Big E has recently addressed things he would’ve changed about his WWE Championship reign. He also discussed the many parallels between his reign & the reign of Kofi Kingston.
Big E held the WWE Championship for 110 days. He defeated Bobby Lashley on September 13, 2021. He cashed in his Money In The Bank briefcase and celebrated with his New Day brothers to close out that episode of RAW. In a last minute change, Brock Lesnar was added to the WWE Championship at Day 1 which led to Big E losing the title. Brock would end up pinning Big E in a Fatal 5 Way match to become the new WWE Champion.
Big E recently did an interview with Josh Martinez on Superstar Crossover, and he discussed the things he would’ve done differently with his title reign.
The former WWE Champion said, “I think there are several things I would do differently. But like I said, my focus really is just on performing. I do the best I can. I wish it would have lasted longer and we would have had that period to produce more dynamic things.
It’s difficult to latch on to a new champion when, within the first month, they have multiple losses on TV. We can go down this path, but I appreciate, genuinely, the people who support me and wanted better for me. I also want better for myself. I guess I’ll just leave it there.”
When Kofi Kingston lost the WWE Championship in 2019, it was to Brock Lesnar as well. He was the champion for 180 day before the quick loss. The match only lasted seven seconds total. Kofi never received a re-match after the loss. Kofi was shifted back into the tag division like the reign never happened.
Big E & Kofi Kingston Title Reign Parallels
The same could be said for Big E as his match only lasted 8 minutes and 20 seconds. In a Fatal 5 Way with a title change, it normally is never the current champion that is being pinned. The following week, it seemed as if Big E had been forgotten and he also never received a re-match. The title picture moved on without Big E. He is now back in a tag team, on a new brand, with Kofi Kingston again.
Following the end of Big E’s title reign, many fans began to draw comparisons and parallels from Big E’s run with the title to Kofi’s. In this interview, Big E addressed those comparisons and similarities.
“I think the thing about Kofi is he’s not a guy who’s gonna pull you aside and lecture you, he leads by action. I was able to see the way he handled things with his title run and the way things ended. It’s interesting how our runs weren’t too drastically different. That falling off of a cliff feeling at the hands of one Brock Lesnar and then suddenly, it feels like you woke up a year prior and you’re back to doing what you were doing before.
He’s a guy who handled it with grace. He’s a guy who didn’t complain, show up to work pouting. He’s a consummate professional and someone who always leads by example,” Big E explained.
H/T to Blake Lovell of 411mania.com for the transcription
