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Inprofessional wrestling, aDDT is any move in which the wrestler has the opponent in afront facelock or inverted headlock and falls down or backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat. The classic DDT is performed by putting the opponent in afront facelock and falling backwards so that the opponent is forced to dive forward onto their head.[1] Although widely credited as an invention ofJake Roberts, who gave the DDT its famous name, the earliest known practitioner of the move was Mexican wrestlerBlack Gordman, who frequently performed it during the 1970s before Roberts popularized it nationwide.[2][3][4]
Rumors abound as to what the letters DDT supposedly stood for, includingDamien's Death Trap,Damien's Death Touch,Damien's Dinner Time (all named after Jake's pet python, Damien),Drape Drop Takedown,Drop Down Town,Downward Dome Thrust, andDeath Drop Technique. When asked whatDDT meant, Jake once famously replied "The End."[5] The abbreviation itself originally came from the chemicaldichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane, a notoriouspesticide, as stated during shoot interviews and Jake'sPick Your Poison DVD.
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The wrestler lifts the opponent onto their shoulders as in anArgentine backbreaker rack and pushes the opponent's legs while still holding thefront facelock, flipping them over to the front of the wrestler. The wrestler falls down to the mat front-first, driving the opponent face-first down to the mat.
Although not its innovator,Kenta Kobashi popularized the move throughout Japan, calling it theBurning Hammer.
Also called a Single arm DDT or aJumping armbreaker, this variation of the armbreaker involves the attacking wrestler grabbing the opponent's left or right arm, holding it across their chest, and then falling backwards, dropping the opponent face-first as well as damaging the opponent's arm and shoulder."Beautiful" Bobby Eaton called this theDivorce Court.
The wrestler applies afront facelock to the opponent, then lifts the opponent into an elevated leg-trap bodyscissors position, and finally fall backwards, driving the opponent head first down to the mat. FormerWWE and currentAEW wrestlerSaraya uses this variation as a finishing move called theKnightcap (previously known asRam-Paige during her time in WWE). A variation, known as a hammerlock cradle DDT, involves the attacking wrestler lifting the opponent into a bear hug, applying a hammerlock, then a front facelock, then finally driving the opponent's head into the mat. British wrestlerJoseph Conners uses this variation, known as theRighteous Kill, andNia Jax has also utilized a version of this move.
Innovated byKenta Kobashi. Instead of applying a head or facelock, the wrestler bends the opponent forward and hooks each arm behind the opponent's head, a position known as abutterfly. The wrestler then tucks the opponent's head under one of their arms and falls back to pull the opponent down either flat on their 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.Mick Foley,Stevie Richards,Drew McIntyre, andJon Moxley have all popularized variations of this DDT: Foley used an unnamedjumping version, Richards uses alifting version he calls theStevie-T, McIntyre uses asnap version called theFuture Shock (formerly known as theScot Drop), and Moxley uses a lift-and-snap version called theDeath Rider (formerly known as theParadigm Shift), which was referred to asDirty Deeds during his time in WWE. Since arriving in WWE,Blake Monroe (formerly known as Mariah May) has also adopted this move as a finisher, calling it theBeauty Shot or theGlamour Shot.
The wrestler stands in an elevated position (usually on the top rope) and faces the standing or bent-over opponent. As they dive, the wrestler wraps their near arm around the opponent's head in afront facelock and swings themselves backwards in midair, landing back-first and simultaneously forcing the opponent's head into the mat. It is used byYoshinobu Kanemaru asThe Deep Impact. This move was also used by former WWE Tough Enough winnerMaven as theHalo DDT.
This version of a DDT has many names like draping, hangman's, rope-hung and spike which first sees an attacking wrestler place the opponent on an elevated surface, usually the ropes or the 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 their head with extra force due to the height of which they were dropped. This can also be performed as adouble 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. The move is sometimes referred to as aspike DDT, because the defending wrestler lands in an upside-down, almost completely vertical position (known as the "spiked" position, which refers to when a wrestler is actually dropped vertically upside down). When this move is performed on an opponent draped on the first rope, then only it is called hangman's DDT. This move is usually performed with the defending wrestler's feet on the middle rope butTommaso Ciampa uses this move to an opponent attempting to enter the ring as his finisher; calledWillows Bell in honor of his daughter.Randy Orton is the most notable user of this move.
In this variation, the wrestler stands on the top rope with the opponent standing in front of the wrestler. From here, the wrestler performs acartwheel across the ropes. Then, with his near arm, the wrestler quickly catches the opponent in afront facelock and dives off the ropes, driving the opponent's head into the mat. This move is used byJake Atlas, calling it both theRainbow DDT andLGBDDT.
The wrestler applies afront facelock and then falls backwards, much like a normal DDT, but instead of the opponent's head impacting the mat, the wrestler falls to a kneeling or sitting position driving the face of the opponent on to their knee.
Also known as a front flip DDT. After applying afront facelock, the wrestler pushes off the mat with their legs to flip the opponent and drive them onto the top of their head in a manner similar to theflip piledriver. It has been used byWill Ospreay as theEssex Destroyer.
Also known as a Samurai Driver, this DDT sees a wrestler place their 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 in apowerbomb position so often this move is used as a counter to a powerbomb.
This DDT sees the wrestler stand in front of the opponent facing him or her, duck, hook one of his or her arms over the opponent's shoulder (If it is the opponent's left shoulder that the attacker chooses to seize, he or she hooks with his or her right, or opposite if sides are reversed), swing under the opponent's armpit, then around and over the opponent's back so that he or she faces the same way as the opponent, lock the opponent's head under their other hand's armpit, spin another 180° to end up having the opponent locked in afront facelock, and fall back to drive the opponent skull-first to the mat, as per a regular DDT. The maneuver is usually performed after the attacker ducks apunch or aclothesline.Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson used this move in his early days in the WWE
A variant of the DDT popularized byRaven as theEven Flow/Raven Effect, the attacking wrestler kicks the opponent in the stomach before applying afront facelock and falling backwards to drive the opponent's head into the mat.
Also described as a fireman's carry implant DDT, this move sees the attacking wrestler first put an opponent up in thefireman's carry (across the wrestler's shoulders) position, then throw the opponent's legs out in front of them to spin them out while the attacking wrestler switches the position of their arm holding the opponent's head to afront facelock and falls backwards to drive the top of the opponent's head into the mat.
After applying afront facelock, the wrestler hooks the opponent's near leg with their other arm, slightly hoists them up, and falls backwards onto their back, driving the opponent's head down to the mat.
Very different from a classic or traditional DDT, as the wrestler never uses their hand in this variation. The wrestler catches the opponent in astanding headscissors and then falls backwards, slamming the opponent into the mat face-first.
Also often referred to as theHurricanrana Driver.
Variation of a classic DDT in which the wrestler first applies ahammerlock on the opponent's further arm, goes for afront facelock, and then falls backwards onto their back, driving the opponent's head down to the mat.Andrade uses this move as a finisher, which he callsLa Sombra, and laterThe Message.Tessa Blanchard also uses a variant of the Move calledBuzzsaw.
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 afront dropkick to the knees of the opponent to add additional impact to the move.
Also known as the Russian legsweep DDT. In these versions of a DDT the wrestler applies a front facelock and then performs a type oflegsweep to essentially take out the legs from under the opponent before falling backwards to drive the opponent face first down to the mat.
This version of a DDT is similar to aspike DDT and is often referred to as a low anglebrainbuster, 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, thelifting inverted DDT, sees the wrestler apply an inverted facelock, lift the opponent off the ground and fall back. This move was popularized byGangrel during his stint inWWE as his finishing move, called theImpaler DDT, and was later adopted byEdge, who called it theEdgecution. It was also used byRobert Roode, who uses a swinging variation as a finishing move, calling it theGlorious DDT.
The wrestler stands in an elevated position (usually on the second or top rope) and faces away the standing opponent. As they flip, the wrestler wraps their near arm around the opponent's head in afront facelock and swings themselves backwards in midair, landing back-first and simultaneously forcing the opponent's head into the mat. Aninverted variation was popularized byAJ Styles as thePhenomenon.
With the opponent placed in a front facelock, the attacking wrestler performs amoonwalk maneuver across the ring and then proceeds to execute a classic DDT slam.
The attacking wrestler puts the opponent over the shoulder as in apowerslam set up but instead throws them off and around their body grabbing their head and executing amodified DDT or a modifiedfacebuster.Karrion Kross uses a pumphandle version called theFinal Prayer.
The wrestler charges at a bent-forward opponent and applies afront facelock before dropping backwards to drive the opponent down to the mat head first, this can also used to counter an opponent'sback body drop attempt. In another variation the wrestler wll also push the opponent up with their free arm, performing aspike DDT version of the move. Used byJeff Jarrett andThe Undertaker.
This move sees the wrestler apply thefront facelock and then put one of their legs on one of the opponent's arms before falling backward and driving the opponent head first to the mat.MsChif uses this as her finisher and popularized it.
The opponent is facing the wrestler on the turnbuckle. The wrestler then does a backflip towards the opponent catching the opponent into a DDT on the way down.
The wrestler places the opponent in afront facelock and hooks only one of the opponent's arms behind their neck, as if going for a suplex, before falling back and driving the opponent's head into the mat. A variation of this move sees the wrestler lift the opponent off the ground after applying the underhook, before falling back to drive the opponent head first down to the mat. This lifting variation was popularized byPrince Devitt, who uses a lifting version as a finisher under the name ofBloody Sunday and the1916 as Finn Bálor.
The wrestler stands on the ring apron and performs aslingshot, and as they pull themselves over the top rope, they grab their opponent in afront facelock and fall backwards, driving their opponent's head into the mat.Johnny Gargano uses it asOne Final Beat, which was previously known asThunderstruck.
The wrestler applies afront 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. A slight variation sees the wrestler draw 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.Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson used this variation of the DDT in his late years in the WWF/E.Yujiro Takahashi also performs a variation where he delivers the DDT to a kneeling opponent, calling his versionPimp Juice.The Miz uses this version, and taught it toLogan Paul.Lita used a swinging variation and dubbed it theLita DDT.Alexa Bliss uses it as well and calls it theBliss DDT.
The wrestler applies a front facelock to the opponent and lifts them up with their free arm. The wrestler 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. It was used byShinya Hashimoto.
The wrestler bounces off the middle rope or elevates themself on the top rope, performing aspringboard and then hits any variation of the DDT on their opponent. The wrestler also spins around if they're doing the springboard DDT by bouncing off the middle rope. One of its users wasSabu, who used atornado DDT by performing a springboard off the middle rope as his finisher.
In this variant, an opponent lifts up their opponent as if they were going to perform a vertical suplex, but then drops their opponent face first to the mat.Sylvain Grenier uses this move as a finisher, dubbed3 Seconds of Fame.
This move sees a wrestler grab their opponent around their neck and lean them backwards. The wrestler then applies a front facelock and swings their opponent around, slamming them head first into the mat. Used bySANADA as theDeadfall andAlexa Bliss as theAbigail DDT.
Also known asSatellite DDT, this variation sees the charging wrestler being spun into atilt-a-whirl and ends the move up into a DDT. Aninverted variation is also possible.
The tornado DDT is also referred to as a spinning DDT. A wrestler goes to the top rope and 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. The move is popularly used byJohn Cena during his matches in the WWE.
In this version the fighter charges an opponent standing, jumps and applies the front facelock in the air before swinging and falling backwards having the opponent hit face first or head first into the canvas. This is sometimes known as a jumping swinging DDT and is used regularly by fighters who use a standard tornado DDT.Mickie James popularized this move under the nameMick-DT.
This subsection lists DDTs that involve the opponent being dropped on the back of their heads. The basic inverted DDT is also known as aninverted DDT.
Commonly known as the reverse DDT. A wrestler applies aninverted facelock to the opponent, then falls backward, driving the back of the opponent's head into the mat. The move was popularized bySting in the late 1990s after he adopted it as his new finisher and named it theScorpion Death Drop.
A wrestler applies aninverted facelock. Then the attacker throws their feet backwards, falling onto their own stomach. The defending wrestler has the back of their head driven into the mat. Popularized byChristian Cage.
The attacking wrestler applies an inverted facelock and puts their arm under the opponent's arm, completing the half nelson, and drops down with the opponent's head driven into the mat.
The wrestler applies aninverted 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. This move is sometimes incorrectly referred to as an inverted DDT or a reverse DDT. 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 DDT.Dustin Rhodes uses this move as theCurtain Call whileD-Von Dudley used this as theSaving Grace. British wrestlerEddie Dennis ofNXT UK uses this as a modified version move calling it as theNeck stop Driver.
Also known as a springboard backflip three-quarter facelock inverted DDT. A wrestler puts the opponent into a¾ facelock, then runs up the corner turnbuckles or ring ropes and jump backwards performing a backflip, and landing face down driving the opponent down to the mat back-first. Sometimes astanding variant is performed by wrestlers with adequate leaping ability or when assisted by a tag team partner. The move is popularly known, especially in North America, asSliced Bread No. 2, a name created by wrestlerBrian Kendrick.[6][7] In a slight variation named thesitout shiranui the wrestler lands into a seated position instead, driving the opponent's head between the legs.Seth Rollins used the Sliced Bread No. 2 early in NXT in 2011/2012 season.
A wrestler applies aninverted facelock to the opponent, swings either their legs for momentum, and then falls backward, driving the back of the opponent's head into the mat. This move is used byLance Archer, naming the moveDark Days andFinal Days.
Also known as a backflip three-quarter facelock inverted DDT. In this move a wrestler applies athree-quarter facelock on the opponent and performs a backflip over the opponent while maintaining the facelock turning it into aninverted facelock and then either landing face down to the mat, on their own back to the side, on their knees, or in a sitting position, to drive the opponent's head back-first down to the mat. This move has several names, usually depending on the person performing it. The official name of the move used to be theAsai DDT as it was innovated byÚltimo Dragón. A sitout variation is also used, which is popularized bySamuray Del Sol as theSalida del Sol.
NJPW wrestlerTetsuya Naito uses a modified version of this move called theDestino which sees him grabbing and underhooking an opponent's single right arm with his right arm from behind while reaching under the outstretched right arm to take hold the opponent's head with his left arm while running a few short steps forward to jump performing while a backflip maintaining his hold on his opponent thus executing the maneuver.
Another version of this move is used as a counter against asidewalk slam. The wrestler begins by running towards an opponent from behind and to either of their side. The wrestler allows the opponent to then reache around their torso with their near arm across the wrestler's chest. The wrestler using their own momentum then backflips while using their near arm to place the opponent's head into an inverted facelock as they are falling backwards to force the back of the opponent's head onto the mat. Indy wrestlerMatt Sydal used this move calledStanding Sea Fire as a signature. WWE wrestlerDragon Lee currently uses this move as a finisher calledOperation Dragon.
This variation sees a wrestler lock in afront facelock and, while falling backwards, twist their opponent around resulting in the opponent landing on the back of their head, as in a standing inverted DDT. The same technique can be used to end in afalling inverted 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 aninverted facelock before then dropping backwards for a standard inverted DDT. This move was the original finisher ofThe Miz when he made his WWE Debut, dubbing it theMizard of Oz.
Similar to the normal tilt-a-whirl DDT. This DDT sees the charging wrestler being tilt-a-whirled by the opponent, after the maneuver is over, the wrestler holds the opponent into aninverted facelock, and then falling backwards while he's elevated off the mat into aninverted DDT.
The attacking wrestler applies aninverted 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). They then jump off so that they swing around the opponent. Using the momentum from the jump, they falls forward and slam the back of the opponent's head into the mat. Astanding jumping reverse tornado version of the move is also possible.