Tag: Big E

Big E

  • Reason For Aleister Black And Big E Being Absent From SmackDown

    Reason For Aleister Black And Big E Being Absent From SmackDown

    The absence of Big E and Aleister Black from this week’s episode of SmackDown after their big encounter at last week’s show left many people puzzled.

    A new report from PWinsider provides some insight on the reason behind their absence. It reveals that both the stars were actually backstage at the TV tapings.

    According to the site, keeping E and Black off TV was a creative decision. The officials decided to let the story hang for a week before continuing with it.

    It is a rare instance of the creatives actually letting things breathe and not rushing the feud between the two former NXT stars which is usually the case.

    Last week’s episode of SmackDown saw Aleister Black finally making his return to WWE programming after months of absence and attacking Big E.

    The New Day member was competing in a fatal four-way match for the Intercontinental championship. At a point, it looked like the heavyweight star was going to re-capture the title.

    However, Black whose return had been teased in previous few weeks made a surprise appearance during the show. He attacked E with a black mass, allowing the current champion Apollo Crews to retain his title.

    There is no word yet on where this feud is headed but it’s good to know that the officials are not rushing the rivalry for once. It would be interesting to see what the company has planned for them next.

  • Kofi Kingston Talks How Big E Can ‘Exceed Expectations’ as Universal Champion

    Kofi Kingston Talks How Big E Can ‘Exceed Expectations’ as Universal Champion

    WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston recently spoke to Sports Illustrated. The former WWE Champion and member of The New Day discussed a number of topics during the interview; including his former tag team partner Big E.

    Big E is of course now a Superstar on the SmackDown brand. Whilst Kofi appears to be back in the WWE Title picture; he said that he and Xavier Woods are just waiting for WWE to put Big E in the Universal Championship conversation.

    “If E gets thrust into that role, going toe-to-toe with the universal champion, if that happens, [Xavier] Woods and me are going to lose our minds,” Kingston began, speaking to SI.

    Kofi Kingston on Big E

    “I’m not big on looking too far ahead, but if that were to happen, E will exceed every expectation” Kingston continued, praising the man who was Intercontinental Champion up until WrestleMania 37.

    “He can talk, can make you laugh, he can gyrate his hips and he can beat you up” Kingston continued, praising his New Day brother. “I’m so happy to see his success with the Intercontinental championship, being able to continue the legacy of the workhorse title.”

    “His way with words is unmatched, and his ability to connect with the crowd is very special. E is ready to be at the top of this industry” Kofi Kingston would conclude.

  • Apollo Crews Wins WWE Intercontinental Title With Help From Dabba Kato

    Apollo Crews Wins WWE Intercontinental Title With Help From Dabba Kato

    The latest match between Big E and Apollo Crews took place in a Nigerian Drum Match at Sunday’s (April 11, 2021) WWE WrestleMania 37 pay-per-view event.

    The match had weapons around the ring from kendo sticks to tables to drums. The finish saw Crews put him on a table, but missed a splash off the top rope and went through it. This led to Commander Azeez aka Dabba Kato to run out and attack Big E, which led to Crews winning the title. 

    On the April 2nd edition of SmackDown, Crews cut a backstage promo challenging Big E to this match. In that promo, he noted that it was an ancient duel created by his ancestors for those who are wronged to get a chance to make things right. 

    WWE had Crews debut this character back in February where he has since embraced his Nigerian heritage and claiming to be a descendent of Nigerian royalty. WWE started this promo when Big E noted in a promo that Crews wouldn’t be getting another shot at the title, but they did an angle where Crews attacked Big E with the steel steps. 

    Last month at the Fastlane pay-per-view event, Big E retained against Crews, but after the match, Crews attacked him. There was a six-man tag team match on an edition of SmackDown in late March where Crews pinned Big E. 

  • Big E Retains WWE Intercontinental Title At Fastlane

    Big E Retains WWE Intercontinental Title At Fastlane

    Apollo Crews challenged Big E for the Intercontinental Title at the WWE Fastlane pay-per-view event from Tropicana Field.

    Big E beat him down in the early going including a spear through the ropes and some splashes on the apron. He was doing so while talking trash. Crews made his comeback.

    They went for a small package roll up and it was botched as Big E and Crews clearly had their shoulders down, but the referee said Big E was the winner. Post-match, Crews laid out Big E. WWE didn’t air a replay of the finish. 

    https://twitter.com/GMS_WWE/status/1373781247672123394

    Four weeks ago, Big E was stretchered out as part of an angle where Crews attacked him with the steel steps. This came after Big E had told Crews that he had already gotten enough chances for a title match. 

    Two weeks ago, Big E returned to SmackDown where he called out Crews and agreed to give him the title match. When Crews wouldn’t come down to the ring, Big E did an open challenge and beat Zayn.  After the match, Crews beat Big E down. After the show, Crews stated that he doesn’t cater to Big E and said he would face him at Fastlane. 

  • Big E Want To Face Roman Reigns At WrestleMania 38

    Big E Want To Face Roman Reigns At WrestleMania 38

    Big E was who his ideal opponent for WrestleMania 38 would be, and he named one of the top guys in the company. He suggested that he would like to face Roman Reigns at the “Grandest Stage Of Them All” next year at the AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. The Intercontinental Champion said that it is his objective to be on Reigns’ level, adding that he has done an outstanding job as the top performer.

    “That’s the goal, you know? To be in that tier, to be at the very top, Big E told Adam Wilbourn of WhatCulture. I think Roman’s done a stellar job. ‘Stellar’ isn’t even a good enough superlative to describe how much he’s elevated himself, even though he was already at the top. And I think his presentation, the promos, the character stuff, all that stuff has been really cool to see, and he’s been killing it. Much respect to him.”

    Roman Reigns has become the face of SmackDown after his return at SummerSlam as a heel, and captured the Universal Championship from Bray Wyatt at Payback last year. Reigns has held the title since, and has consistently delivered good in-ring work and promos. While the Head of the Table is on the top of his game right now, Big E hopes that he can be a touch challenger for him.

    While it’s completely possible that Roman Reigns could lose the title by next year over the 400 days, Big E hopes he’s still got the title and that would be his dream match at WrestleMania. “I think that would be as far as if I could pick any opponent, that would be the one. So hopefully by next year he’s still got the title – and that’d be over 400 days. We’ll see, there’s a lot that can happen from now until then, but that would be it.”

    For now, Roman Reigns is set to defend his title against Daniel Bryan at Fastlane, and if he successfully defends, he will go against Edge at WrestleMania 37. Big E, on the other hand, will defend his Intercontinental title against Apollo Crews this Sunday.

  • Intercontinental Title Match Set For WWE Fastlane

    Intercontinental Title Match Set For WWE Fastlane

    WWE has announced an Intercontinental title match for Fastlane, the final pay-per-view event on the road to WrestleMania 37.

    WWE Intercontinental Champion Big E will defend his title against recently turned-heel Apollo Crews on WWE Fastlane. On this week’s SmackDown, we saw Big E return to the show after he was stretchered out after a brutal attack by Crews a few weeks ago. Crews had used steel steps as his weapon, launching them into the air so that they could fall down on Big E. The returning champion had much to say about what transpired over the past few weeks on this week’s episode.

    Big E came down to the ring with braces and bandages on, only to remove them and show how fit he is. Big E said that he was in a medical facility because of Apollo Crews and there’s no coming back from that for Crews. Big E demanded that Crews show up, but he didn’t come out. Big E said that he’s not surprised, but he got all dressed up to defend his Intercontinental title tonight and he issued an open challenge to anyone who wants a shot at the belt from the locker room.

    King Corbin came out and told Big E to calm down because he was looking crazy. Sami Zayn also joined the discussion and said that he’s ready to fight. Zayn said that it would be the perfect ending for his documentary and that since Corbin never actually accepted his challenge, he’s good to go. Big E said that whoever gets in the ring first gets the match, and Zayn ran in first to meet with punches and a Big Ending sending him out of the ring. The bell rang and Big E was able to successfully defend his title.

    Big E’s celebrations were put to a halt as Apollo Crews’ music started playing and Crews launched a surprise attack from behind on him, hitting him with a suplex. He picked up the steel steps again and hit Big E’s arm and wrist with them.

    Apollo Crews was asked backstage why he attacked Big E when he could have just accepted his Open Challenge instead. Crews said that he’s a descendant of Nigerian royalty and he answers to no one. People like Big He cater to him instead, he said. He then said he’d gladly accept his challenge for the Intercontinental Championship, at WWE Fastlane, that is.

  • Big E Talks About New Day’s Early Struggles

    Big E Talks About New Day’s Early Struggles

    New Day is one of the greatest acts in WWE history. The trio has consistently sold lots of merchandise and holds numerous tag-team title records in the company. It didn’t start off that successful, however. The initial reaction to the team was lukewarm at best. Big E recently spoke with Samoa Joe on WWE’s new Grit and Glory series about New Day’s rise over the years.

    “Well, for anyone who ended up watching during our early years, you know it was not easy at all,” Big E said on the show. “It was a rough start, for sure. But we realized from an early period and our time together that we had a special chemistry and a special bond. A lot of that bond was really forged through the tough times and trying to get this group off the ground and trying to get it on TV.”

    “We just had that mentality of we gotta sink or swim on our own merits. I viewed it as this could be my final run and last opportunity, so I gotta give it my all. I didn’t want my career to dissolve based on me passively accepting anything I was given if it didn’t feel right. So, I knew this was it. I knew this was something special.”

    Big E also spoke about how originally fans weren’t chanting “New Day Rocks” but rather they chanted “New Day Sucks.”

    “I remember we were in Philadelphia and we got met with loud ‘New Day sucks’ chants,” E continued. “We were supposed to be the good guys. We were supposed to be the guys that were cheered and beloved, but people weren’t having it.”

    Big E says he is grateful for New Day’s early struggles, however.

    “All those tough times, I’m so grateful for. That’s what brought us closer together. We didn’t quit, we didn’t say enough of this. We said we’re gonna get better, we’re gonna work harder, we’re gonna give you more of ourselves. If anything, it stoked our fire and got us more passionate about what we wanted to do and what we wanted to accomplish. I don’t know if we get this far without the tough times.”

    transcriptions via 411 Mania

  • Big E Recalls Forgotten Talks Of Him Joining The Shield

    Big E Recalls Forgotten Talks Of Him Joining The Shield

    Being part of the New Day with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods is one of the career highlights of Big E and joining the group has allowed the current IC champion to showcase a very unique side of his personality.

    However, on the latest WWE 24 special based on his life and his wrestling career, the former NXT champion revealed some forgotten talks which could have seen him debut as part of a very different group.

    During the episode, Big E remembered the time before his main roster call up and he revealed that at one point, there were talks of him debuting with The Shield as the fourth member of the group:

     “My first feeling of getting called up was 2012. I was doing loops. Any collective period of days is a loop. It’s Roman, Seth, Dean, and me.

    There was some thought of bringing all four of us in together as a group. Obviously, that changes, and they go on to international fame as The Shield.”

    The plans were obviously nixed. The Shield ended up debuting as a trio in November 2012 and their impactful debut led to all three of the members being recognised as main event stars from the start of their career.

    Big E ended up on the main roster a month later where he aligned himself with Dolph Ziggler and AJ Lee. He joined the New Day in the Summer of 2014 and the group has since created a unique legacy of their own.

  • Big E Launches Kickstarter For Black History Cartoon, “Our Heroes Rock!”

    Big E Launches Kickstarter For Black History Cartoon, “Our Heroes Rock!”

    Big E is hoping to teach people about Black History through a mix of animation, hip hop, and science fiction. He recently announced a Kickstarter campaign to fund the pilot episode of the show. So far, the campaign has raised over $25,000.

    “Conceived as a hip-hop odyssey through Black History, ‘Our Heroes Rock!’ is an animated series that shines a spotlight on history’s unsung Heroes of color through infectious music, stunning 3D animation and a family-friendly, sci-fi-flavored narrative designed to appeal to both parents and kids alike.”

    Ring gear designer Jonathan Davenport and The Sporting News’ Andreas Hale are also attached to the project. Grammy-nominated artist, Rapsody, is as well. Big E has joined forces with animation studio Something’s Awry, and OHR Media to hopefully turn the idea into reality.

    “Our aim is to crowdfund the pilot episode, which will focus on the story of Ruby Bridges, the first African-American child to integrate into an elementary school in the South on November 14, 1960, with Rapsody narrating Bridges’ phenomenal story through rhythm and rhyme.”

    A link to the official Kickstarter page is here.

    Big speak further about the project and what he hopes to accomplish with it in the below video:

    https://twitter.com/WWEBigE/status/1363866138577408001
  • Big E – “I Want To Feel Like I’ve Earned a Main Event Spot”

    Big E – “I Want To Feel Like I’ve Earned a Main Event Spot”

    WWE Superstar Big E recently appeared on Renee Paquette’s Oral Sessions podcast. During the show, Big E would discuss a number of different topics regarding his ongoing WWE career and being Intercontinental Champion.

    Big E was previously a heavy favorite to win this weekend’s Men’s Royal Rumble match. However, when Big E won the IC title on the Christmas Day episode of SmackDown his odds shifted and he is now down the rung quite a bit. Despite this, Big E did mention during the podcast that his wish is for a WrestleMania match against ‘The Big Dog’ Roman Reigns.

    Big E on WrestleMania Wish List

    Paquette asked Big E how he feels about potentially facing Roman Reigns at WrestleMania; with Renee saying that this a match that the fans ‘want to see.’ “When you look at the WWE pecking order, he’s at the very top” Big E began. “Having that match is the biggest moment, and I hope we’re at a point in another month or two, where I feel like I’m established enough and I’m hot enough where it makes sense.”

    “In the same vein, I have no idea what the plan is” Big E continued. “I also want this to feel earned. I think sometimes you get too much too soon. That’s also weird to say for someone who’s been around for eight years, I don’t feel like I just came up and they just handed me this world title opportunity, but like obviously gun to my head? [My dream WrestleMania is] a match with Roman for the World Title.”

    Would you like to see Big E in a main event run? Do you think that he’ll get a shot at Roman Reigns at the Universal Championship at some point? Let us know in the comments

  • Big E on Brodie Lee – “It’s my first time losing someone who meant so much to me”

    Big E on Brodie Lee – “It’s my first time losing someone who meant so much to me”

    WWE Superstar and Intercontinental Champion Big E recently appeared on SiriusXM’s Busted Open Radio. The New Day member discussed a number of topics during the show, including how the wrestling world has been affected by the passing of Jon Huber/Brodie Lee/Luke Harper.

    Brodie Lee of course passed away late last year. AEW and WWE have been paying tribute to Lee over the past few weeks, with his son Brodie Lee Jr being well looked after by All Elite, especially during this extremely difficult time in his family’s life.

    Big E Talks Outpouring of Love for Brodie Lee

    “It’s a very, very strange time for me” Big E began on Busted Open. “For all of us actually. I think the hardest thing is…I’ve really been touched by the outpouring of love for Brodie, for John Huber. He was a very, very good, dear friend of mine. I’m still kind of, you know, dealing with him not being here and his passing.”

    “He was a regular part of my life” Big E continued. “He lived like 15 to 20 minutes from me, and I got to see him all the time. And you know he’s, he’s someone…I’ve never, it’s my first time losing someone who meant so much to me, and was really close to. So, the one thing that’s been really rewarding is man, you know, a lot of times I think we talked about wrestling being a family, that can be cliche, but there is a real brotherhood.”

    Big E then finished by saying how the ‘brotherhood’ of wrestling came together to mourn the loss of their dear friend. “I feel a real Brotherhood. In that I have so many guys that I’ve worked with, who hit me up, who cried with me, who reached out to me, and that’s beautiful. It really made me think ‘man, we have something special in our industry.’”

    Our thoughts go out to Jon Huber’s family and all that have been affected by his passing

  • Big E On WWE Prioritizing Part-Time Stars For WrestleMania

    Big E On WWE Prioritizing Part-Time Stars For WrestleMania

    WWE has been heavily criticised in the recent times for putting part timers in the main event spot for big shows including WrestleMania while ignoring the full time stars people want to see getting a push such as Big E.

    The former New Day member recently appeared on Busted Open Radio where he discussed a number of things and also talked about WWE’s booking decisions for their marquee shows.

    Big E was speaking about his recent transition to singles competition and people’s high expectations for him. He opened up about how the management prioritizes ‘big money guys’ while booking shows such as WrestleMania.

    Big E on Part-Time Stars

    “You also know how it is man, they’re going to go through a list of part-timers, the big names the big money guys who work once a year, and they’re gonna go through that list and if they if they can’t get all those guys booked for that Roman spot for WrestleMania.

    Then it’s kind of like now, who do we look to that works here on a weekly basis,” said Big E, “Who’s actually been grinding. And now maybe we give them an opportunity.” Apart from this, the IC Champion also discussed how it does not make sense for NXT call-ups to be given title shot right after their main roster debut.

    Big E went on to explain how losing to Sheamus was the best thing that happened to Daniel Bryan as it made people realise his potential.

    Other Stars Comment on Part-Timers

    Many other WWE Superstars have spoken about part-time legends taking top spots:

  • Big E On Getting His First World Title Opportunity In WWE

    Big E On Getting His First World Title Opportunity In WWE

    WWE superstar Big E has never received a world title opportunity and he is ready to win the Royal Rumble PPV and get his first shot at the world title.

    The Intercontinental Champion recently had an interview with Stuart Osborne of Dayton 24/7 Now where he talked about the upcoming PPV and more.

    Discussing a potential opportunity to win the Universal Championship after winning the Royal Rumble match, Big E said that he is looking forward to his first world title opportunity:

    “You know, I’ve never had a world title match, a world title opportunity. This would be my very first one, so I’m looking forward to that,”

    The New Day member also opened up about his singles run and Big E said that he wants to see how much he can do as a singles competitor:

    “I want to see how much I can do as a singles competitor. A lot of people have had these high hopes for me, which I really appreciate,”

    It was reported last year that WWE officials were high on Big E and they are planning a singles push for the former NXT champion in future.

    Since then, the company has broken up his pairing with the New Day by drafting them onto different brands and Big E also recently won the intercontinental championship by defeating Sami Zayn.

  • Paul Heyman Says New Day Will Only Be A Footnote In Big E’s Career

    Paul Heyman Says New Day Will Only Be A Footnote In Big E’s Career

    New Day are arguably the greatest tag-team in WWE history. There are some significant statistics to back this theory up. They are 10x tag-team champions, including having the longest single-reign of tag-team titles in WWE history. Also, Kofi Kingston is the only wrestler in WWE history to have held a tag-team title for more than 1000 combined days. They are easily 1st ballot hall-of-famers as a team.

    According to Paul Heyman, however, Big E‘s potential as a singles wrestler eclipses what New Day has already accomplished. Heyman noted on Talking Smack recently that he feels Big E’s time in New Day will only be a footnote in his career overall.

    Heyman had the following to say to Big E on the show:

    “This Big E, a focused Big E, a singles championship-minded Big E, has so much potential that 10 years from now, as your story is being written, they will all say that the accomplishments that you did with the New Day pale by respectful comparison to the accomplishments that you will pull off on your own,” Heyman said to Big E on the show.

    “What you are going to accomplish in the next 10 years will be mind-boggling, sir. And I’m looking forward to seeing it, as is everybody else. But you have to accept in your heart that the New Day will only be a footnote in the story of the greatness of Big E.”

    “If I may prove to my case to you, I ask you a rhetorical question: When was the last time you saw Roman Reigns in the ring and anybody even bothered to mention the Shield?”

    At this point, Big E fell silent as the weight of Heyman’s words sunk in.

    The full segment can be viewed seen here:

  • Kofi Kingston Talks “Mixed Emotions” of New Day Break Up

    Kofi Kingston Talks “Mixed Emotions” of New Day Break Up

    WWE Superstar Kofi Kingston recently appeared on the Gorilla Position podcast. The former WWE Champion and RAW Superstar discussed a number of topics during his time on the show.

    These included a potential return to bigger live audiences post COVID-19; Kingston would also discuss what it has been like in the company since the ‘break up’ of The New Day.

    Kofi Kingston on The New Day

    When discussing the New Day breakup, Kofi would say that he has mixed emotions about it. “A lot of mixed emotions for me” Kingston began on the podcast. “I’ll start with the negatives. [Xavier] Woods has been out, if you really think about it, for the past year? It has been for about a year. He had been out for a legitimately long time, so for a while it was just me and Big E.”

    “So we’d already kind of gotten almost like a head start, you know?” Kofi Kingston would continue. “Like a preview. Kind of an easing into what this was. And then all of a sudden? The draft happened and it made it official.”

    Big E

    “The way that it’s affected me the most? Walking into the locker room and not seeing Big E, then knowing that I’m not going to see him for the whole day? We hadn’t been in the same room physically together since about January [before the Draft] when we shot an episode of the podcast, when Xavier was still injured.”

    Kingston would then discuss the main positive of the New Day breaking up. “I’ve said this before in a lot of different interviews as far as like Big E having a legitimate singles run. It’s so necessary, because he has earned it, he deserves it. He would be an amazing face of the company. Big E is smart, talented. He’s also hilarious, but he can be serious if he wants to be, very intimidating if he wants to be.

    “You look at him? He’s a physical specimen” Kingston continued. I think that from from an unselfish perspective? He deserves that chance. He deserves to have a legitimate run at a major singles championship.”

    Do you agree with Kofi Kingston? Do you think that Big E could end up a major singles Champion? Let us know in the comments

    Kofi Kingston and The New Day. Photo Credit: WWE.com
    Kofi Kingston and The New Day. Photo Credit: WWE.com
  • Big E Reflects On Receiving Praise From The Undertaker

    Big E Reflects On Receiving Praise From The Undertaker

    Big E recently shared a personal story regarding a conversation between himself and WWE Legend The Undertaker.

    Whereas the WWE Universe remembers what they see on-screen, Big E explained that Superstars tend to remember what takes place backstage—like the special Undertaker conversation that saw “The Dead Man” praise Big E, making his day.

    “Most people will remember the on-screen stuff but for us, as performers, getting those backstage conversations [with The Undertaker] was like gold,” Big E told SportsKeeda.

    “I remember one such conversation when he told me, ‘Man, I watched you when you first came up [to the main roster], and I had no idea you had as much personality as you showed. When I heard that, it really made my day.”

    Big E stressed how that kind of acknowledgment from the Legend more than made his day. It remains a conversation he remains appreciative of to this day.

    Although there is an aura surrounding The Undertaker, Big E shared that he isn’t too difficult to approach backstage. He noted how he’s “fortunate” to have been able to call him a co-worker.

    “I think back to all those times when I could just talk to him, meet his kids, who are big fans of The New Day, and those are the moments I’ll never forget,” Big E said. “It’s remarkable that he’s been around for 30 years and still going strong. He’s on that Mt. Rushmore of Wrestling.”

    WWE will be celebrating 30 years of The Undertaker at this year’s Survivor Series pay-per-view. In the run-up to the event, the WWE Network is hosting “30 Days of the Deadman,” a weekly docuseries focusing on different aspects of The Undertaker’s historic career.

    WWE Survivor Series takes place Sunday, November 22. from the ThunderDome in Orlando, FL.

  • Big E Reveals Which Superstar Was Instrumental For His Current Push

    Big E Reveals Which Superstar Was Instrumental For His Current Push

    SmackDown Superstar Big E has revealed which Superstar has been instrumental in his current singles push. Speaking with the Gorilla Podcast, Big E credited Daniel Bryan for supporting and pushing for him behind-the-scenes.

    I have to give credit to Daniel Bryan. The idea for the solo run was from him. He’s the reason. Not just, ‘Hey, Big E…’ he’s actually part of the process and he’s the one who said, ‘This is what we should do with Big E.’ It feels like an environment where I do have a voice and I get to do what I want by any means.”

    Big E also reflected on his recent feud with Sheamus. He noted how discussions had taken place that would have given him new music and a different presentation:

    “We talked about ‘when is the right time to play it?’ and we never got around to it because I hadn’t been in the arena for a few months because a lot of our stuff happened backstage until we had the match,” Big E explained.

    “With SmackDown, we don’t have as many segments to fill. We’re afforded the luxury of being able to do a little more creative stuff.”

    He added how he isn’t sure about the creative differences and freedoms between Raw and SmackDown. Big E then noted he is glad to “have a voice” with the SmackDown creative team.

  • Big E Talks Trying To Not Be a Brock Lesnar or Mark Henry in WWE

    Big E Talks Trying To Not Be a Brock Lesnar or Mark Henry in WWE

    WWE Superstar Big E recently appeared on the WWE After The Bell w/Corey Graves podcast. The (former?) New Day member discussed a number of topics from his time with the company. One of the discussion points involved Big E’s comical demeanor whilst being a ‘powerhouse’ wrestler.

    “I think what I realized pretty quickly was ‘okay, I’m a bigger guy. I’m going to be billed as a powerhouse’” Big E began on the podcast. “But I always thought where do I be different? You have Brock, we had Mark Henry…I’m not even six feet tall. And I’m thinking about all these guys that that I’m kind of going to be compared against. All the guys that occupy a similar lane.”

    Trying to Figure it Out

    “So I kept thinking ‘man if I’m just another serious big guy? I don’t know how much traction I’m ever going to get in this company” Big E would continue. “So for me it was a matter of trying to figure out like…I can’t work like Apollo Crews, I can’t do what Apollo does. I can’t do that stuff, and I’m not as big as a lot of the other guys. So I tried to figure out what makes me different. What allows me to stand apart.”

    Big E would also discuss his time in the FCW developmental territory, saying how he worked on his persona whilst in the Florida based promotion. This involved coming up with comical ways to work promo class.

    “So for a while you know I was doing stuff and it wasn’t…I’m sure you (Corey Graves) remember. I was doing a lot of stuff that I don’t think I could ever really do inside a WWE ring! As far as we were (the wrestlers) concerned? I was just doing goofy stuff. I forget a lot of the stuff I did!”

    Are you excited for Big E to now get a singles run in WWE after such a long time with New Day? Let us know in the comments

  • Sheamus Believes Big E Should Be A World Champion

    Sheamus Believes Big E Should Be A World Champion

    Sheamus has seemingly found some newfound respect for New Day member Big E following their recent SmackDown feud. As far as The Celtic Warrior is concerned, the new Big E “should be world champion.”

    Speaking with Sports Illustrated, Sheamus reflected on their rivalry on WWE’s blue brand. He explained how the world “saw a different side of Big E” during their feud, claiming that this new Big E is deserving of a world championship run.

    Sheamus shared how he “[…] hit him as hard as I could, and he hit me back even harder. That’s a credit to him. He brought it, and I still have the marks on my back to prove it.”

    This hard-hitting affair was by design. Sheamus stressed it was always his intention to demonstrate how tough Big E is with their feud.

    “My intention, as soon as I learned I was working with Big E, was to show he is a tough bastard. I wanted to show a side of him that no one had ever seen. We all know he can joke and crack people up, but when it comes to a fight, he can also hold his own against anybody.”

    Following the recent WWE Draft, Sheamus is now a Raw Superstar. Big E, however, remained on SmackDown. His New Day teammates, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston, were also moved to Raw.

  • Booker T Explains Why He’s ‘Glad’ WWE Separated The New Day

    Booker T Explains Why He’s ‘Glad’ WWE Separated The New Day

    WWE Hall of Famer Booker T has shared his thoughts on the WWE Draft during a recent episode of his Hall of Fame podcast. He also explained why he’s “glad” Big E has been separated from his New Day stablemates.

    Booker T noted how the recent WWE Draft was different from the drafts that took place when he was an active in-ring competitor. He stressed how the hype WWE attempted to create for the Draft was only “for the fans.’

    “The draft to me, it’s just working for another show. It wasn’t about the hype. The hype was for the fans. […] I’m not trying to rag on these guys or anything these days, but the draft back in the day, there was a reason why we had to have a draft, and a SmackDown and a RAW. We had so much talent on the roster.”

    Booker T was quick to add that today’s current roster is also filled with talented Superstars. However, according to him, there was a notable “abundance of talent” flooding WWE after WCW was purchased.

    “[…] we literally had the best talent roster in the world at that time. We had an abundance of talent that could fuel two shows. It was totally different as far as how I looked at the draft back then compared to how I look at it now.”

    Booker T On Big E Going Solo On SmackDown

    Regarding the New Day, Booker T shared how separating the stable is in the best interest of Big E:

    “This is the only way Big E can really run on his own. He could really put himself out there without having that umbrella of the New Day. You have to let it go and go out there and be Big E and create his own brand in order to fuel what he’s trying to do right now and that’s take it to the next level.”

    He noted how Big E doesn’t have to “change anything” and uses this opportunity to “step up.”

    Booker T then shared how he wished he could have the opportunity to coach Big E, sharing how:

    “If I was to manage someone, it would be a guy like Big E because I really feel Big E could run through the whole territory if the stars were aligned right for him. I’m not saying I want to be a manager, but I feel if there is anyone I could manage and get some feelings out of the fans watching this would be a guy like Big E. Big E could really be the guy if he had the right expert tutelage.”

    Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston were drafted to Raw following the WWE Draft. Big E, however, remained a SmackDown Superstar.

  • Big E Raises $11,000 For Charity

    Big E Raises $11,000 For Charity

    Big E announced on social media recently that New Day has raised over $11,000 for charity. The trio is donating proceeds from the below t-shirt to the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP) Legal Defense Fund.

    The shirt used for the fundraiser features Big E and Kofi Kingston taking a knee before a match on Smackdown this summer.

    In late-July, Big E spoke to Yahoo Sports about taking a knee on Smackdown. He also spoke about Vince McMahon’s reaction to New Day’s statement that day.

    “When Kofi and I got to the Performance Center that day, we felt like we had to do something,” Big E said. “We went and had a conversation with our boss, Vince McMahon, and he was completely on board. We felt like that even if it was just a five-second gesture, it was important to let people know that the things that affected them, we were feeling too. We’re not above this because we’re on TV or because we make money, we’re still people. I was born Black, I will die Black. I have lived my life as Black American much longer than I will ever be a WWE wrestler.”

  • Kofi Kingston On Big E’s Singles Run, When He’ll Be Back In WWE

    Kofi Kingston On Big E’s Singles Run, When He’ll Be Back In WWE

    New Day member Kofi Kingston has opened up about being away from in-ring competition as he heals from an injury during on appearance on WWE’s The Bump. He also acknowledged the singles run his stablemate, Big E, is currently enjoying.

    Kingston revealed he feels good as he continues to recover at home. He shared how he has been working on his home gym, which has allowed him to get back into a fitness regime. He added how he isn’t pushing himself too hard right now, explaining how “number one because I don’t want to suffer a setback, you know, and be out for even longer. And number two, I’m spending a lot of quantity and quality time with my family, so I’m just trying to enjoy that.”

    He stressed that, when the time is right, he will be back in WWE. Kingston also spoke about how he’s now smarter with his body and won’t be rushing back before he’s ready. He noted that, until he’s back, “Big E’s holding it down.”

    Kofi Kingston On Big E’s Singles Run

    Kofi Kingston admitted it’s an “awesome thing” to watch his friend succeed and thrive. He confessed it’s weird to watch Big E’s run from home before sharing how it doesn’t feel odd to support and celebrate his friend’s success and growth. According to Kingston, “we’re always supportive of each other, even when like Woods has not been with us.”

    He pointed to Big E’s focus and personal drive, stressing his friend has always had these characteristics. Kingston stated how “What we do for ourselves helps the entire group, and at the same time, we’re doing it for the entire group. So when we gave him our blessing, that was us just showing our full support because I think the whole WWE universe, along with us, we all believe that Big E deserves a shot.”

    Big E defeated Sheamus during last night’s Payback pay-per-view.

  • CM Punk Thinks Big E Should ‘Dump’ New Day For Singles Run

    CM Punk Thinks Big E Should ‘Dump’ New Day For Singles Run

    Add CM Punk to the growing list of people who are interested in New Day member Big E breaking off as a singles competitor.

    Punk made the comments this week during a SummerSlam 1992 Watch Party with Renee Young, Booker T and Finn Balor.

    Punk agreed with Booker T that now is the time for Big E to make a name for himself. He believes that in order to that, Big E needs to detach himself from the New Day. He pointed to how the group has been together for a long time and that to succeed, Big E would need to disassociate with both Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston.

    “I definitely think…Big E and New Day they’ve been rolling for like how long?” Punk asked. “I agree with you that he has to dump Woods and Kofi, kick those guys to the curb. That’s what we’re talking about right?”

    Booker T chimed in on Punk’s sentiments, adding how he believes that for Big E to make an immediate, memorable impact, he needs to turn heel against his New Day cohorts. Booker T stressed how, although attacking Kingston would send a message, he believes Big E should focus on attacking Woods.

    This prompted Young to share how many of the WWE Universe aren’t interested in the New Day breaking up. Instead, they would rather have the group succeed alongside a successful Big E singles push. CM Punk replied how “Sometimes that’s the best thing to do, something that people don’t want to see.”

    Both Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods are currently injured. Kingston is expected to be out for up to 6 weeks. Woods, meanwhile, is still rehabbing and recovering from a torn Achilles Tendon. Their absence has placed Big E in prime position for a singles run.3

  • Big E On If He Feels Ready For A Singles Run

    Big E On If He Feels Ready For A Singles Run

    A lot of people including many legends have praised Big E over the years and characterised him as a potential world champion if the New Day member wrestles as a singles competitor. Now that he is finally getting a chance to showcase his skills on his own, the former IC Champion feels that he is ready to go solo after being a team player for over half a decade.

    Big E recently had an interview with Yahoo Sports and discussing his singles run, the former Tag Team Champion mentioned how it all came out of nowhere. Though he later said that he hopes that the people who have clamoured for this for years will not be disappointed:

    “This is all kind of coming out of nowhere. I feel confident that I am ready for this. The interesting thing and weird thing is we don’t have that organic response. I hope people enjoy this run, I hope it’s good and entertaining, I hope all of the people who have clamored for this for years are not disappointed.”

    Even though he is getting the opportunity for a singles run, the former NXT Champion still sees himself as a representative of the New Day and he believes that his singes achievements will add up to the legacy of the group:

    “I always see it as I am a representative of the New Day. The same way that Kofi credited Woods and me and said that when he won it was for all of us, that’s the same feeling I have.  This adds to all of our legacies because I don’t get this far, I don’t have this much without those two. I don’t even know if I am around in this company without those two.”

    Xavier Woods has been out of action due to an Achilles injury since October last year. Kofi Kingston revealed during the July 24 episode of SmackDown that he will be out of action for 6 weeks after losing a Tables match at Extreme Rules, effectively giving Big E his first singles run since the formation of the group in 2014.

  • Big E Shares What May Have Happened To Him If New Day Failed

    Big E Shares What May Have Happened To Him If New Day Failed

    New Day member Big E has revealed what he believes would have happened to him had the stable not succeeded in WWE. 

    Speaking on his podcast The New Day: Feel The Power alongside Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston, Big E shared his predictions. According to Big E, he thinks he may have been released by WWE or “sent back down to NXT.”

    When first debuting New Day, there was a lot of pressure to make the stable work: “It just feels like this is it. This is the last big pitch. All my chips have to be in on this.”

    Addressing their guest, former WWE writer Michael Notarile, Big E explained how he had to put a lot of faith and trust into him. Furthermore, he acknowledged how he had to listen to Notarile’s advice and guidance. This was because he “knew so much more” than he did at the time, especially when it came to how things worked and the best way to put things together.

    “I think instantly it all just felt right when Woods first came to me and then we worked with you and then with Kofi. It felt like, ok, these are the four men that should be working on this together,” Big E said. “It just felt like all the pieces were where they needed to be. I didn’t know what in incarnation or how long the group would last.”

    Big E noted how they would have been happy to have been together for six months if it meant TV time. He believes it’s “amazing” that they are still going strong six years since their initial debut.