Big E’s in-ring career is officially over — and according to him, that decision didn’t just come from the heart. It came from his doctors.
Nearly four years after suffering a broken neck on WWE SmackDown, the former WWE Champion has confirmed he now considers himself retired from wrestling. While he’s able to live a normal, pain-free life, his neck has not formed new bone the way it was supposed to — making any potential return a serious gamble.
Speaking with The Takedown on SI, Big E opened up about a pivotal conversation with spine specialist Dr. Juan Uribe and other medical professionals who made their stance crystal clear. That warning stuck with him.
“So after talking to [Dr. Juan Uribe] and a few other doctors, the doctor almost damn near begged me like, ‘Hey, please, even if you get your all go, you’re clear, you’re allowed to get back in the ring, please really reconsider it,’” Big E said.
“And when I told him, ‘I think I’m definitely leaning towards being done,’ he almost quite literally breathed a sigh of relief. So for someone who’s been doing this for so long, who knows a lot more about spines and necks than I do, I definitely took heed.”
The injury occurred in 2022 after an overhead belly-to-belly suplex delivered by Ridge Holland went wrong. Despite the severity of the incident, Big E has never placed blame on Holland and has repeatedly said he holds no bitterness about how things unfolded.
Instead, he’s focused on perspective. Big E explained that seeing veteran wrestlers during WrestleMania weekend — many of whom struggle with mobility and chronic pain — forced him to think long-term about his own future. That reality check weighed heavily.
“You see so many of the veterans, the legends, around WrestleMania, oftentimes that’s when you see a lot of the guys you don’t see year-round. And man, it’s sobering,” he said. “So many of them, who aren’t even that old, are struggling with pain. Clearly not very ambulatory. They’re using walkers to get around.”
“And man, I told myself, as much as I love my career, as much as I love being an athlete, I am really gambling with my health.”
Big E may be done inside the ropes, but he’s not done with WWE. He continues to work in a broadcasting role, appearing on premium live event pre-shows and post-shows. Outside wrestling, he’s partnered with data analytics firm SūmerSports to host a new YouTube series centered on the NFL Draft.
While fans will always wonder what could have been, Big E appears at peace with his choice — prioritizing a pain-free life over one more run in the ring.
Do you think Big E made the right call stepping away, or would you still love to see one more match if doctors somehow cleared him Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.