Ron Simmons has revealed the origin story of his one-line catchphrase, “DAMN!”, pointing to the WWE Universe as the reason for it’s success.
Former Acolyte/APA member Simmons was asked this week on WWE’s The Bump about the iconic “DAMN!” punchline. Kayla Braxton asking Ron whether he knew it was going to be so engrained into WWE folklore, and where it all started.
People always tease me about it, but they never ask me the origins of it. Actually, that started when Bradshaw and I were tagging together as Acolytes/APA. When something would go wrong in the ring, or I would get hurt, the people within the first six or seven rows could hear me say, ‘Damn.’
Each time we would come back to those towns, and the more I would said it, the people started chanting it, saying Damn! Damn! I’d ask Bradshaw, ‘What are they saying?’ He’d say, ‘I think they’re saying Damn because you say that each time something doesn’t go the way you want it to go.’
So, the writers got wind of this, and so they said let’s try this.
So, John Cena and Booker T were having an exchange in Chicago, and they said look, were going to try this. At the end of the exchange, they wanted me to simply walk out and say, ‘Damn.’ and I did, and that was how that was born.
Ron Simmons has spend 35+ years in the wrestling business, from WXW in the 80’s, ECW in the mid-90’s and then through to the WWE in 1996 where he still resides today.
In 2012, SImmons was inducted into the WWE Hall of Fame, alongside Mil Mascaras, Yokozuna, The Four Hoursemen, Mike Tyson and current WrestleMania Main-Event bound – Edge!