deliver the DDT. This is sometimes known as a jumping swinging DDT and is regularly used by wrestlers that use a standard tornado DDT.

Inverted facelock variants

This subsection lists DDTs that involve the opponent being dropped on the back of their heads. The basic Reverse DDT is also known as an Inverted DDT.

Inverted DDT

Standing behind his / her opponent with the opponent in front of him / her, the wrestler bends his / her back and applies an inverted facelock, then falls backwards to slam the opponent's head into the mat. Also known as a reverse DDT. Another variation used can be done when the wrestler falls on his / her stomach instead of their back, which is known as a falling inverted / falling reverse DDT.

Lifting inverted DDT

Sometimes referred to as an inverted suplex. The wrestler applies an inverted facelock on the opponent with one arm, and lifts the opponent up with the other. The wrestler then falls backwards down onto their back, slightly to their side, driving the opponent down to the mat upper back and head first. Another variation used can be done where the wrestler falls on their stomach instead of their back, which is known as a lifting falling inverted / lifting falling reverse DDT.

Reverse tornado DDT

The wrestler applies an inverted facelock from an elevated position (for example, sitting on the top turnbuckle against an opponent standing on the mat, or from the apron against an opponent standing on the ground). He/she then jumps off so that he/she swings around the opponent. Using the momentum from the jump, he/she falls forwards and slams the back of the opponent's head into the mat.It could also be done when the wrestler is standing on the mat instead of an elevated position.

Standing shiranui

This is a backflip three-quarter facelock reverse DDT, which is a variation of the shiranui. In this move a wrestler applies a three-quarter facelock on the opponent and performs a backflip over the opponent while maintaining the facelock turning it into an inverted facelock and then either landing face down to the mat, on their own back to the side, or in a sitting position, to drive the opponent's head back-first down to the mat.

Swinging reverse DDT

This variation sees a wrestler lock in a front facelock and, while falling backwards, twist their opponent around resulting in the opponent landing on the back of their head, as in a normal reverse DDT. A slight variation of this sees the wrestler reach under the opponent while setting up the move to grab their far arm. From there, the wrestler pulls the arm over, causing the opponent to twist around until they are in an inverted facelock before then dropping backwards for a standard inverted DDT.