8 best catchphrases in WWE history

There's no denying that wrestling fans and the wrestling industry go together like an old married couple.

Years may have passed, and apart from the odd moment of excitement here and there, the passion has largely dissipated. But no matter how bad things get between them, neither side can bear the thought of life without the other.

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One way fans have tried to keep the magic alive is by inserting themselves into the action. Anyone who has witnessed a throwaway match on RAW be totally ruined by 'CM Punk' chants, or a shaky promo torn apart by thousands of people shouting 'WHAT?!' during each pause, will know what we're talking about.

But when the wrestling business is on form, there's no denying that what we all really want is to feel a part of something we love.

When it comes to catchphrases, fans have the perfect opportunity to involve themselves by turning a few choice words into a globally recognized t-shirt design.

Here are the 8 best catchphrases in WWE history:

#8. Best there is, best there was, best there ever will be (Bret Hart)

We begin the list with somewhat of an anomaly when it comes to effective catchphrases. Traditionally speaking, a Superstar will want what they say to be repeated by as many fans as possible, and to that end, it is better if what you say is short.

Not only does this help the crowd to voice your catchphrase in unison, but it also makes it easy to remember and be repeated anywhere in the world.

That being said, Bret Hart's self-appreciating catchphrase, which consists of 11 words in total (depending on how you say it), has to be included simply for how well it embodies the kind of performer the Hitman was.

If there's one word that best describes Bret and his time in the WWF is 'quality'. Everything about his work inside the ropes screamed perfection.

He was the archetypal professional wrestler and brought the industry back down to earth after years of turbulence and uncertainty surrounding the steroid scandal of the early 90s.

No more was the WWE to rely on artificial drugs and cartoonish gimmicks, the company would start to embrace sheer quality and raw talent, and with this long yet strikingly effective catchphrase, Hart's position was cemented at the very top of the mountain for years and years to come.

#7. Rest in Peace (The Undertaker)

If Bret Hart was the embodiment of raw professional wrestling, the Undertaker personifies the sensationalist world of Sports Entertainment like no other.

In actual fact, it is really quite incredible how the Deadman has managed to stay relevant all these years, beginning life in the cartoonish Hogan Era and maintaining the core of his gimmick through four separate and very different eras since then.

With all the slight variations of the Undertaker gimmick we have seen over the years, however, one thing has been a constant. Mark Calloway's character is the ultimate Badass both from a Kayfabe perspective and behind the scenes.

The man must be taken seriously as a genuine threat to any Superstar who has ever laced up a pair of boots.

'Rest in Peace' works on so many different levels when you really think about it. It fits in perfectly with the bizarre nature of the gimmick, which began life as a creepy, zombie-like Undertaker ready to put bodies in the ground.

It also works from a more serious context as you can truly believe Taker to be a genuine threat to your wellbeing if you ever found yourself on his bad side.

And perhaps more importantly, it is a gimmick people of all ages like to repeat. You hear children of 5 and under shouting it along with grown men in their 20s and 30s. It is universally popular, just like the Phenom that made it famous.

#6. Finally, The Rock has come back... (The Rock)

The Attitude Era was a special time for Professional Wrestling, perhaps the most important of all. One of the many features of this period was the sheer popularity the industry experienced, helped in no small part by the number of bonafide mega-stars that competed for the McMahons at the time.

Of this impressive bunch, a handful of Superstars truly stood out as the best of the best, one of which was Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson.

After a tricky start to life in the WWF, The Rock became one of the most beloved performers the sport has ever known and it is no surprise to anyone that he now transcends wrestling in the way that he does today.

One of the many catchphrases we associate with The Rock begins with the word 'finally' before announcing to the particular town or city he happens to be standing in that he has ''come back''.

What better way to demonstrate the connection Rocky has with the entire world than to allow each set of fans to show their appreciation for the mere fact that the Great One is breathing the same air as them.

Not only is this a fun catchphrase to chant along to, but it is also adaptable and makes the audience feel a part of the Rock experience.

#5. 'That's the bottom line, cause Stone Cold said so! (Stone Cold Steve Austin)

Alongside the Rock, the WWF was headlined throughout the Attitude Era by Stone Cold Steve Austin, arguably the most important Superstar of all time, taking into account what the character did for the company in a time when complete annihilation was not unthinkable.

After watching their Southern rivals WCW make ground with the NWO faction throughout 1995-1997, Vince needed to hit back. Doing this would mean finding his niche. No longer could he rely on the fan-pleasing cartoon gimmicks of old, he needed a new direction and a new attitude.

Enter Stone Cold Steve Austin, the man who stood for blue-collar America in their constant struggle with organized authority.

In a time period like the 90s when trust in politicians, police and business leaders was at an all-time low, the individual once again became king. If you cannot rely on your President to get through 8 years without scandal, maybe it was time to listen to yourself above all others.

Stone Cold soon showed the WWF Universe that he was a man who beat to his own drum. He did what he wanted, not to be cool or to be liked, but simply because he 'said so'.

Soon every member of the audiences across the nation wanted to be like Austin with the power to decide for themselves what was right and what was wrong.

#4. What ya gonna do? (Hulk Hogan)

It's probably safe to say that the 1980s were not generally the heyday for catchphrases. The makeup of the audience was very different, with fans basically following the kayfabe agenda, booing the villains and cheering the heroes.

It would not really be until the late 90s when fans would be encouraged to insert themselves more into the action by being vocal in a way that didn't necessarily follow the intended script.

But one catchphrase from the 80s has certainly stood the test of time, and it is no surprise that it originated from the Alpha-male of this time period, Hulk Hogan.

Hogan was many things to many people, but one of the first things you noticed about him as a kid was his ability to reach through your television set with those insanely aggressive, highly charged backstage interviews he used to conduct with Mean Gene.

You couldn't help but feel the passion of the Hulkster coming directly at you every time he talked up an upcoming match. It was delightfully over-the-top in a way that only 1980s WWF could get away with.

These promo segments would typically conclude with the words 'what ya gonna do when Hulkamania runs wild on you?!' Even after hearing this so many times, it is still enough to give you goosebumps.

#3. YES! YES! YES! (Daniel Bryan)

Typically speaking, catchphrases tend to be additions to an already established and universally adored Superstar. They offer yet another way for the individual to connect with the audience and cement themselves into the minds of the millions.

Yet when it comes to Daniel Bryan and the 'YES!' chant, things take on a slightly different hue.

After his 18-second loss to Sheamus at WrestleMania 28, Bryan's considerably vocal fans decided to get behind him in a way that would make WWE management finally take note and ensure this sort of disrespect to the American Dragon would not happen again.

Bryan rode the waves of the 'YES Movement' all the way to the main event of WrestleMania, winning the WWE World Heavyweight Championship in the process.

And like any good catchphrase, it even caught the attention of the outside world, becoming a staple chant for the fans of the San Francisco Giants during their victorious 2014 MLB season.

The catchphrase itself is simple, just one little word with three letters that can be said in perfect unison whether you're dealing with a crowd of a few hundred, or 70,000. And as long as Daniel Bryan remains the beloved Superstar that he is, we'll probably be hearing the YES chant for many years still to come.

#2. WHAT?! (Stone Cold Steve Austin)

Seen by many as the original 'YES', Stone Cold Steve Austin's 'WHAT?!' has been a consistent part of WWE television ever since its creation in the latter stages of the Attitude Era.

When it first began, fans were already pretty invested in the Stone Cold character, so it wasn't exactly a challenge to get it off the ground. People have no trouble saying it, even if English isn't their first language, and it carries with it equal parts comedy and disrespect - making it the perfect summary of the Attitude Era itself.

As Austin's career petered out, the WHAT?! catchphrase continued to be used by the WWE Universe, now becoming the ultimate weapon for getting inside the heads of any Superstar you don't particularly like.

In many ways, modern-day WWE heels are judged on how well they handle the WHAT?! taunt with guys like The Miz and Alexa Bliss, in particular, offering some of the best responses.

Its use remains quite controversial today, with many claiming that it has run its course. You could even see it as the ultimate Kayfabe killer, as fans can't seem to help themselves even when a segment is playing out that is supposed to be serious.

In the run-up to WrestleMania 28, even the Undertaker suffered at the hands of the WHAT?! chant, interrupting his typically slow and methodical promo on an episode of RAW.

#1. Suck it! (D-Generation X)

To say the WWF was culturally relevant during the Attitude Era is really quite the understatement.

While the company had enjoyed high levels of mainstream success in the 80s with the rise of Hulkamania and the Rock n' Wrestling Connection, nothing can compete with the deep-seated love and admiration a generation of young boys and girls held for the WWF throughout most of the late 90s and early 00s.

Vince McMahon needed to build up a credible challenge to WCW in 1997 and spent much of the year altering his approach to how he did television. Gone were the corny, family friendly storylines and characters, and in came controversy.

This was a shrewd move on Vince's part, as he knew that popular culture in the US was effectively morphing into one giant middle finger, flying in the face of all forms of authority.

With Clinton battling to keep his reputation intact inside the White House and the reputation of the celebrity world crumbling at the hands of scandal after scandal, traditional 'father knows best' entertainment made way for car crash TV.

With nothing seemingly left to care about or respect, one catchphrase would become the perfect outlet for this widely held, undirected frustration and anger - Suck it!

While the WWE can't exactly take credit for creating the 'Suck it' catchphrase, they were the reason why millions of schoolboys across the world were repeating it. And with D-Generation X at the helm of this new movement, professional wrestling, and the WWF, in particular, would never be the same again.

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Edited by Akhilesh Tirumala