5 Best Catchphrases in WWE's PG Era
A catchphrase can make all the difference for a professional wrestler. Consider the Attitude Era. The Road Dogg was just another guy, more or less average on the roster before he got a mic in his hand for his every entrance to the ring. Calling out “Oh, you didn’t know?” followed by the rest of his shtick became more over than anything he did in the ring, and the routine was a big part of getting The New Age Outlaws over as one of the preeminent tag teams of their time. The Rock, too, coined key phrases that helped him connect with the audience and inspire t-shirts, as did Steve Austin, Chris Jericho, Mick Foley, and quite a few others.
The PG Era has seen WWE rein in obscenities and ad-libbing, but catchphrases very much still have a place in the company. This article takes a look at five of the most successful catchphrases employed during this period, with a particular emphasis on the last decade.
#5 You can’t see me
There ‘s no more iconic catchphrase in contemporary wrestling than John Cena’s signature taunt, “You can’t see me.” It’s a silly catchphrase for how simple and ultimately meaningless it is, but has become synonymous with Cena well beyond the hardcore fan base to become a part of pop culture. Moreover, the saying has grown even more entrenched in fans’ psyches for fact that Cena has signaled in big time matches for well over a decade now, before administering his trademark Five Knuckle Shuffle.
The hand gesture to go with the catchphrase makes it easy to imitate, and “you can’t see me” is both widely quoted and inextricably tied to Cena’s successful brand. Just as Dwayne Johnson would proclaim, “if you smell what The Rock is cooking,” and Steve Austin had “Austin 3:16 says I just whooped your ***” and “that’s the bottom line ‘cause Stone Cold said so,” this softer slogan for Cena will have a lasting legacy in the business.