Tag: big e

Big E recalls outpouring of love after WWE neck injury

Posted on by Joseph Currier

While appearing on Stephanie McMahon’s “What’s Your Story?” podcast, former WWE Champion Big E recalled the outpouring of love he received after breaking his neck.

The injury happened during a WWE SmackDown match in 2022 and — at least to this point — has proven to be a career-ending one. Though it’s been more than three years since he was last able to wrestle, Big E has not dwelled on the negativity of the situation, instead choosing to focus on how happy he is in life and how grateful he is that his injury was not worse than it was. He feels great physically despite not being cleared to compete.

Mindfulness and meditation are two things that have changed Big E’s life for the better — and they were crucial tools in his injury recovery. Instead of feeling like life was falling apart, he was able to focus on gratitude. Just being able to walk seemed like a gift after he had come so close to being paralyzed.

A strong support system also helped Big E get through the injury. It took him days to get back to everyone who reached out, and so many fans sent him their support as well. Friends sent him ‘Seinfeld’ memorabilia and mindfulness books to help boost his morale during the recovery.

“In that moment, I didn’t think about all the things I didn’t have. I was just so grateful for all the things I did have,” Big E said. “The fact that I wasn’t paralyzed. I had friends. And the amount of love, man, I can go on and on about — it took me three days to get back to all the texts, all the phone calls. And I’m just on my phone the whole time trying to get back to everyone. But in that moment, it wasn’t about what I lost. It was, ‘My God, what an incredible support system I have.’

“Thank God for the friends I’ve cultivated. So many of the incredible fans that I wasn’t able to get back to who reached out with so much love. And people can talk about how toxic the internet can be, how toxic wrestling fans can be — and I’m not dismissing elements of that, that certainly exists — but I saw so much love, and it made me feel so good.

“I had so many incredible people. ‘Seinfeld’ is my favorite show, and I had just so many people send me — Mustafa Ali sent me a ‘Seinfeld’ Lego set of Jerry’s apartment. So I played with Lego since I was a kid, but it was great. I was just like in my house, excited to wake up every day and start putting together Jerry’s apartment with this Lego set. I had people send me like ‘Seinfeld’ comforters and scripts.”

Still with WWE after the injury, Big E has transitioned to a role that includes hosting PLE pre-shows and post-shows. He’s also pursued other interests like voicing a character in the Disney+ series “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.”

Big E announced his engagement to Kris Yim — the sister of WWE wrestler Michin — earlier this year.

Big E announces engagement to Kris Yim

Posted on by Bryan Rose

Big E and Kris Yim are now engaged.

The former WWE Champion shared the news on Instagram Monday, sharing pictures of the engagement ring and of himself and Yim, the sister of WWE star Michin.

“I can’t wait to be your husband, @krisyim. Thank you, @lastsuppersociety, for making this day perfect,” he wrote. The two have been dating for the last year.

Big E remains out of action after taking an overhead belly to belly suplex from Ridge Holland back in 2022, breaking his neck. In an interview that took place last year, he said that he is “at peace” if his WWE in-ring career is over. He continues to be part of WWE’s broadcast team, taking part in both post and pre-shows for premium live events.

A longtime member of The New Day, Big E was callously cast out of the group in December by Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, cementing their heel turns and continuing on as a duo.

Big E responds to comedian Tony Hinchcliffe’s WWE Raw joke

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Big E doesn’t have hurt feelings after his broken neck was the subject of a joke on WWE Raw last night.

To promote the upcoming “Roast of WrestleMania,” comedian Tony Hinchcliffe was a guest commentator for The War Raiders vs. New Day on Monday’s Raw episode. Hinchcliffe mentioned Big E during the match by joking that the only thing stiffer than Michael Cole was Big E’s neck.

Joining in on the discourse the joke created wasn’t something Big E had much desire to do, but he understood that he had to address it while appearing on WWE’s Raw Recap podcast. Big E claimed that he wasn’t aware of the joke, but Hinchcliffe said what he wanted to say and people signed off on it. Big E said his feelings were not hurt.

“I guess, at my big age of 39 years old, people will say what they want about you. Their opinion of you is not — has nothing to do with me. It’s not my business,” Big E said. “Look, say what you want, he was given a mic, he was given an opportunity. People will feel how they want to. It’s just, you know, there’s a lot of discourse, often times as a public figure people will say things about you. Whether they’re jokes, whether they’re not. And that is their right. I think the one thing is — and I get like, I’m on here, it was said on the show, I’m supposed to talk. You know, especially when things are mentioned about me, I should have an opinion on them. It’s just — it is tiring to have to weigh in on everyone’s opinion or whatever they say.

“Look, I’m not hurt. I’m good. I want the discourse to be had without me, honestly. I really have no desire to weigh in on this. I didn’t sign up for this. I wasn’t aware of this. He did what he wanted to. People signed off on it. Has nothing to do with me, truly.”

Big E suffered a broken neck during a match in March 2022. Thus far, it’s proven to be a career-ending injury with his neck not ossifying (forming bone) to the point where he’s able to wrestle. But Big E is able to live a normal, healthy life outside of the ring and has expressed that he’s at peace even if he is never able to resume his in-ring career. He’s continued to work for WWE in a role that includes appearing as a panelist on PLE pre-shows and post-shows.

In December 2024, Big E was part of an angle on Raw where Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods betrayed him and turned heel.

Hinchliffe is the host of the standup comedy podcast “Kill Tony” and has signed a deal with Netflix for multiple comedy specials. His untelevised Roast of WrestleMania is taking place in Las Vegas after night two of WrestleMania 41 on Sunday, April 20. The roast is being presented by WWE and the Fontainebleau hotel, with it set to feature Hinchcliffe, some of his comedian friends, and WWE personalities including Sami Zayn, The Miz, Braun Strowman, and Paul Heyman.

Big E voicing character in ‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Former WWE Champion Big E is voicing a character in a new Spider-Man series set to debut this week.

The animated series “Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man” premieres on Disney Plus this Wednesday (January 29). In an interview promoting the launch of the show, executive producer Jeff Trammell confirmed that wrestling fans will hear a familiar voice with Big E voicing one of the characters.

Trammell said they’re very fortunate to have Big E in the show and he’s been the absolute best to work with. They started recording him for the role a few years ago, when Big E was still wearing his neck brace after suffering a broken neck.

Big E tweeted that he’s incredibly excited for this role:

The series is focused on a high-school aged Peter Parker (voiced by Hudson Thames) and the origins of how he became Spider-Man. The first two episodes will be available to watch on Wednesday.

Here is the official description:

‘Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man’ is an animated series that follows Peter Parker on his way to becoming a hero, with a journey unlike we’ve ever seen and a style that celebrates the character’s early comic book roots.

It’s still unknown if Big E will ever be able to wrestle again after breaking his neck in 2022, but he’s remained involved with WWE in other roles like appearing as a panelist on PLE pre-shows and post-shows. He made an appearance on Raw in December 2024 for a segment where his New Day partners Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turned against him.

Big E also recently acted in the Peacock comedy series “Laid.”

The New Day turn against Big E on WWE Raw

Posted on by Bryan Rose

The New Day have turned on one of their own.

During The New Day ten-year celebration on Raw, Big E made a surprise return, offering to manage Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods and help fix their problems until he’s medically cleared to return. In a shocking turn of events, however, both Woods & Kingston rejected the offer and accused Big E of choosing himself over the team.

The segment started with Kingston & Woods, who had shown animosity towards one another in recent weeks, saying they were ready to make an announcement. That was when Big E came out, catching both by surprise. He said he was troubled to see the two argue and offered to manage them. That was when Woods accused Big E of not being there for him, saying he chose things like a desk job and his girlfriend over them. After Big E reminded them that he broke his neck, Kingston said people like Steve Austin and Kurt Angle broke their necks, but they came back while Big E didn’t even need surgery for his injury.

Woods told Big E to stop teasing people and admit that he’ll never be cleared from his neck injury, then told him to leave the ring and get back to the desk where he belongs, saying they’d call him if they needed him. Big E refused, saying he wanted to work things out and offered a hug. Kingston rejected the hug and Woods looked the other way. Big E, stunned, eventually left the ring to end the segment.

Kingston & Woods had been teasing a split despite their ten-year anniversary as a team coming up. On last week’s Raw, the two tore into each other verbally over past grievances, further hinting at a breakup.

Big E ‘at peace’ if WWE in-ring career is over, excited to explore new paths

Posted on by Ian Carey

Big E penned a column for The Players Tribune reflecting on 10 years of New Day. 

Tonight’s episode of WWE Raw will feature a tribute to the group despite the recent dissension between Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston. E says he’ll always be grateful for their “life-changing” run together. 

“I’m someone who spent a lot of his past not being able to picture a future,” E wrote. “And I think about that so much when I look back on the story of our group. I think about all the different things we’ve accomplished, and been through, and come to represent. Things I’m truly proud of. Not in a self-aggrandizing way, or a self-important way — never that. But in a way that is just, like…… LIFE. Some of it’s crushing failure. Some of it’s wild success. Some of it’s deeply silly. Some of it’s quite serious. Some of it’s cringe as hell. Some of it’s cool as hell. Some of it’s painful. Some of it’s joyful. And every now and then, if you get really lucky, some of it’s meaningful.”

E wrote about Xavier Woods approaching him about pitching management on a group featuring them and Kofi Kingston. Woods’ initial idea was to re-create The Nation of Domination.

“Actually, Woods’s initial idea for The New Day was to reboot the Nation of Domination, the Attitude Era group that The Rock got his start in. The Nation was a faction of Black militants. And while it had a lot of cool moments (and those guys are all legends) … Woods, Kofi and I are not militants. But I think that just tells you what it’s been like at times to be a young Black wrestler trying to make it. You pitch based on what you feel will get you on TV. And what you feel will get you on TV is probably what’s gotten on TV before. And what’s gotten on TV before is a very narrow definition of Blackness.”

New Day debuted as babyfaces with a gospel-type gimmick, which E says was tough.

“I played around with a bunch of different deliveries. And the one thing they liked was when I started using this voice that was kind of this Apostolic style of preaching — the style I grew up with. Then I guess the office heard it, and decided, you know, Let’s lean into the gospel!!! Because for some reason they were enamored by the southern Black church. That was a tough one. Black gospel is not who I am, and it’s definitely not who Kofi and Woods are. But we weren’t really in a position to push back on it.”

After being booed by fans as babyfaces, New Day turned heel and began leaning into things they couldn’t as babyfaces. Then, what they were doing resonated with so many people that they turned babyface again, but they were able to do so in a way that E says felt more authentic. 

“I grew up thinking that Black lit had to be this one thing, or maybe these one or two things, way over here. And then I realized, no, that’s not true. It could also be this thing. And if it could be this thing … Well, then, I guess it could also be this thing, and this thing, and this, and this, and this. And you just keep going and going until the world isn’t so small anymore. Until suddenly it’s a lot more than just books that can be anything. Music can be anything. Movies can be anything. Anime can be anything. TV can be anything. Gaming can be anything. Culture can be anything. Blackness can be anything. Xavier Woods the weird dude from FCW playing “New York, New York” on his trombone in front of 15,000 people at Barclays Center can be anything. Wrestling can be anything. The New Day can be anything. The New Day can be anything. THE NEW DAY CAN BE ANYTHING!!!!!!”

“You know what I mean?? You realize three Black wrestlers contain multitudes and all of a sudden there is a universal language. It’s being seen. That’s what wrestling is — that’s what culture is. That’s what fandom is. S*** is infinite.”

E suffered a severe neck injury on the March 11, 2022, edition of WWE SmackDown and hasn’t wrestled since. It’s unclear if he’ll ever wrestle again, but E is excited about what the future holds both in WWE and outside the company.

“You know that thing I said earlier — how I’m someone who spent his past not being able to picture a future? I can picture one now. Which is ironic, I guess, since I broke my neck and can’t wrestle. But I’m at peace. And if that’s truly a wrap on my in-ring career……. I’m excited to explore the paths that are opening up for me in its wake. Whether it’s working for WWE outside of the ring, or it’s hosting, or acting, or voice work, or filmmaking, or so many other things. I feel like there are still so many parts of myself for me to discover. I feel like I’ve spent the last 10 years with Woods and Kofi on this amazing, life-changing project: trying to perform a version of wrestling that’s in the image of all the things we love. And now I want to find out how far I can stretch that project past wrestling. I want to see if I can actually create some of those things we love.”

E also opened up about a new relationship in his life, a partner named Kristen, whom he has been with for a year. Kristen is Michin’s sister, and their first date was at the Hulu premiere for Montez Ford and Bianca Belair’s reality series. 

“I just felt an energy with Kristen I’d never felt before. We were at this premiere with all these beautiful people, all these famous actors and entertainers, and none of them even registered. For me, there was only one other person in the room that night. And what’s crazy is, I knew I wanted to see her more after that — but if I hadn’t been out with my broken neck? I probably would have been too busy to make it happen. Instead, it’s like it all just fell into place. Now we’re planning to get married … we bought a home together in Oakland … I don’t know, man. It’s a good feeling. I’m excited about what’s possible.”

“And maybe that’s the best thing I could say about this last decade — about this journey I’ve been able to go on with Woods, and Kofi, and (somehow) millions of people around the world. I don’t know if The New Day saved my career, or my life. But I know it turned them both into things where anything feels possible. And I’ll always be grateful for that.”

E’s full column is available here.

Kofi Kingston hopes Big E is part of New Day’s 10th anniversary celebration

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Kofi Kingston hopes Big E will be able to make an appearance during The New Day’s 10-year anniversary celebration.

While there are not many details yet, WWE announced earlier this month that there will be a celebration for New Day’s 10th anniversary on an upcoming episode of Raw. The group debuted in 2014 but is currently going through a breakup angle with Woods on the verge of turning against Kingston.

Big E has not been able to wrestle since suffering a broken neck in 2022. His in-ring future remains in doubt, but he has worked for WWE in other roles including as a panelist for PLE pre-shows and post-shows. Kingston told the New York Post that he hopes Big E will be available to make an appearance when their anniversary celebration happens.

“I don’t think that we can have a New Day celebration without Big E there. It wouldn’t feel right. It wouldn’t taste right, you know? So I’m hoping he’s available,” Kingston said. “But like I said, man, he’s busy doing a lot of things out there. I don’t know what his schedule is gonna look like, but hopefully he will be there. It would feel incomplete if he was not involved in The New Day 10-year anniversary in some way. 

“He had so much to do with the foundations of The New Day and what people think of when they think of The New Day. There’s still people to this day that when they see us, you know, like, ‘Hey, New Day.’ They put their hand on their head. They put their hand on their hip as they twirl their hips, just like he did, you know? So, yeah, yeah, I would be willing to bet he’s going to be a part of it in some way, shape or form.”

Kingston said the key to New Day’s longevity has been the real-life connection they share. When one member of New Day succeeds, they all succeed.

“All of us, we really strive to push our brothers, to lift our brothers up,” he told the New York Post. “That’s what The New Day is all about. It’s all about brotherhood. And we really believe that to our core.”

The three New Day members recently reunited for an episode of the WWE digital series Break It Down, looking back at some of their past gear.

Kingston & Woods will team up against Otis & Akira Tozawa on Raw next Monday (November 25).

Big E getting updated neck scans in three-to-six months, says new projects are coming

Posted on by Josh Nason

Former WWE Champion Big E is still not ruling out a potential return to the ring dependent on his next round of neck scans.

In an interview with Sports Talk Philly, the 38-year-old said that he will get another round of scans in the next three-to-six months and “if they look great and the doctors say it’s healthy for me to go back, then that’s something where we’ll sit down and talk about it.”

The popular star and member of the New Day was severely injured in a March 2022 tag team match on a belly-to-belly suplex outside the ring by Ridge Holland. After landing on his head, he broke his C1 and C6 vertebrae and while he has healed for day-to-day life, his C1 vertebrae still hadn’t turned into new bone as of two months ago.

“…I try not to spend too much time worrying about things I can’t control. It’s nice to know that if I get the opportunity to get back in the ring, and I can do it healthily, then let’s do that. Let’s attack it fully. But if not, I know exactly what I want to do, and I’m excited about that path, too,” he said, also discussing that he got stem cell treatment around three months ago in Cancun.

If he can’t ever return to the ring, he has made peace with that, saying he’s got a lot of opportunities doing WWE Countdown shows and other soon-to-be announced WWE broadcasting opportunities.

“There’s a myriad of things open to me, and so many things I’m excited about. That’s really the lovely thing that while I’m not in the ring right now, I have so many things I’m excited about and projects I’m working on. Every day, I wake up with that excitement and that passion. If this is the end of my career in the ring, I know exactly what I want to do and all of those things are in motion right now,” he said.

Big E feels great, not in position to be cleared for WWE return yet

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Big E is still playing the waiting game regarding a potential return to the ring.

While being interviewed by the Getting Over wrestling podcast, Big E was asked how he’s doing health-wise now that he’s more than two years removed from breaking his neck. Big E said he’s healing great for day-to-day life and he has no issues with pain or discomfort, but his C1 vertebrae is still not turning into new bone. Until that happens, he won’t be cleared to wrestle.

Big E underwent stem cell treatment in Mexico recently. “We’ll see if that changes anything,” he told Getting Over.

“So now we’re at two years and running since I broke my neck. I broke my neck — my C1 in two places, my C6 as well. I feel great. I have no issues with pain, no issues with discomfort, weakness, any of those things. My strength is great,” Big E said. “The only issue is my C1 is healing fibrously, which is great for normal day-to-day life, but it’s not turning into new bone. It’s not ossifying yet. And so they’re not going to clear me until that happens. It’s obviously a very important bone. So right now, that’s kind of the waiting game. I did go down to Cancun about a month ago for stem cells. So we’ll see if that changes anything. But yeah, right now, I feel great. It’s just, I’m not in a position to be cleared quite yet.”

Though his injury has kept him away from the ring, Big E has been focused on mindfulness and appreciates all of the blessings he has in his life. He knows things could have been a lot worse and is grateful to have avoided paralysis or death.

Big E has remained involved with WWE while out of action, including being an ambassador for the company and working as a panelist on WWE pre-shows and post-shows. At Money in the Bank earlier this month, he went out into the arena and stepped into the ring while hyping up the crowd before the event.

“It was cool. It was just for a little hit for the Countdown show,” Big E said in his Getting Over interview. “I think the cool part for me was being out, even though there weren’t a ton of fans in the arena, but even getting some love again was very, very cool.”

WWE’s Big E, MVP receiving stem cell treatment in Mexico

Posted on by Ian Carey

Big E and MVP are undergoing stem cell treatment.

They both posted to social media recently that they have traveled to Mexico to undergo treatment at a Rejuvstem clinic. The company has been operating since 2007 but opened a new location in Cancun just recently. Shotzi also had treatment at the same clinic last week for a nagging back injury related to an injury she suffered in late 2021.

MVP is documenting their treatment on his YouTube channel:

MVP teased last week that he’s hoping the treatment allows him to have one more in-ring run. He wrote on Instagram, “Here we go!!! Heading to Cancun for stem cell treatment at @rejuvstem so I can get back on the mats AND, into the ring. 1 last run? Let’s see…”

The 50-year-old hasn’t wrestled since July 2022.

Rejuvstem wrote on Instagram:

“We are beyond thrilled to welcome WWE superstars @the305mvp and @wwebige to our brand-new clinic in beautiful Cancun! 🌴✨ These incredible athletes are here to experience the power of cellular regeneration, boosting their performance and enhancing their overall health with millions of rejuvenating cells. Join us in celebrating their visit and learn how our innovative cellular treatments can help you feel your best too! Curious about how you can benefit? Don’t wait—reach out to us today and start your journey to optimal health and vitality!”

Since opening its doors in 2007, Rejuvstem promotes itself as a “Pioneer in providing the highest quality stem cells to tens of thousands of patients through advanced quality control and technology.”

WWE’s Big E cast as guest star in Peacock comedy series ‘Laid’

Posted on by Ian Carey

Big E has landed an acting role.

He has been cast as a “guest star” in the upcoming Peacock comedy series, “Laid.”

Stephanie Hsu, who received an Oscar nomination for her role in Everything Everywhere All At Once, is an executive producer on the project. She will also lead a cast that includes Zosia Mamet (The Flight Attendant), Michael Angarano (Oppenheimer), and Tommy Martinez (Good Trouble).

Nahnatchka Khan will serve as an executive producer and writer on the project as well. She worked on Peacock’s “Young Rock” series from 2021 to 2023 and is the sister of WWE president, Nick Khan. She has written for shows such as American Dad, Fresh off the Boat, and Don’t Trust the B—- in Apartment 23. Khan also directed Ali Wong’s 2022 comedy special, “Don Wong.”

Seven other guest stars were announced for the series on Wednesday, according to Deadline. They include SNL’s Chloe Fineman, The Office’s David Denman, singer/songwriter Finneas O’Connell, actor/model Indya Moore, comedian John Early, singer/actress Olivia Holt, and Andre Hyland of HBO’s Barry.

Big E is being represented by Buchwald and Bad Toro management.

“Laid” tells the story of a woman who discovers all of her past lovers are dying in unusual ways. It was described to Deadline as, “a f*cked-up rom-com where the answer to ‘Why can’t I find love, is there something wrong with me?’ is a resounding: ‘Yes, there is. The problem is definitely you.” It is based on a 2011 Australian series of the same name.

Big E shares two-year broken neck update, still not cleared for WWE return

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Though he’s still not cleared to return to the ring, Big E is feeling blessed two years removed from suffering a broken neck.

The injury happened on the March 11, 2022 episode of SmackDown. During a tag team match, Big E landed on his head while taking an overhead belly-to-belly suplex on the floor. He fractured his C1 vertebrae and C6 vertebrae.

In a tweet on Saturday, Big E (Ettore Ewen) shared that he’s received the results of his two-year scans. His status is unchanged and it’s possible that he’ll never be cleared to wrestle again, but Big E says he’s blessed to be free of pain, happy, and otherwise healthy:

Hey, all! Two year neck scans are in. Things are unchanged. My C1 has healed fibrously but has not formed new bone. I’m not medically cleared and truthfully, I may never be cleared. But I am blessed to be free of pain, immensely happy and otherwise healthy. Life is good.

Big E has remained involved with WWE during his time out of action. He was a panelist on the pre-shows for WrestleMania 40 last weekend. He also appeared at the WWE Hall of Fame ceremony, reuniting with his New Day partners Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods to help induct Thunderbolt Patterson.

The 38-year-old Big E is a former WWE Champion, Tag Team Champion, Intercontinental Champion, and NXT Champion.

Big E says decision on whether to make WWE in-ring return is up to him

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Big E is in charge of the decision on whether he ever returns to the ring.

For more than two years now, Big E has been out of action due to a broken neck. He fractured his C1 vertebrae and C6 vertebrae during the March 11, 2022 episode of SmackDown. The injury happened when Big E landed on his head while taking an overhead belly-to-belly suplex on the floor.

Big E has remained involved with WWE during his time away from the ring. He’ll be one of the pre-show panelists for WrestleMania 40 this weekend.

While being interviewed by CBS Sports in advance of WrestleMania, Big E said he still does not have an update regarding a potential return to the ring:

We don’t, unfortunately. I appreciate everyone still asking. C1 is a tricky bone and I broke it in two places, something called a Jefferson fracture. So, you know, I’m just trying to make the best decision for myself and for my health. I wish I had a better answer, but unfortunately, I don’t have any right now.

CBS Sports asked Big E if he’s in charge of the decision on whether to return to the ring or if it depends on medical clearance:

The great thing is I think they put me in control of that. Obviously, I’m listening to the doctors – they know more than I do as far as my health and prognosis. It’s one of those things where my ability to live my life day-to-day and to be in the gym and whatnot is not compromised at all. But, obviously, getting in the ring taking bumps, getting thrown on my back and on my neck – that’s a little bit different.

I didn’t get into this to end up in a wheelchair or worse. I started wrestling when I was 23. And at 23, the idea of being 38, which is the age I’m at now, feels so far off the idea of what life in your 40s and 50s looks like and feels like an eternity from now. But now those are real things and consequences that I think about. It’s one of the things – I’ve been an athlete my whole life, was playing tackle football at seven, which I don’t know if I’d recommend, but doing that at seven, and amateur wrestling in middle school [and] high school. So I’ve been doing physical things my entire life. And I never wanted to leave sports hobbled and crippled. Now, at 38, those are considerations of mine. And I just want to make sure that I’m making the best decision for myself and for my health moving forward. So it’s just one of those things I want to be smart about.

Big E told CBS Sports that Kevin Nash, “Stone Cold” Steve Austin, and Adam Copeland are among the people who reached out to him after his injury. While their situations are all different, Nash, Austin, and Copeland have dealt with their own neck issues.

Michael Cole, Pat McAfee, Big E, CM Punk, Jackie Redmond, and Wade Barrett will be the hosts for WWE’s WrestleMania 40 pre-shows. The pre-shows are airing from 5-7 p.m. Eastern time this Saturday and Sunday.

CM Punk, Big E to host WWE WrestleMania 40 media event

Posted on by Joseph Currier

Though he’s out of action due to injury, CM Punk will still be in Las Vegas for tonight’s WrestleMania 40 media event.

WWE has announced that Punk will be one of the hosts of the WrestleMania 40 kickoff press event tonight (February 8). Punk, Big E, Michael Cole, and Pat McAfee are hosting. The event is taking place from T-Mobile Arena and is open to the public. It streams live on WWE’s social media channels and Peacock starting at 7 p.m. Eastern time. 

We’ll find out the main event for WrestleMania 40 at the media event. Undisputed WWE Universal Champion Roman Reigns, The Rock, and Cody Rhodes are all set to appear. There’s been significant fan backlash since Rhodes seemingly gave up his WrestleMania main event spot against Reigns to The Rock on SmackDown last Friday.

On social media today, Rhodes teased that he’s officially made a decision regarding what he’s going to do at WrestleMania:

Punk was supposed to challenge World Heavyweight Champion Seth Rollins at WrestleMania 40, but that is no longer possible due to Punk’s torn triceps. Punk is expected to be out for several months due to the injury. He tore his triceps during the Royal Rumble. It was Punk’s first televised WWE match since 2014.

Punk underwent triceps surgery last Thursday.

Big E hasn’t wrestled since suffering a broken neck in March 2022. He recently told Denise Salcedo that he wants to make a “smart decision” over whether he ever returns to the ring:

So when I think about the damage I have done to my body over the years, I just want to be smart, because this is the one body I get and I have to carry it throughout my 40s, 50s hopefully and beyond. So that’s the goal. I just want to make a smart decision and I am just so grateful to feel so good, to have no restrictions and I want to be smart with whatever decision I make.

WrestleMania 40 is being held in Philadelphia on Saturday, April 6 and Sunday, April 7.