WWE Superstar Big E has been on the shelf since March 2022. While the WWE Universe has been patiently waiting for the return of the 39-year-old, the former New Day member has recently given a heartbreaking update regarding his potential comeback to the ring.
Big E appeared on the October 9, 2025, episode of Stephanie McMahon’s What’s Your Story podcast. Speaking about his career, the former WWE Champion noted that his career is behind him now. This suggests that there is no chance that the former New Day member will be competing as a wrestler again.
My career is kind of behind me. I’m someone who is appreciative, I think I had a really good career, and I’m proud of it. [H/T The Sportster]
While Big E may no longer step into the ring again, it is good to see that instead of being full of regrets, the 39-year-old is proud of his wrestling days. But this would disappoint several fans who were hopeful to see E make a comeback.
Big E says his [in-ring] career is kind of behind him.
“My career is kind of behind me. I'm very much someone who is…I’m appreciative. I think I had a really good career, very proud of it.”
(via What’s Your Story) pic.twitter.com/iLgQxrPp3J
Last year in December, The New Day celebrated its tenth anniversary in WWE. Fans saw E make a return to active programming after a very long time and thought that they would see him wrestle soon. Especially since Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turned heel and kicked him out.
How Did Big E Get Injured?
Big E suffered a grave injury to his neck on the March 11, 2022, episode of SmackDown. E had teamed up with Kofi Kingston to face Ridge Holland and Sheamus in tag team action. During the match, a failed belly-to-belly suplex from Holland resulted in the 39-year-old taking a bad landing and hurting his neck.
The medics immediately rushed to the ring and stretchered The New Day member out of the arena. Big E had fractured his vertebrae, but thankfully didn’t suffer any spinal cord damage. Regardless, the former WWE Champion had to undergo neck surgery. He has been in rehab ever since.
While the 39-year-old has been missing in action from the ring, he has been extensively involved with the WWE in backstage tasks. E is often seen in pre- and post-premium live event shows where he talks about big moments in PLEs and also interviews WWE stars.
Going forward, Triple H could either keep using the former New Day member in backstage events or make use of his mic skills and bring him back to active programming to manage The New Day, potentially turning him heel or turning the faction babyface again.
Big E’s Struggle With Career-Fatal Injuries Isn’t New
Prior to becoming a pro wrestler, Big E, whose real name is Ettore Ewen, was a college football player. He had gotten a spot on the team of the Iowa Hawkeyes on a scholarship and was about to play with them as a true freshman.
However, while speaking on the same episode of Stephanie McMahon’s podcast, he said that he got his ACL crushed, which put him out of action for nine months. Big E went into rehab and spent nine months recovering, only to get the ACL of his other leg damaged. The former New Day member revealed that the back-to-back injuries devastated him and exacerbated his struggle with depression.
I only played one year of high school football, and I thought, like, somehow, I got to Iowa on a scholarship, got this last-minute offer. Everything was going to work out for me. And I was, I was told, like, you’re going to be able to play as a true freshman with this incredible defensive line, playing against the Michigans, the Ohio States. This is, this is it. College football was my first dream, and you get a chance to play amongst the very best in the country, and then that’s taken away from you.
And then you spend nine months rehabbing, surgery, doing all those things to get back, and then finally, here’s an opportunity to play again, and the same thing happens the other day. So, for me, it just felt, once again, like, I felt like I was able to dig myself out of a hole. A lot of the frustration of childhood, and finally things were working out for me, and then to have that door closed on me twice with the ACLs at 19 was really devastating for me. (13:57 – 14:48)
Unfortunately, when Big E turned his life around with an impressive WWE career, another injury, this time in his neck, put him out of commission. But it should be noted that while he was struggling with mental health problems as a youngster, as he mentioned on the What’s Your Story podcast, he is proud of his wrestling days now.
Are you a fan of Big E? What’s your reaction to the superstar revealing that he won’t be wrestling again? Do you see him joining Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods for a New Day reunion in the future? Pour your thoughts down in the comments.
