Big E

Big E is an American professional wrestler, and former powerlifter signed with WWE. He is best known for his work as Big E. He is a former WWE, Intercontinental, and Tag Team Champion.

Also Read: What is the net worth of Big E in 2024?

Early Life

Big E's real name is Ettore Ewen and he was born on March 1, 1986, in Tampa, Florida, USA. He is the son of Margaret and Ettore Ewen, and was named after his dad. Big E excelled in athletics throughout his school years. At Tampa Preparatory School, he secured a state championship title in wrestling. Later, he transferred to Wharton High School to pursue football, earning the distinction of "Ironman of the Year" in Hillsborough County.

Ewen continued his athletic pursuits at the University of Iowa, playing as a defensive lineman for the Iowa Hawkeyes football team. However, injuries and a redshirt year limited his playing time to a single season. Despite this, Ewen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree. Following college, he transitioned his focus to the world of powerlifting.

Professional Wrestling Career

FCW (2009-2012)

After retiring from powerlifting and several injuries which ended his football career, Ewen was given a tryout in FCW. Ewen is a fan of wrestling since he was a kid. WWE signed him for their developmental territory, and Ewen began his training. Ewen worked with FCW for two years before its rebrand.

NXT (2012-2013)

Ewen was rebranded as Big E Langston. Big E began a winning streak and won the NXT Championship from Seth Rollins in a NO DQ match. The reign lasted for 168 days when Bo Dallas defeated him for the title.

Ziggler's Bodyguard and Break up (2012-2013)

Big E made his main roster debut as Dolph Ziggler's bodyguard and attacked John Cena. At WrestleMania 29, Langston and Ziggler unsuccessfully challenged Team Hell No for the WWE Tag Team Championship. Big E stayed with Ziggler for a few months before attacking him when he broke up with AJ Lee. At SummerSlam, Langston and AJ Lee lost a mixed-gender tag team match to Ziggler and Kaitlyn.

Intercontinental Champion (2013-2014)

Big E had a singles push for a while. On RAW, Big E Langston defeated Curtis Axel to win his first Intercontinental Championship. Big E's reign was ended by Bad News Barrett at Extreme Rules.

The New Day (2014-2020)

After being stuck in the loop for a few months, Xavier Woods offered Kofi Kingston and Big E to form a stable called The New Day. The trio started stacking victories for months and won their first tag team titles at Extreme Rules 2015. They dropped the titles to Prime Time Players and regained it a month later at SummerSlam. It began their second reign, which officially broke the record for the longest reign in the company's history. They feuded with The Wyatt Family and lost. The New Day dropped the titles to The Bar at RoadBlock 2016. The New Day hosted WrestleMania 33 and got drafted to SmackDown during the Superstar Shake-Up after Mania.

From 2017 to 2020, The New Day won the SmackDown Tag Team Championship frequently, facing the likes of the Usos, Dolph Ziggler and Bobby Roode, Miz and Morrison, and Bludgeon Brothers. The New Day faced The Shield at Survivor Series 2017 and lost. The New Day began their rivalry with Daniel Bryan for the WWE Championship. Big E and Xavier Woods assisted Kofi on his journey to become the WWE Champion.

Single's Run (2020-2021)

After losing their 6th SmackDown Tag Team Championship to Shinsuke Nakamura and Cesaro, Big E started his solo run without The New Day. Big E was involved in a rivalry with Sheamus, which he won. At Draft 2020, they separated The New Day as Big E stayed on SmackDown and they drafted Kofi and Xavier to RAW. Big E won his second Intercontinental Championship when he defeated Sami Zayn on SmackDown.

Money in the Bank and WWE Champion (2021-2022)

Big lost the title in a feud against Apollo Crews at WrestleMania 37. Big E won the Money in the Bank ladder match at the PPV and earned a shot at a champion of his choice. On Raw, Big E cashed in on Bobby Lashley and won the WWE Championship. He celebrated it along with his New Day members. At Draft 2021, Big E was drafted to RAW. At Day 1, he lost the title to Brock Lesnar. In March, he broke his neck during a match with Sheamus and Ridge Holland.

After the Injury (2022 - Present)

In March 2022, during a tag team match on SmackDown, Big E of The New Day suffered a serious neck injury. Ridge Holland delivered an overhead belly-to-belly suplex that resulted in Big E landing awkwardly on his head. He was transported to the hospital and diagnosed with fractures in his C1 and C6 vertebrae, though thankfully there were no ligament or spinal cord injuries. While initial reports suggested surgery wouldn't be necessary, Big E's future in wrestling remained uncertain. By May 2022, Big E had made an on-screen return to WWE programming alongside his New Day teammates. However, interviews revealed doctors had expressed reservations about his ability to wrestle again. Despite this, Big E participated in a WWE tryout event for college athletes later that summer, hinting at a potential future role outside the ring.

In August 2023, Big E confirmed he had been advised by doctors to permanently retire from in-ring competition due to the neck injury. While he remained free of nerve damage and strength issues, the risk of further injury was deemed too high. This marked a significant shift from his earlier career perspective, where the potential for serious injury was seemingly less of a concern. As of 2024, Big E's wrestling status remains unclear. He has transitioned into a non-wrestling role within WWE, taking on hosting and panelist duties on various shows. In April, he shared with fans that he might never be cleared to wrestle again.

Championships and Accomplishments

Big E Wife

Big E is currently dating Kris Yim, the younger sister of fellow wrestler Mia Yim. The New Day member is not married as of 2024. Big E announced his relationship with Yim with an Instagram post in April 2024. He wrote that his neck was broken but his heart was whole, thanks to Yim.