411’s WWE This is Awesome Report: “Most Awesome Catchphrases”

-Time for more nostalgia as this is the first episode of season three. Let’s get to it!

-Run Time: 51:57

-Greg Miller welcomes us to the show and he is sporting a YEET shirt this time. He goes over the importance of a catchphrase and that leads to the opening video package.

-The talking heads mention that what happens in the ring isn’t always memorable, but a catchphrase can be. We get a bunch of clips including Vince’s “You’re Fired.” Well, we won’t be seeing that one in new features going forward and they dodged a bullet not having that be one of the phrases focused on this show. Woods goes over the history of the “New Day Rocks” chant as it goes back to his cheer leading days. Jey talks about the history of YEET and how it came organically. Ford says We Want The Smoke comes from The Rock and is their version of Just Bring It. Gable got Shoosh from Encino Man and we have video from the movie here. I appreciate that! Others: Yes, Two Words for Ya, Can You Dig That Sucka! They go over Suck It and Gargano and Dawkins talk about getting detention for saying it. I once got thrown out of a high school basketball game for saying it to a man that told me he was going to choke me. He apparently thought I was making fun of his son, who was injured on the court. I would never do that because they are high school kids playing a game (I was in high school at the time as well). The guard said he removed me because it was easier than throwing out the older man.

If You Smell What The Rock is Cooking

-They could do an entire show just on Rock’s catchphrases, but this is obviously the most famous. Current Superstars get to do their Rock impression which I am sure they enjoyed. We head back to WrestleMania 14 where Rock had an interview with Gennifer Flowers and he just casually said “if you smell what I’m cooking.” Shotzi notes that nobody can cut a better promo than Rock and we see the promo where he ripped off Hogan, Bret, and Austin. They debate whether The Rock is the king of the catchphrases, and we get highlights of them. They focus on his promo as host of WrestleMania XXVII in Atlanta and I was there. They show The Instagram video of Samantha Irvin losing her mind when Rock returned at Day One. Fun stuff!

-Back to Day One where Rock dropped his “Head of the Table” line. That leads us to our next catchphrase:

Suffering Succotash

-Just kidding!

Acknowledge Me

-Very simple and effective! Works in the real world as trash talk as well. Sam says that Roman doesn’t care if you boo or cheer, but he wants people to recognize he is in the building and runs everything. Sam Roberts calls Roman a “true industry game changer.” That’s pretty much it as they gave Rock twice as much time.

WOOOO

-Flair is another one you could devote an entire show to his catchphrases. Again, everyone gets to do their Flair impression. We get classic Flair promo cuts from the 80s. Kaiser, in a pimp white turtleneck, brings up how fans Wooo after chops. They discuss the Flair/Angle “Wooo” off and it’s still hilarious. We see NFL players doing the Wooo. Ford laughs at the WrestleMania 21 movie parodies where Flair went woooo at a donkey. Miz calls Flair an icon and we end with one final Wooo from Flair.

What

-Roberts puts Austin up there as one of the Kings of Catchphrases. Graves says the night Austin delivered the Austin 3:16 promo it changed his world. Again, they go over how it instantly made Austin a star and again, I note it didn’t happen until the Bret feud 4 months later. The man was left off SummerSlam main show. Corbin laughs and then “thanks” Austin for the WHAT chant. Yeah, poor girls and guys have been dealing with that ever since. Some better than others at getting around it. Gargano says only Austin could make that catchphrase work. Waltman brings up fans hijacking the show with the chant. Miz says it is annoying but fun to deal with. Roman: “If you keep whatting me, I will smash you, like I would smash Steve Austin.”

Oh Yeah

-YES! Gargano notes that Macho’s voice is a catchphrase by itself. One of the talking heads mentions Savage’s voice sounded like he smoked three packs of cigarettes a day. They talk about Randy’s energy and how his veins were popping out of his neck. More impressions as they note Savage may be the most fun Superstar to try to impersonate. We’ve all done it! Bronson Reed says 9 out of 10 impressions are bad and people should stop. MACHO PROPOSING TO ELIZABETH! I LOVE THIS SHOW! That moment has lived rent free in my head ever since and I would recite it in Macho’s voice. We get the Wedding at SummerSlam and of course Macho has to say, “OH YEAH.” They discuss the Slim Jim’s commercial and I am sure Savage made bank off that. Slim Jim made a ton of it as well obviously. Miz says to this day nobody has this voice and if someone can in and tried, nobody would buy it.

-Greg Miller is eating a Slim Jim as we get product placement and that’s a little awkward now.

D’Von Get The Table

-Good for The Dudleys! Bubba says he said it one day in the ring and can’t remember where or when. It just happened. He mentions it was a spur of the moment thing that came off the top of his head and stuck. Santa Clause put through a table at WWE New York! We get a montage of people getting put through a table and obviously, they aren’t showing women getting the table treatment. Bubba notes they didn’t invent putting people through tables but made it cool.

DAMN

-Another easy choice and they bring Simmons back anytime to say the one word and leave. They cover that Ron is the first African American World Champion and is also in the College Football Hall of Fame and WWE Hall of Fame, but with all of that he is best known for DAMN! Ron says that what made it catch on is the way he says it and everyone else loves the comedic timing of it. Ron would just pop up out of nowhere and make the crowd wait before DAMN! Priest has a massive smile on his face talking about it and you can tell he is a fan. Rebecca Romijn drinking beer with the APA and Ron delivers DAMN! Graves brings up my point that Ron can show up on any show, say one word, and collect a paycheck. Smart man!

It’s True

-Mt Lebanon’s own Kurt Angle! The talking heads put over how quickly Angle took to pro-wrestling and it wasn’t just in ring, but how quickly he got the small things and interacting with the crowd. Ciampa says Angle is above everyone on the roster, so his guard didn’t have to be up and he didn’t need to prove anything. OLYMPIC HERO FOR ABSTINENCE. Oh man, I forgot all about that. Angle heels on New York and The Knicks, and that was 24 years ago and it’s still true. Angle then added, “It’s Damn True,” to really drive the point home.

Yeah!

-The most recent catchphrase on this list! Let him talk to you as it is his game. Gargano says this is the newest hotness in the catchphrase game. Graves says it is just fun and something comes over you. Gable talks about Knight’s swagger and style. Prison Dom puts over the look of gold chains and timberlands. Gargano says he knew the phrase would blow up when they were in NXT together and cut a promo for War Games. Gargano breaking during the filming is great! We see Knight’s debut in NXT when he pushed Sam off the set. Good! We get highlights of Knight’s various trash talk and insults before hitting the signature YEAH!

I’m The Miz and I’m Awesome

-Good for The Miz! Truth says Miz is conceited, but it’s also true that he is good. SHOW-MIZ! Candice throws shade saying maybe Miz thinks he is better than he is. Prison Dom says that one he hits the phrase you can’t help, but say it with him. Miz breaks down the simplicity of the catchphrase as it tells who he is and how he feels about himself.

You Can’t See Me

-Yeah, this one (with the hand gesture) has hit pop culture. My 6 year old has discovered the phrase and hand gesture and didn’t even know it came from John Cena. The talking heads laugh at the idea that people can’t see a big jacked up dude like John Cena. Someone explains it is from hip-hop and means you aren’t on my level. Cena got the hand gesture from a Tony Yayo video and we see footage from 50 Cent “In The Club,” with Tony doing the gesture. Cena took it from there and on a dare did it on TV. It has become an online joke and a meme which is talked about. Cena has a translucent Funko Pop. Truth says he has never seen John Cena yet. “Been around him, but have never seen him.” National Treasure! Gargano’s son thinks waving is doing the Cena gesture and we get home video. Fantastic!

-Greg wraps things up and pays homage to the catchphrase created by the fans: “This is Awesome.”

-Next time: Most Awesome WrestleMania Moments: Volume II. McMahon shaking hands with Austin. They might want to do some editing by the time it airs.

-As always, this show is fun and full of nostalgia. Easy watch and I will keep watching as long as they give me things from my childhood. Thanks for reading!