WWE Rumor Roundup – Backstage news on Sasha Banks' absence, update on top female star joining AEW, new term added to banned list (January 8th, 2022)

We're back with another edition of the WWE Rumor Roundup, and as always, there are several interesting bits of speculation that have grabbed the attention of the wrestling community.

WWE's lengthy list of banned words has been updated with a new term, as the changes came into effect this past week. We also have an important update regarding Sasha Banks' absence and what the creative team was told about her brief hiatus.

A popular female star's WWE contract is expected to end soon, and updates on whether she can join AEW have been covered in today's lineup of stories.

A note on Triple H's backstage reaction to recent NXT releases has come to light. Elsewhere, people within the developmental brand were not too pleased with a superstar's entrance at an event.

On that note, let's dive right into the latest WWE Rumor Roundup:

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#5. WWE has reportedly banned the term "pay-per-view"

WWE's list of banned terms just received another addition as the company is no longer using 'pay-per-view.'

Dave Meltzer provided the update in the latest Wrestling Observer Newsletter and noted that 'PPV' is now being considered outdated by WWE officials. WWE will refer to its PPV shows as 'premium live events' from now on.

Here's an excerpt from the Newsletter:

"WWE also has banned the term PPV, and essentially for WWE that term is antiquated. While the big shows are on PPV, they are essentially premium live events, which is the new term they are using."

It's no secret that WWE continues to revise its list of forbidden words. The existing list features several known phrases and terms prohibited since the promotion moved to the PG era.

In case you missed it, here are the other terms and phrases in WWE's banned list:

"Blood, choke, belt, strap, diva, head shot, trauma, kayfabe, Mofos, house show, DQ, The Anti-Diva, spinal injuries, victim, violence, violent, wrestling, wrestlers, WWF, wifebeater, curb stomp, phrases including the word "push" and "being over," babyface, heel, job, jobber, card, strangle, kill and murder," revealed Dave Meltzer.

Going by the unpredictable nature of the WWE, Vince McMahon's catalog of banned words would ideally grow longer as time passes.

#4. Backstage news on Sasha Banks' WWE absence

As announced by WWE, Sasha Banks will be out of action for 6-8 weeks due to an injury suffered at a recent live event.

Fightful Select reports that WWE was already preparing for Sasha Banks' hiatus as the creative team was told to formulate plans without factoring in The Legit Boss.

WWE's writers were informed on January 3 that Sasha would be unavailable for the upcoming Royal Rumble. WWE's worst fears sadly turned out to be accurate as Banks was diagnosed with an injury that will keep her away from TV for almost two months.

WWE has already made multiple booking changes in recent weeks due to the COVID-19 outbreak. Drew McIntyre's neck injury also put a spanner in the works as The Scottish Warrior was slated to have a program with Roman Reigns.

Sasha Banks' untimely injury has dealt WWE another major blow as they approach one of the year's most important events.

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#3. Updates on Kairi Sane's WWE contract and the possibility of joining AEW

Kairi Sane's recent social media activity had led fans to believe that she was already done with her WWE run. However, as reported by Fightful, Kairi Sane's deal ends in February 2022.

Sources within WWE revealed that Sane departing the company is "not a done deal" as she could choose to see out her contract. Kairi Sane left the US in 2020 and returned to Japan, and WWE honored her request at that time.

It has been revealed that WWE officials were not concerned about Kairi Sane potentially going to AEW. A WWE higher up told Fightful that an AEW signing was "far off of her radar" for Sane, and the company had no worries about it happening a year back.

As things stand, the WWE official in question still does not expect Kairi to become a full-time member of AEW. However, the same WWE executive revealed that they would be surprised if Kairi didn't eventually appear for Tony Khan's promotion.

After returning home, the two-time NXT Women's Champion worked as a brand ambassador for WWE. Kairi Sane will be a free agent in February, and she has previously shown interest in making an in-ring return. Will it happen in an AEW ring? Only time will tell.

#2. Triple H's backstage reaction to WWE NXT releases

The spree of high-profile NXT cuts continued as William Regal, Samoa Joe, Road Dogg, and a few other big names were released over the past few days.

Wade Keller has revealed that Triple H is unhappy over the releases as all the outgoing personalities were close to him backstage:

"NXT just isn't what it once was. I've heard just a little about Triple H's reaction to all of this, and nothing super reportable other than it sounds like he's bummed out," revealed Wade Keller.

Triple H took over the reins of NXT in 2013 with a vision to make it a major brand for the WWE. The company's EVP assembled a group of people who he felt could move to the main roster in the future.

WWE has scrapped the old model and is seemingly undoing all the work Triple H put into developing NXT, and The Game has every reason to be saddened by the recent developments:

"I've talked with people who had said Triple H was building his team that he would bring with him to the main roster, and if his day came to run the main roster, he wanted his group of people. At some point, it was thought that it would include William Regal and Gabe Sapolsky and Road Dogg, and they're gone," Wade Keller added. (H/t - WrestlingNews.co)

Triple H is still the boss of NXT as it transitions to a new era. However, it's unfortunate that the former WWE Champion is no longer surrounded by the people who helped take the brand to great heights in recent years.

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#1. WWE Backstage reaction to Bron Breakker's symbolic entrance at New Year's Evil

Bron Breakker won the NXT Championship at New Year's Evil by beating Tommaso Ciampa in a solid match. However, before the title contest, his entrance rubbed several fans the wrong way as he shattered a massive gold 'X' sign on his way to the ring.

As reported by Fightful Select, people within WWE felt that the spot signaled the end of NXT's previous era, and many were not happy with the moment.

The controversial gesture was not well-received as it seemingly undermined NXT's tremendous rise.

The new NXT Champion issued a clarification about the spot when he recently spoke to Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports. Breakker explained that NXT veterans such as Ciampa will still be around and urged fans not to get the wrong message from his New Year's Evil entrance:

"I don't think it's a nail in the coffin or anything like that. We're just shifting from black and gold to 2.0. Tommaso [Ciampa] is going to be around. I'm sure that he and I will cross paths again. That will happen at some point in time, whether it's now or later. It's going to happen again. I'm looking forward to it. It's just a shift. Those guys are going to be here. I'm fully aware that they're here. It ain't going anywhere."

Bron Breakker has been tasked with the job of leading NXT 2.0. and despite the controversy over the presentation changes, the young star has shown enough potential to be the face of a new-look brand.

Feel free to share your thoughts on any of the stories featured in today's WWE Rumor Roundup.