Former WWE Champion Big E has addressed the widespread criticism surrounding his emotional split from The New Day, acknowledging that many of the concerns raised by fans are valid.
During the December 2, 2024 episode of WWE Raw, which marked The New Day’s 10-year anniversary, Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods shockingly removed Big E from the group. In storyline, the duo chastised him for not being there during his recovery from the career-threatening neck injury he suffered in March 2022.
Since that segment aired, Big E has not returned to in-ring competition, leaving fans questioning the long-term direction of the angle.
Speaking with Jon Alba of Sports Illustrated, Big E admitted that he agrees with the backlash centered around the lack of payoff or follow-up.
“I think that is a very real criticism. Creative, as you know, is a give and take. I’m only one component of it. There are a lot of other people involved. The creative team kind of just talked to me about the general idea and I initially thought at least being able to kind of, not pass the baton, but if Kofi and Woods were going to work with another team, and I was able to kind of give them my blessing, or I had an idea I wanted to do around Rumble to kind of foil Kofi and Woods. Because I’m with you in that, us continuing to build this angle or to build heat with someone who’s not coming back, I think doesn’t make sense. It leads fans astray. But I thought if anything, Okay, if we’re going to do this, there’s a way for me to kind of pass the torch to someone else or give them my blessing, or say, I’m aligned with you, or say, whatever it is,” Big E said.
He elaborated further, describing the collaborative — and sometimes crowded — nature of WWE’s creative process.
“There are a lot of cooks in the creative kitchen, and we felt like this was us making the best of what we were given, and yeah, that’s kind of how that went down. But no, I agree with you and a lot of people who felt the same, and I saw a lot of that feedback after it was clear that I wasn’t coming back in a timely fashion, that it was, ‘Okay, why are we putting so much stock into an angle where one person is never coming back? There’s no retribution?’ So I think that’s a very real criticism. I heard it, and I think people have a right to feel that way,” he added.
While a traditional in-ring resolution was never possible due to his medical situation, Big E has since carved out a successful role as a pre-show analyst for WWE Premium Live Events.
Meanwhile, Kingston and Woods continued forward as a duo, eventually capturing the WWE World Tag Team Championships at WrestleMania 41 in April 2025. Later that year, the faction evolved further when Grayson Waller aligned himself with the team, introducing himself as “Big G” to fill the void left by Big E.
Despite the controversy surrounding the split, Big E’s candid acknowledgment of fan concerns has resonated, reinforcing the respect many still have for him both inside and outside the ring.
