Chris Jericho knows it’s a pretty safe bet to say Big E will be back on top in WWE when he returns from injury.
Big E broke his neck on the March 11 episode of SmackDown, and he’ll be out of action for the foreseeable future. Justin Barrasso of Sports Illustrated spoke with several of Big E’s peers, including AEW star Chris Jericho, who worked with him for a stretch in WWE between 2013 and 2016.
“It’s no surprise to me that Big E became world champion, and it’s no surprise to me that he’s still on people’s minds even though he’s missing this year’s WrestleMania,” Jericho said. “I have no doubt he’ll be champion again, and he is a WrestleMania main-eventer. It doesn’t take Nostradamus to predict that Big E is going to be back on top of the wrestling world when he’s back.
“From the moment I first saw Big E, he stood out immediately because of his size,” Jericho added. “He was phenomenal as Dolph Ziggler’s heater. When they started The New Day, the three of them have went on to reach these incredible heights together. He’s just a great pro wrestler, a great performer and a great guy. Don’t underestimate that. People can feel that; they can tell who is playing a character and who is a great guy. He’s got such a great personality, he’s very funny and he’s a great guy. His real self shines through every time he speaks and we see him in the ring.
“There is no one like Big E. He is this lovable teddy bear and gentle giant,” Jericho noted, “but he’s also this powerhouse monster with a great personality and a genuine connection with the audience. I’m a big fan of his—I always have been, I always will be. Big E is going to be an important part of the WWE for many years to come.”
One of the other people that spoke about Big E was The Undertaker, who said that he too can see Big E returning better than ever.
“It’s really unfortunate what happened to Big E,” said Undertaker. “You never want anyone to get injured. He built so much momentum. That isn’t easy to do. I was so happy to see Big E as champion. He worked his way up, all his hard work paid off. When he’s back, I would like to see him headline a WrestleMania. I don’t think, by any means, we’ve seen his best yet.”
Big E is currently home recovering from the neck injury. He said that the C4 and C6 vertebrae in his neck are fractured, but there is no spinal cord damage and surgery is not required.
Read More: Big E: My Doctor Told Me I ‘Narrowly Escaped’ Paralysis Or Death Following My Broken Neck
