WWE star Big E shares major health update after breaking neck in ring and admits he ‘may never be cleared’ for return
AFTER a critical neck injury in 2022, WWE star Big E is coming to terms with the fact that he might never wrestle again.
The 38-year-old, who’s real name is Ettore Ewen, broke two vertebrae in his neck in March 2022.
The terrifying injury came on a botched bell-to-belly suplex, where Big E was slammed directly on his head instead of being flipped over.
Both his C1 and C6 vertebrae were fractured in the fateful match against Ridge Holland two years ago.
Breaking his neck has held Big E out of 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 be able to enter the ring again.
“Two year neck scans are in. Things are unchanged,” he wrote.
“My C1 [vertebrae] has healed fibrously but has not formed new bone. I’m not medically cleared and truthfully, I may never be cleared.
Big E revealed that he has recovered to a point where he is healthy and no longer uncomfortable.
He shared that he is “blessed to be free of pain, immensely happy and otherwise healthy. Life is good.”
Big E attempted a comeback one year into his recovery, but doctors advised him to stay away from wrestling even though he was making good progress.
“We did the year checkup and all that stuff looked great,” he said in August.
“But on the other side, I talked to spine specialists, people who have worked on other people in the company and done their fusions and they said like ‘hey, I would not wrestle again if I were you.'”
BIG E’S WRESTLING CAREER
Big E didn’t break into wrestling until 2009, and first 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 the Hawkeyes. He didn’t get much playing time though and shifted his focus to powerlifting.
Big E excelled at powerlifting and won his first meet at the 2010 United States Open Championships. He broke every Florida powerlifting record in the 275-pound class.
His lifts included a 611-pound squat, a 490-pound bench press, and a 749-pound deadlift for a 1,850-pound total.
He would win again at the 2011 USAPL Raw Nationals with a total lift of 2,039 pounds.
Big E started his wrestling career 2009 in Florida Championship Wrestling. That series was rebranded by WWE into NXT in 2012.
At that time, Big E debuted on Raw, and eventually went on to become Intercontinental Champion in 2013.
Big E has won the WWE Championship, NXT Championship, Intercontinental Championship, Tag Team Championship, and more.