10 Unexpected Wrestling Origins That'll Blow Your Mind
5. The Insecticide Origin Of The DDT
Another performer who would eventually become synonymous with one of the most popular moves in all of wrestling, the origins of Jake Roberts' brutal DDT are as peculiar as 'The Snake' himself often was on-screen.
While Roberts wasn't technically the first person to use this particular move - that was Mexican performer Black Gordman who used it throughout the '70s - Jake's version of it actually first went down between the ropes entirely by chance.
The wrestling legend would later recall to Chris Van Vliet (at 25:25 in the video below) that he literally stumbled on the move after an opponent stood on his foot and they fell backwards.
When it came time to name his new front facelock head-smashing attack, Roberts ultimately found himself being inspired by a newspaper whilst having breakfast one morning. Jake read here the words "US Government Outlaws DDT", with DDT actually standing for dichlorodiphenyltrichloroethane - an insecticide that was being used on crops at the time.
After giving it a little thought, Jake Roberts felt DDT perfectly suited his new match-ending weapon and the poisonous name is still being used to this day.