John Cena officially kicked off his year-long retirement tour on the debut episode of Raw on Netflix, just one of the major events that took place last night. But Cena being Cena, it turned out his best moment wasn't even in the ring.
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During the post-show press conference, Cena took a number of reporters' questions regarding what he plans for his final run as a professional wrestler and what the rest of his future holds.
However, as you can see above, Cena couldn't resist a sly quip when one reporter mentioned how good it was to see him, quickly invoking his famous "You can't see me" meme.
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Cena's iconic catchphrase, "You Can't See Me," is meant to signify that he's too fast for his opponents to anticipate his next move.
However, the phrase has taken on a life of its own online, where fans often joke as though they literally can't see Cena, turning the phrase into a playful meme.
Cena credits the origins of this signature phrase and gesture to a moment of sibling fun. He explains that it was inspired by a goofy dance his younger brother, Sean, did while messing around to a hip-hop song.
The dance involved moving his head around his hands, and Sean dared Cena to try it out on TV. At the time, Cena was still building his reputation in WWE, so he took the opportunity to incorporate his brother's silly dance on Velocity.
"I just had to modify it a little bit," Cena recalls. "Instead of shaking my head around my hand, I shook my hand around my head." The result was the now-famous hand gesture.
Soon after, Cena added the verbal part, which became a trademark phrase associated with his character, often used just before he performs his signature move, the Five Knuckle Shuffle.
Cena has acknowledged that while the phrase has become part of his persona, he's not fond of calling it a "catchphrase," feeling the term is overly commercial and lacks creativity.
"It's a gift and a curse because people who like me do it and so do people who don't," he says, reflecting on how the phrase is embraced by both fans and critics alike.
As Cena's popularity grew, so did the catchphrase's impact. His debut rap album was titled" You Can't See Me," and WWE even staged a special "You Can't See Me" gimmick match in 2005, where Cena wore a bag over his head to further the joke.
What began as a playful dare between brothers soon became one of the most recognizable elements of Cena's persona, uniting his fans under the "Cenation" banner as they shout "You Can't See Me" in unison with him whenever he strikes his signature pose. At this point, it seems like even the wrestler himself can't resist using it outside of the ring.
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