Kurt Angle: Who in the hell are you?

I’m John Cena!

I remember this open challenge of Kurt Angle on SmackDown, June 27, 2002, as vividly as yesterday. A buzzcut kid in trunks walked out, delivered that line, and the WWE was never the same again. More than two decades later, I, and millions of others, are seeing that same John Cena standing at the edge of the ring one last time.

And it’s not just me or only the wrestling world that is feeling it. NASCAR, with whom Cena shares a long association, has stepped in to offer a heartfelt farewell, tipping its hat to a larger-than-life figure who crossed industries, eras, and generations without ever slowing down.

‘You won’t see him,’ literally

After more than 20 years of carrying WWE on his shoulders, the 17-time world champion confirmed he’ll step away from in-ring competition following his 2025 farewell tour. The reveal came during a surprise appearance at Money in the Bank in July, instantly shifting the conversation from “when?” to “how do we even process this?”

As the curtain call draws closer, an unexpected moment resurfaced from outside the squared circle.

Xfinity Racing shared a clip from the 2016 Daytona 500, where NASCAR reporter Jamie Little walks right past Cena. She is completely unfazed, completely unaware. Cena’s amused, “of course this happened” expression said it all. The joke – You can’t see me – years in the making, landed perfectly.

It’s hard to explain the significance of that line in my life, and how it hits differently now after all these years. It powered his entrances, the five knuckle shuffle, memes, and an entire era.

At 48, John Cena was candid about the toll the ring has taken, balancing brutal honesty with the grace of someone who knows exactly when to bow out.

“I made a promise to the WWE that I would not stick around when my skills can’t match the product, and they can’t. I’m 48. My 40-yard time has gone like [down]. I can’t match up with the product now, and that’s okay, because what I do isn’t who I am. The realization of that has helped me come to like, ‘No, let these guys have it now because they’re really good.’ All I would be doing is a disservice to the consumer if I go any point beyond this,” Cena explained.

Cena’s final match is set: a blockbuster showdown against Gunther on WWE Saturday Night, December 13, at the Capital One Arena in Washington, DC. One last fight. One last salute.

Meanwhile, Jamie Little, though unaware back then, has responded to the video now.

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The hardest part of goodbye

Jamie Little leaned right into the moment, replying to the resurfaced Daytona clip with a perfectly timed, “Congrats @JohnCena! 😝. If you think about it, it was maybe the one time when John Cena really wasn’t seen. Jamie’s tone was playful, harmless, and exactly why the clip blew up all over again.

But for fans watching it now, through the lens of retirement, it hit differently. What used to be a running joke suddenly felt like an accidental metaphor. Almost instantly, fans began asking the obvious question: Is this where the meme really began? And if you, too, are looking for the answer, then here is the origin story of the iconic John Cena signature statement.

Cena’s iconic “You Can’t See Me” catchphrase didn’t come from a creative meeting or branding exercise. It came from a dare. Back in 2003, his younger brother Sean mocked a hand-wave move from a music video and dared Cena to do it on the low-rated WWE Velocity. Cena figured no one would notice and he had nothing to lose. He did the wave, dropped the line, “You can’t see me,” and unknowingly launched a career-defining taunt, an album title, and a pop-culture staple that would follow him for two decades.

Now, as his farewell tour winds down, fans are processing the unthinkable. “Can’t believe I’ll hear it for the last time tonight,” one post read, carrying a quiet sadness beneath the nostalgia. But, for me (and many others), it’s not just that line. It’s all of them.

“You want some, come get some.” “The Champ is here.” “I never back down. I never quit.”

Each catchphrase marked a different chapter – different eras, different versions of Cena – but all carried the same unshakable energy.

What stood out most, though, was how NASCAR fans joined the goodbye. “From NASCAR Fans To John Cena, With Love,” one fan commented. Cena’s connection to the sport runs deeper than a cameo or two.

Before his 2016 Daytona “appearance,” in 2008, John Cena appeared in Gillette’s “Young Guns” NASCAR campaign. He competed on Fast Cars and Superstars: The Gillette Young Guns Celebrity Race, lining up alongside celebrities while being coached by some of NASCAR’s biggest names. He showed up not as a superstar playing racecar driver, but as a fan genuinely soaking it all in.

And that’s why this farewell feels universal.

From wrestling rings to racetracks, from memes to milestones, thank you, John Cena. Thank you for the moments, the laughs, the goosebumps, and the memories. We may not “see” you in the ring again, but you’ll never really be gone from our hearts.