AFTER a critical neck injury in 2022, WWE star Big E comes to terms with the fact he may never wrestle again.
The 38-year-old, real name Ettore Ewen, broke two vertebrae in his neck in March 2022.
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The terrifying injury came on a botched bell-to-belly suplex, where Big E was hit directly on the head instead of being flipped over.
His C1 and C6 vertebrae were fractured in the fateful match against Ridge Holland two years ago.
Breaking his neck kept Big E from wrestling for two years, but it looks like his wait will continue.
Big E shared an update with fans on X that he may never get in the ring again.
“Two-year neck exams are underway. Things remain unchanged,” he wrote.
“My C1 (vertebra) healed fibrously but did not form new bone. I am not medically cleared and, truth be told, I may never be.
Big E revealed that he had recovered to a point where he was healthy and no longer uncomfortable.
He shared that he was “lucky to be pain-free, immensely happy and healthy. Life is beautiful.”
Big E attempted a comeback a year after his recovery, but doctors advised him to stay away from wrestling even though he was making good progress.
“We looked back on the year and it all looked good,” he said in August.
“But on the other hand, I talked to spine specialists, people who have worked on other people in the company and done their fusions and they said to me ‘hey, I don’t I’d fight more if I were you.'”
BIG E’S WRESTLING CAREER
Big E only made his wrestling debut in 2009 and initially spent his time as a football player and powerlifter.
Ewen went to college at the University of Iowa and played as a defensive lineman for the Hawkeyes. However, he did not get much playing time and focused on powerlifting.
Big E excelled in powerlifting and won his first competition at the United States Open Championships in 2010. He broke all Florida powerlifting records in the 275-pound class.
His lifts included a 611-pound squat, a 490-pound bench press and a 749-pound deadlift for a total of 1,850 pounds.
He would win again at the 2011 USAPL Raw Nationals with a total lift of 2,039 pounds.
Big E began his wrestling career in 2009 in Florida Championship Wrestling. This series was rebranded by WWE as NXT in 2012.
Around this time, Big E debuted on Raw and eventually became Intercontinental Champion in 2013.
Big E has won the WWE Championship, NXT Championship, Intercontinental Championship, Tag Team Championship and much more.
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