On a recent episode of Insight with Chris Van Vliet, longtime WWE referee Charles Robinson gave a behind-the-scenes look at one of the most iconic moments of his career: his full-speed sprint to the ring during the main event of WrestleMania 24. He revealed that his primary focus during the long run down the ramp was not to trip.
“Going, ‘Don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall, don’t fall,’” Robinson recalled as his internal monologue. “Just not to fall. That’s the big thing. That was a steep, steep ramp.” He also confirmed that the memorable moment was a one-shot deal with no prior practice. “No, I don’t practice anything. One take. That’s the best way to do it.”
The run-in has since taken on a life of its own, becoming one of the most enduring and widely used memes in wrestling and pop culture. “After COVID, all the memes about getting back to the gym or getting back to the hairdresser… How do I get paid for this stuff? I mean, there are hundreds of different ones,” he said. The meme’s popularity has led to him being recognized by people who don’t even watch wrestling. “I have people on the street that know nothing about wrestling. ‘You’re that meme guy.’ What are you talking about? ‘I’m the meme guy.’”
Robinson also shared an interesting note about a similar spot he did years later with John Cena, who had a specific instruction for him. “With Cena, when I did it recently, I didn’t run as fast for a reason. He didn’t want me to run past him. He didn’t want me to be too fast.”
The legendary run occurred during the World Heavyweight Championship match between The Undertaker and Edge at WrestleMania 24 in Orlando, Florida. Robinson’s urgent sprint to make the three-count has been immortalized online, cementing his place in wrestling history in a way few referees ever achieve.
If you use any portion of the quotes from this article, please credit Insight with Chris Van Vliet with an h/t to WrestlingNews.co for the transcription.
