7 months ago
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On March 11 2022, the life of Ettore 'Big E' Ewen changed forever. The former WWE Champion was teaming with up with Kofi Kingston to take on Sheamus and Ridge Holland in a normal, run of the mill tag team match. Then, Holland gave Ewen a belly-to-belly suplex on the floor, which resulted in a broken neck, with fractures in his C1 and C6 vertebrae, and Ewen hasn't returned to the ring since.
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Over two years have passed since Big E has wrestled and many fans, medical professionals, and people in the wrestling business still don't know if he will ever return to the ring. However, given that he is a man who preached the power of positivity as part of The New Day, Ewen stated in an interview with Sports Illustrated that he is in a great place mentally. "I'm grateful that I am healthy, mentally and physically," Ewen said. "I'm not one to spend a lot of time thinking about the past. More than anything, I'm grateful. There is no room for bitterness. That wouldn't change anything. It wouldn't unbreak my neck. I'm too busy being grateful in the present. I appreciate people caring and rooting for me."
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During his time away from the ring, Ewen has not only become an ambassador for WWE, but also talks to both wrestlers and non-wrestlers who have broken their necks too. He stated that he doesn't have some of the same side effects that others do, which is encouraging, but he is at peace with his injury, and he is grateful to still have his health. Regarding an in-ring return, Ewen stated he is thinking about his future, but it might not be in the ring. "I'm 38. I started wrestling at 23, and I didn't think about this then, but now I'm thinking about life in my 40s and 50s."
Please credit "Sports Illustrated" when using quotes from this article, and give a H/T to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription.
