Since its inception,WWEhas never shied away from introducing pop culture references and comedy trends into their programming. Whether it’sJey Usousing the 2010s slang word“Yeet”for his catchphrase, or wrestlers cosplayingMarvelandDCheroes during matches, the promotion has consistently been open to using outside ideas for entertainment. Arguably WWE’s most reliable star when it comes to creating catchphrases and engaging promos is none other thanDwayne “The Rock” Johnson,who was once inspired by former late-night show hostConan O’Brien’scomedy.
During an appearance onThe Howard Stern Showin 2022, O’Brien recalled oftentoying around with his writers at work,where he would embrace a larger-than-life attitude and comedically strike fear into his staff. He explained that he brilliantly discovered a line to use when writers would create content that he didn’t take a liking to,coining his own at-work catchphrasefor himself.
“I’d come into the room, and I’d be like, ‘Quiet down you idiots,’ and I would go on these long rants.” O’Brien said. “One of my put-downs that I came up with that was so stupid, but I liked it was, if a writer was going on or said something I didn’t like I’d say,‘Why don’t you go have a nice tall glass of shut up juice.'“At the time, O’Brien didn’t think much of his “Shut Up Juice” line, but that would change when one of his most trusted writers started working for WWE.
The Rock Uses Conan O’Brien’s “Shut Up Juice” Line on WWE Television
In the 1990s, one of O’Brien’s long-time comedy writers namedTommy Blachalanded a job working as a Creative Director at WWE. Therefore, Blacha would be responsible for overseeing on-screen storylines and developing material for wrestlers to deliver during promos. Speaking with Stern, O’Brien noted thatBlacha loved his “Shut Up Juice” line,and decided to incorporate the phrase into one of The Rock’s promos during WWE’sRoyal Rumblepay-per-view.
Following the event, fans not only reacted strongly to the catchphrase, butstarted to attend WWE shows with “Shut Up Juice”on signs for weeks to come. Blacha would later apologize to O’Brien for stealing the expression, but the late-night host explained he was perfectly comfortable with his former writer using it. “This is one of my proudest moments in comedy,” O’Brien said. “Tommy was like apologizing, ‘I know I borrowed it from you,’ What are you talking about?
Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson just said it, you know, Vince McMahon gave you a high five. I was in heaven.” Although the catchphrase wouldn’t stick around as long as some of Johnson’s iconic sayings, such as,“Do You Smell What The Rock Is Cooking?“or"It Doesn’t Matter,“O’Brien’s “Shut Up Juice” line still made an impact on the WWE Universe, and was comedic enough to survive upcoming episodes of weekly television. The Rock alsoadopted the moniker"The People’s Champion"fromMuhammad Ali,whose wife,Lonnie Ali,granted him permission to use it as part of his character in WWE.
The Rock Gives a Personal Update on New Martin Scorsese Crime Drama With Emily Blunt
Leonardo DiCaprio also reunites once again with Scorsese for the feature.
Today, The Rock occasionally appears on WWE television, often making his presence known during major shows likeWrestleManiaor thedebut of"WWE RAW"onNetflix. However, at the beginning of 2024, Johnson was also appointed to the Board of Directors ofTKO Group Holdings, which is the promotion formed by the merger of WWE andUFC.The Rock usually refers to himself as"The Final Boss"in wrestling storylines these days, where he often preaches about his power in the company and uses it to further his villainous on-screen persona. As for O’Brien, he’s never had the opportunity to appear as a special guest for one of WWE’s major shows, but he has interviewed some of their best talent. Throughout the 2000s, O’Brien hosted 17-time World ChampionJohn Cenaand WWE Chief Content OfficerTriple Hon the show, and would later interview current Superstars such asRoman ReignsandSheamus.
Late Night with Conan O’Brien
