WWE's Big E Shares Injury Update, "Not Medically Cleared" but "Free of Pain"

WWE's Big E shares an update on his neck injury recovery. He may never be cleared to return to action, but he's free of pain and life is good

By Matthew Aguilar

Big E has been much more in the mix as of the past few months, whether that be in media appearances or as part of commentary, like he was at the WrestleMania 40 press conference, and fans couldn't be more thrilled to see him back on TV in a more prominent way. Fans would also love to see Big E make an in-ring return down the line, and while that could happen at some point, Big E's latest update on his neck and its recovery suggests that isn't in the cards at this time. He did reveal though that he is otherwise healthy and free of pain, and that's wonderful news.

Big E shared the details of his two-year neck scans on Twitter, writing, "Hey, all! Two year neck scans are in. Things are unchanged. My C1 has healed fibrously but has not formed new bone. I'm not medically cleared and truthfully, I may never be cleared. But I am blessed to be free of pain, immensely happy and otherwise healthy. Life is good."

While he may never be cleared for in-ring action, Big E continues to be the same bombastic personality anytime he is on TV, and hopefully, he appears more frequently in those non-wrestling roles. Big E opened up a bit about the future and possible retirement in an interview with Ariel Helwani, revealing it is something he is considering just due to the stress and wear and tear his body has already gone through.

"I also think – I had this sobering moment where I was in the hospital, and I've been an athlete my whole life. And it's all I've known, and it's what I've loved, but when they asked me my medical history, the first 18 years of my life – completely fine. But since then, I tore my left ACL playing college football at Iowa, tore my right ACL almost a year to the day, I've torn my left pec, I've torn my right meniscus – sorry, left meniscus – broke my right patella. While wrestling, I've herniated discs in my lower back, had the herniated discs in my neck, and also now I have a broken neck in multiple places," Big E said. 

"So, I've just put my body through a lot. I got hired at 23. When I was 23, you know, you just have a different perspective on life. And also I just had a lot of struggles with my mental health as well. I think – not that I had a death wish per se, but I think there was a time in my life that if I died in the ring? Cool. I got to do what I loved and I went out in the ring," Big E said.

"But now at 36, after working through a lot of those things, after being mentally healthier. Man, this job has allowed me to meet so many different people from so many walks of life and have so many different experiences, and now – I don't know, man. I think of life after 36, and I see so many of the guys I grew up watching in wrestling. I think too of the athletes that I love who participated in MMA, or were boxers and you see them at 50, and you see their body ravaged. And that's not the life that I want," Big E said.

"My hope is – I feel great now. And I'm grateful for that. But to keep miles and damage on my body? That's something I have to think about, and I feel like I have a lot more to live for now than I did years and years ago. Or at least now, I have a lot of things that I want to do in my life. So that's something that I'll have to think about. But again, I'm not gonna make any decisions any time soon. I have to weigh the damage that I've already done to my body," Big E said.

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