5 banned WWE words that were brought back
Back in the 1980s/1990s, if a word or phrase was suddenly removed from WWE programming, there is a good chance that even the most die-hard of viewers would probably never have noticed.
Nowadays, due to the growth of social media and the amount of WWE information that is widely known to the public, it is common knowledge amongst fans that there is a long list of words that Superstars and on-screen personalities are told not to use on television.
In 2008, the following phrases were included on a ‘words to avoid’ production sheet which was leaked online: belt, strap, feud, war, performance, house show, backstage, pro wrestling, title shot, acrobatics, interesting, DQ, talent, me, I, heel, babyface, fans, hospital, faction, title on the line.
There have been numerous stories over the years about Superstars accidentally breaking WWE’s vocabulary rules, including in 2017 when Mick Foley revealed that Vince McMahon yelled at Braun Strowman after he declared on Raw that he wanted a “title shot” against Kevin Owens. Instead, according to WWE’s guidelines, he should have said “title match”.
That example from Foley suggests that WWE’s rules are very strict, but there have also been occasions when words have been banned and then brought back several years later.
In this article, let’s take a look at five words/phrases that were initially outlawed before being reintroduced.
#5 Belt
The inspiration for this article comes from the recent news that the word "belt" is allowed to be used again on WWE programming. It had previously been banned because WWE wanted its titles/championships to feel special and be viewed as much more than just a "belt".
The sole reason for the reintroduction of the word appears to be down to Becky Lynch, who began referring to herself as “Becky 2 Belts” in the build-up to her WrestleMania 35 main event against Ronda Rousey and Charlotte Flair.
Since she won the match, claiming the Raw and SmackDown Women’s Championships in the process, WWE has taken advantage of her new moniker by releasing merchandise containing the phrase “Becky 2 Belts”.