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John Cena Reveals Origin of His Iconic Catchphrase

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Xaiver Aguiar | Last updated May 19, 2025 6:37 PM ET

Although Hulk Hogan and "Stone Cold" Steve Austin helped propel wrestling into a form of media accepted by the mainstream media masses, John Cena has been revolutionary in allowing his persona to shine outside of the squared circle. On numerous occasions, the Undisputed WWE Champion has alluded to the fact that he largely lives his gimmick, so there's always a sense of authenticity in his tone.

For better and worse, Cena is always a bit formulaic in delivery, but with over 60 appearances a year during his prime, how could it not be? Regardless of the match, you know Cena is going to bust out a "five knuckle shuffle" that starts with his infamous "you can't see me" catchphrase, which has sparked endless memes and has adorned the backs of tens of thousands of t-shirts. But how did Cena come up with his legendary saying?

While speaking to a crowd at the Philadelphia Fan Expo, Cena revealed the inspiration behind the internet's favorite motto.

"It was an accident. My brother dared me to do it on television," Cena said. "I was on a Saturday night program called Velocity that nobody watched or cared about, but I personally loved it because that was the only match I could get. He dared me to do it on TV, and I did."

Three years ago, during an appearance on Jimmy Fallon, Cena explained that the motion itself was sparked by hip-hop artist Tony Yayo, who put his hand over his face in the "So Seductive" music video.

.@JohnCena breaks down the origin of his famous “You Can’t See Me” @WWE move! #FallonTonight pic.twitter.com/1n7HqE5tls
— The Tonight Show (@FallonTonight) January 11, 2022

Cena will almost whip out his tagline this weekend when he squares off with R-Truth on "Saturday Night's Main Event" at the latest stop on his farewell tour. The show's card is starting to round into form, as it provides a convenient pit stop on the road to "Money in the Bank."

Current Saturday Night Main Event Card

World Heavyweight Championship - Jey Uso (c) vs. Logan Paul

Tag Team Match - Sami Zayn & CM Punk vs. Bron Breakker & Seth Rollins

Singles Match - John Cena vs. R-Truth

Steel Cage Match - Drey McIntyre vs. Damian Priest

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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