On the March 11, 2022 episode of WWE SmackDown, Big E suffered a neck injury when he landed on his head following a belly-to-belly suplex from Ridge Holland. Big E fractured his C1 vertebrae and C6 vertebrae but didn't suffer any ligament or spinal cord damage.
It's been over two years since the incident, and Big E has been steadfast in his position that he will make the best decision for him regarding a potential in-ring return.
Those feelings haven't changed ahead of WrestleMania 40.
"The great thing is they put me in control of that," Big E told Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports. "Obviously, I'm listening to the doctors. They know more than I do as far as my health and prognosis. It's one of those things where my ability to live my life day-to-day and to be in the gym is not compromised at all. But, obviously, getting in the ring and taking bumps, getting thrown on my back and my neck is a little bit different.
"I've been doing physical things my entire life and I never wanted to leave sports hobbled and crippled," Big E said. "Now at 38, those are considerations of mine. I want to make sure that I'm making the best decision for myself and for my health moving forward. It's just one of those things I want to be smart about. It's just a matter of listening to the doctors, taking in enough information, looking at my more recent set of scans and deciding if the gamble is worth it."
Big E has said he's gotten advice from Steve Austin and Adam Copeland, who have dealt with neck injuries of their own during their respective careers.
"Unfortunately, neck injuries are a little bit too common in our industry. I've talked to a few different guys. The thing too is all of our scenarios are a little bit different. Some guys have issues with stenosis. Some guys need fusions. I didn't have neck surgery. I was just in a hard collar for three months.
"I've been so thankful for so many of the guys I grew up loving and watching as a kid, so many legends who wanted to reach out and share what they went through when they had their neck injuries. I'm so grateful to all of them for following me to ask questions and their offering advice has been helpful too."
Big E has stayed involved in WWE affairs, helping with tryouts and kickoff panels.
Big E is set to be part of the WrestleMania 40 kickoff shows on Saturday and Sunday.
