Big E Names Factions He Wants The New Day To Wrestle In WWE
Big E changed his luck on Monday Night RAW when he cashed in his Money In The Bank contract to become the new WWE Champion.
Following his enticing cash-in, Big E caught up with the panel over on WWE's The Bump to discuss his victory and how he feels just 48 hours removed.
"I'm still trying to get back to everyone. Everyone has been incredible, absurdly kind," Big E noted following his title win. "But yes, I'm still waiting to come back to some feeling of normalcy, and that's not happening yet."
With so many men vying to become the next WWE Champion, Big E realizes he has several targets on his back. But with Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston back on his side, he doesn't feel so alone in this fight.
"I want to be amongst the very best and thrown into the lion's den," Big E stated regarding his future competitors on the RAW brand. "We also have the draft that is around the corner, too. The players and the amount of guys that could be vying for this, the list is long. I'm excited.
"Even beyond that, also, there's The Bloodline out there. Also, you know, Shelton [Benjamin] and Cedric [Alexander] are still around. The Hurt Business was one of my favorite factions. You know, there are a lot of opportunities for us to do some really cool things now that The New Day is back together."
Having won the WWE Championship on the red brand meant a great deal to Big E. Not only because he stands atop the WWE mountain, but because he got to reunite with Woods and Kingston. Although they still converse off-camera and have a podcast together, Big E said it just wasn't the same going to work without seeing his teammates.
"Obviously, we talk ad nauseam about our love for each other, and our brotherhood and how genuine it is. And I miss those guys a lot," Big E reflected on how difficult it was to separate from Woods and Kingston following last year's draft. "Of course, we're connected with the podcast and seeing each other via Zoom, but it isn't the same. It's not like I didn't get to see them at all, but man, we belong on the scene. We got to be skin-to-skin. You know, meat-to-meat.
"I guess what we want to portray and show people too is that you can be elated for your friends. We can all win, and we can all see success in our lives and in our careers."
Continuing the conversation about his singles run on SmackDown, Big E mentions how grateful he was to work for the blue brand. But more than ever, he's eager to rebuild The New Day again.
"I think what I learned was not that I didn't need them, but I learned that I would be ok on my own," Big E said about his biggest takeaway from working away from Woods and Kingston. "Coming out of gorilla and entering down the ramp, I'm just so used to them being my comfort blanket. It's nice knowing I might not need them, but I like knowing that they're there.
"I was forced into the fire a little bit. And now that safety net is gone, you're just out there and you have to prove yourself. I was glad I got the opportunity. We got to a certain point where we realized this is the situation; we're not gonna be able to change anything. So for us, it was important to make the best of it. I think those guys did an incredible job, too."
Minutes after his historical victory, not only were the fans elated about Big E's victory but so were his colleagues backstage. He described how the atmosphere was once he went back through the curtain.
"When I got back through the curtain, I expected not many people to be there, 'cause, you know, it was after 11. By the time I had glad-handed everyone, just seeing it filled with my peers and everyone was standing and clapping. Obviously, it was the best. But that's not why you do what you do. But getting love from your peers is something I take a lot of pride in. Man, everyone has been so overwhelmingly positive and kind."
You can watch Big E's full interview here. If you use any of the quotes in this article, please credit WWE's The Bump with a h/t to Wrestling Inc. for the transcription