Big E suffered a broken neck on the March 11, 2022, episode of Friday Night SmackDown when he took an overhead belly-to-belly suplex from Ridge Holland outside the ring and landed on his neck. The former WWE Champion did not sustain any damage to his spinal cord and managed to avoid injury, but still has not made an in-ring return. And while it’s still unclear if E will ever wrestle again, he has openly stated in interviews that he holds no ill will toward Holland.
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“I have no issue whatsoever with Ridge,” E told ESPN last year. “He’s reached out and said some very kind things. … What we do is dangerous, and there are inherent dangers. And to that degree, we all kind of know what we sign up for, and it was unfortunate that it went down that way. But I’m not dead. I’m alive. I’m doing well.”
Ridge Holland Reveals Death Threats From WWE Fans
However, Holland took to Twitter on Sunday to reveal he’s still receiving death threats over the accident. He wrote, “Death threats. Threats to my family. Lobbying for me to lose my job. Being labeled as racist. Great stuffkeep ’em coming.”
This prompted a response from The New Day’s Xavier Woods — “Pro Wrestling is extremely dangerous. All of us involved understand that. Ridge & his family do not deserve to be treated this way. Please do not send any hate towards them. Instead use your energy to do something positive like sending love to E. Be kind. Please be kind.”
Will Big E Ever Wrestle Again?
E has talked about a return in multiple interviews, saying that he’s still unsure if it will ever happen. He has consistently been positive about the situation, saying he’s grateful to have avoided a much more severe injury.
“I’m just really grateful, honestly. I feel like in many ways it feels like a bullet whizzed by my face,” E told Out of Character last year. “Like, I felt the wind of the bullet go by my head and I’m very grateful to still be here, to still have the use of my limbs, to still feel good. That’s really my biggest takeaway. Gratitude. I truly am grateful that I’m still here, that I’m still kicking it.”
