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.

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#5 You can’t see me

Telling opponents his signature catchphrase has become a quintessential part of John Cena's identity.

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.

#4 You’re either Nexus or you’re against us

The Nexus benefited from a unified front.

The Nexus faction debuted in 2010 as a dominant force. Their first appearance saw them decimate not only top star John Cena, but the entire ringside area.

In the weeks to follow, they’d jump legends and they’d lay a beating on Vince McMahon, assembling a white hot summer program. Sure, they lost steam in losing their first big time match, the main event of that year’s SummerSlam.

Nonetheless that initial run offered them a memorable program, and a place in wrestling history.

The Nexus’s signature catchphrase, uttered time and again by leader Wade Barrett in particular, was “You’re either Nexus or you’re against us.” Yes, it was a cleverly word, rhyming play on the group’s name.

Much more than that, though, the catchphrase captured the group’s identity in a nutshell. At seven members, it wasn’t exactly a small stable, but it was a contained group of guys with the shared identity of going through the original NXT season and feeling disrespected, before rising up as a unified force.

The catchphrase fit their mentality of banding together and destroying anyone who didn’t side with them.

#3 You just made the list

The List has been a surprise hit for Chris Jericho.

Chris Jericho is that incredibly rare WWE Superstar who has been able to reinvent himself across time and different eras. While he got over huge during the Attitude Era, there’s a very real argument that he was even more over in his most recent tenure with the company, mostly spent working with and then against Kevin Owens.

Along the way, Jericho came up with 'the list'. As he’s discussed on his podcast, he at first just wanted a signature foreign object to be help his heel character cheat.

The list took on a life of its own, though, as his catchphrase caught fire with fans. Putting his colleagues on the list transitioned from a totally random, nonsensical promo line to something fans eagerly anticipated and chanted along with Jericho on.

Not everything that even a star like Jericho will stick, but this gimmick fundamentally worked, and was fundamental to keeping the aging star over at the highest level, and making his return to WWE eagerly anticipated when it finally does happen.

#2 You can’t teach that

Enzo Amore's catchphrase elevated his career.

One of the better gauges of a WWE catchphrase is when it not only becomes a signature part of a successful performer's act, but when it gets over in spite of the performer it’s attached to.

Few WWE Superstars have offered less full packages than Enzo Amore, whose oddball look and abject lack of athleticism made him feel out of place in NXT, let alone the main roster.

He was teamed up with Big Cass, who at least had the look of a traditional WWE star, but was also awfully green in the ring and on the mic.

Enter Amore’s gift for gab, however, was exceptional. In cutting a blistering promo on his way to the ring, always emphasizing that the gifts he and Cass brought to the table couldn’t be taught, he grabbed the audience’s attention, and became one of the most fun attractions on the roster.

Amore and Cass’s personal issues ultimately caught up to them, and this catchphrase may wind up the only positive memory fans have of the pair.

#1 My hand goes up, your mouths go shut

The Miz strikes just the right balance to draw heat with his catchphrase.

In recent times, The Miz has taken to barking at the booing crowd that when “my hand goes up, your mouth goes shut.” People who have worked at schools or summer camps may recognize this catchphrase as a rough-edged call back to a classic saying that various adults have put their own spin on to quiet groups of children.

That The Miz would apply these words to a wrestling audience may not seem creative, but it’s actually a pretty brilliant pull from the wrestling fan’s psyche.

The catchphrase harks back to fans feeling small and disrespected, and that’s exactly how an arrogant heel character like The Miz should be projecting himself to fans.

Moreover, pairing a simple hand motion with an easy to remember line works for The Miz, making the line easy to chant along with, and a fitting taunt for the PG Era targeting family audiences that actually include kids.