Backstage Report On Injured, Former WWE Champ Landing Book Deal
While there's been no strong indication that Ettore "Big E" Ewen is preparing for a return to the ring, wrestling fans will soon have an opportunity to dig deeper into his story. Fightful Select is reporting that Big E recently signed a publishing deal for a memoir, based on a December 2024 Player's Tribune article penned by the performer.
In the article, Big E reflected on his strict religious upbringing, with professional wrestling serving as one of the only shared interests he had with his father, a preacher. Ewen revealed that he'd been battling depression from an early age, and after struggling academically and tearing both of his ACLs around the time of his first college football season, Ewen had an intense depressive episode that could've led to him ending his own life. Instead, one of his football coaches reached out and helped Ewen get into therapy, and that led to a long and arduous process of trying to find the right treatment.
Big E's article also discussed his pro wrestling journey and the many challenges that came with it, all the way up through breaking his neck during a match in 2022. Ewen has yet to return from that injury, and he's made it clear that there's a strong possibility he never wrestles again.
In addition to appearing on WWE PLE pre-show and post-show panels in recent months, Big E appeared on "WWE Raw" last December, around the time his Player's Tribune article was released, to celebrate the 10th anniversary of The New Day. In a shocking turn of events, Big E's longtime friends Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods turned heel during the segment, berating E for becoming distant after his injury. The two have continued playing villains on WWE TV, while Big E has yet to actively return to the storyline.