Roman Reigns has pulled back the curtain on some of WWE’s long-standing linguistic rules, revealing several words that were once banned from television. During a recent appearance on Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story? podcast, Reigns and McMahon discussed the strict vocabulary enforced under the previous leadership.
Reigns noted that in the “old WWE,” the word “violence” was strictly off-limits. “That’s old WWE… We can’t say violence. They told me that before,” he stated. McMahon shared a similar experience from a past storyline where The Undertaker targeted her character, recalling she was instructed not to say she was “kidnapped.” Instead, the required term was “abducted.” Reigns also added that performers were not allowed to say “hospital,” and were instead directed to use the phrase “local medical facility.”
These specific examples were part of a wider set of rules established during Vince McMahon’s tenure to brand the company as “sports entertainment” and distance it from traditional pro wrestling. Under this philosophy, “wrestlers” were rebranded as “Superstars” and the term “wrestling” itself was often replaced with “entertainment.” This extended to championships, which were not to be called “belts” or “straps.” The fanbase was also rebranded, becoming the “WWE Universe.”
Some of the bans were implemented to protect storylines and limit potential liability. According to former commentator John Bradshaw Layfield, the “local medical facility” term was used not only because McMahon felt it sounded more sophisticated, but also to prevent viewers from calling actual hospitals in the area during an injury angle. Similarly, words with real-world medical implications like “concussion” or “spinal injuries” were forbidden.
Over the years, various internal lists revealed an extensive number of prohibited terms. These lists included:
- Wrestling Jargon: “Kayfabe,” “babyface,” “heel,” “jobber,” and “house show.”
- Violent Language: “Blood,” “choke,” “kill,” and the word “stomp” from Seth Rollins’ finisher, the “Curb Stomp.”
- Other Prohibited Words: The list also included “diva,” “DQ” (for disqualification), “non-title,” and common words like “hate” and “stupid.”
Vince McMahon’s focus on language also heavily influenced the commentary team. JBL revealed that McMahon disliked common words such as “very” and “that,” viewing them as unsophisticated and pushing announcers to use a more elevated vocabulary. Veteran manager Jim Cornette also noted that phrases like “catch a quick one” for a rollup pin were disliked, illustrating the micro-management that defined the company’s on-air presentation for decades.