Former WWE champion Big E suffered a gruesome injury during his Friday (March 11) night wrestlng match on “Smackdown.”
E and his The New Day partner Kofi Kingston were engaged in a tag team matchup against Sheamus and Ridge Holland when things took a turn for the worse inside the Legacy Arena in Birmingham, Alabama.
Outside the ring, Holland performed a belly to belly overhead suplex that ended with E landing on his head. Video — that has been circulating the Internet since Friday — shows the powerlifter turned wrestler attempt to put his hands out to brace for the fall. Instead, the former tag team champ lands awkwardly with the crown of his head hitting the ground first.
Medics had to take the 36-year-old wrestler out of the arena on a stretcher. He was taken to a local hospital where doctors assessed him and found that he had broken his neck.
On Twitter, E gave his fans an update straight from his hospital bed the same night. Wearing a large tan neck brace, E said: “I can’t thank all of you beautiful people enough for all of your concern and your messages. It’s very heartwarming. I can move all of my digits … Strength feels fine, but unfortunately uh right now, they tell me my neck is broken. So there’s that.”
Once again thank you everybody I’ma be alright. I’ll be good. Don’t worry, go to sleep. Don’t worry about ole me.”
On Saturday (March 12), E returned to Twitter with some “really good news.”
“All things considered — C1 and C6 [bones] are indeed fractured, non displacement though, which is a very good thing. And I dont have any damage to my spinal chord, no ligament damage and no surgery — which I’m very thankful for,” he said. “For real, it’s meant a ton that so many of you have been so kind and reached out stopped in to see me, texted me… I’m very grateful. I’ma be alright. It’s a blessing.”
WWE’s premier event WrestleMania 38 is scheduled for next month. E did not provide a timeline as to how long his recovery process will take, however, according to the University of Virginia (UVA) Health his specific injury can take between eight to 12 weeks to fully heal.
Watch the gruesome move below: