Cody Rhodes Isn’t Worried About Violating WWE’s ‘Banned Terms’ Rule

Cody Rhodes may be in WWE now, but he’s not worried about what words he can and can’t say. WWE famously has a “banned terms” list that includes words like “belt,” “non-title,” “wrestling,” “kayfabe,” “WWF,” and “house show,” which was circulated to promotional partners before WrestleMania 38 in April. Rhodes showed a little bit of levity when, during the WWE Mattel San Diego Comic-Con panel, panelist Steve Ozer mentioned “title belts” being added to WWE figure two-packs and then corrected himself with “championship titles.”

“Buddy, you can say belts,” Rhodes said (per Wrestling Inc). “If they fine me $1000 every time I say belts, I’m fine with it. Belts. It can be a title belt, sure, it’s a championship. But it also physically goes around your waist. It’s a belt. So, those are great belts [in the new Mattel figures].”

Rhodes used a few of the banned terms such as “wrestlers” and “championship belts” during the April 11th episode of Raw during a segment with The Miz, who corrected Rhodes.