Young Rock reveals the origin story behind one of professional wrestling’s most iconic catchphrases. The NBC sitcom, which chronicles the upbringing of Dwayne Johnson, has settled into a comfortable groove as it approaches its midway point. In episode 5, titled “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, an earlier plot point is revisited.

The episode starts with Johnson talking to Randall Park about his impending announcement regarding who he will choose as his presidential running mate. In the process, he continues the story of how he punched a classmate for saying that wrestling is fake. With her husband, Rocky Johnson (Joseph Lee Anderson) away at a wrestling convention, it’s up to Ata Johnson (Stacey Leilua) to discipline her 15-year-old son. The teenaged Rock (played by Bradley Constant) finds himself temporarily suspended from school, though he doesn’t seem to care. He ignores his mother’s chidings to go hang out with his friend at the mall. Frustrated, Ata ultimately turns to a group of wrestlers for advice. They all suggest, essentially, that Ata should remind her son of who is in charge.

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This leads to arguably the standout scene in “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, as Ata confronts Dwayne at a fancy jewelry store. Ata informs her son that he is grounded and, when he begins to protest, prepping a defense of his actions, Ata roars back and declares: “It doesn’t matter what you think!” For anyone even casually familiar with the wrestling career that The Rock would go on to have in WWE, they’ll recognize the retort as one of the wrestler’s most beloved catchphrases. Given that Dwayne complains that he’s never seen his mother so angry, Young Rock cleverly suggests that a family argument resulted in one of the most memorable retorts in WWE history.

Ever since The Rock uttered those unforgettable six words, referencing Billy Gunn, the catchphrase has taken on a life of its own, even becoming the title of a popular single by artist Wyclef Jean. More to the point, no matter how many times he’s used it, and generally no matter the target, the line tends to always receive a delighted response from wrestling crowds who love to watch as The Rock’s rivals can only stammer in the aftermath of the shattering insult. Young Rock hints that Ata achieved similar success when she used the line, leaving Dwayne more speechless than angry and leading the jewelry store clerk to be in awe of Ata’s commanding presence.

It is of course hard to say whether the catchphrase, or some form of it, was ever utilized in a Johnson family argument. Along with fueling speculation that Johnson is considering a presidential bid, the sitcom most evidently gets across the title character’s reverence for his parents. The reverence is reinforced during episode 5, evidenced by the fact that Rock ensures that his running mate will have some of his mother’s fierceness and many of the same values. It is likely the case that the show included a funny reference for the WWE fans in the audience while continuing ongoing storylines and expanding on familiar themes. Perhaps as Young Rock continues however, viewers might see the devastating catchphrase employed during a presidential debate.

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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi
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Abdullah Al-Ghamdi joined Screen Rant in August 2019, focusing on movie and television news. In January of the same year, he wrote a 3500+ word piece on why Primo Colón is underrated. He considers it his finest work. When he’s not arguing for the merits of his favorite wrestler, he can be reached at: [email protected].

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