Unexpected John Cena

On March 11th, 2014, a Florida radio station called Z Morning Zoo uploaded a prank call that would become one of the internet's most enduring jumpscares. The premise: call unsuspecting people and gradually escalate into a full-blown WWE announcer screaming "AND HIS NAME IS JOHN CENA!" over blaring trumpets.

Vine seized upon it immediately. By July 2015, over 11,000 Vines used the #JohnCena hashtag. The format was beautifully stupid: take any video—a cooking tutorial, a nature documentary, a quiet moment of tension—and blast viewers with Cena's entrance theme at maximum volume. r/UnexpectedCena amassed 30,000 members dedicated to the bit.

The genius was in the unexpectedness. You couldn't see it coming. (You also couldn't see him, as the companion "You Can't See Me" meme reminded everyone constantly.) The meme outlived Vine itself, migrating to YouTube compilations and eventually becoming shorthand for any loud, abrupt interruption.

Now, over a decade later, the trumpets still echo. The format persists alongside its younger sibling Are You Sure About That?, forming a one-two punch of wrestling-based internet chaos. Cross-generational recognition? Check. Platform survival? Check. Still getting people with the jumpscare? Absolutely.

John Cena may claim you can't see him, but you'll never stop hearing that entrance.