“People signed off on it,” 39-year-old star breaks silence on Tony Hinchcliffe mocking his career-threatening injury on Raw

The former WWE Champion didn't seem angry about Tony Hinchcliffe's below the belt remark about his neck on Raw.

“People signed off on it,” 39-year-old star breaks silence on Tony Hinchcliffe mocking his career-threatening injury on Raw

Tony Hinchcliffe on Raw [via- Cageside Seats]

Comedian Tony Hinchcliffe appeared on this week’s Raw as a special guest commentator for The New Day‘s world tag team titles match against The War Raiders. He was there to promote The Roast of WrestleMania special hosted by him. While on the desk, the 40-year-old comic quipped that the only thing stiffer than Michael Cole is Big E‘s neck.

The joke he tried to pull off didn’t sit well with the WWE Universe at all. In fact, when asked, Big E told Sam Roberts and Megan Morant on Raw Recap that it’s tiring to opine on everything that’s said about him. The 39-year-old wasn’t extremely offended by Hinchcliffe’s humor, saying as a public figure, he’s not foreign to people saying stuff about him. The former New Day member also added that he’s not injured.

E continued saying that he’s fine with the discourse but without his involvement. He didn’t sign up for it; people did, asserted the former WWE Champion in a lighthearted manner. The tag team great’s latest on-screen WWE appearance came in December 2024.

I wasn’t aware of this. He did what he wanted to. People signed off on it. It has nothing to do with me. Truly.

Big E on Raw Recap

He joined his former teammates, Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston, as they were about to celebrate 10 years of The New Day in WWE. Thinking they’d gleefully accept him back, Big E offered to be the duo’s regular manager going forward. However, Woods and Kingston turned on their once go-to man.

They accused the Floridian of abandoning them when they needed him the most, let alone choosing his girlfriend over his brothers. E got emotional hearing the two talking down on his neck injury as if nothing ever happened. At last, the former US Powerlifting champion walked away with tears.

What is the latest on Big E’s recovery from neck injury?

It’s been over three years since Big E suffered a broken neck while competing in a tag team match on SmackDown. He barely escaped paralysis. However, the injury took a toll on his C1 and C6 vertebrae. He kept undergoing multiple scans in the meantime, but there was no significant improvement.

Big E
Big E [via- ITR Wrestling]

Last year in July, the former tag team champion told Chris Vannini of the Getting Over: Wrestling Podcast that he’s finally free of the pain and suffering in his neck. However, his C1 was healing fibrously without turning into a new bone. Since it wasn’t completely better then, the doctors couldn’t clear him for in-ring competition, and it’d stay the same until that happens.

While not certain, there’s a big possibility that Big E has wrestled his last match. He’s aware of potentially never getting to mix it up with others in that squared circle. But one could only hope. He’s currently involved in other ventures within WWE. The fans could find him on the pre-show panel during WWE PLEs. Back in January, the news broke that E’s joining the Marvel Universe to voice a character in Your Friendly Neighborhood Spider-Man.

Big E’s former teammates suffered another loss on this week’s Raw

Since turning heel, The New Day hasn’t been the same, not only in their attitude but also in the wizardry they used to possess in that ring. This week on Raw, they had the opportunity to capture gold. However, in the closing moments, Xavier Woods brought a steel chair, which was intercepted by Ivar of the War Raiders.

The New Day and Big E
The New Day with Big E (via- WWE)

He smashed the chair across the back of Woods, which was caught by the match referee. He called for the bell, and the championship showdown ended in a disqualification. As a result, the War Raiders retained the coveted belts on Raw.

After the match, Woods tried to end Eric’s career by putting his neck through a steel chair. However, the WWE officials averted a catastrophe. Just like Big E, Eric has had problems with his neck too. Kofi’s outburst from the result spilled over to social media, where he accused the champs of robbing the New Day.

Related: Ric Flair goes off after catching strays from Tiffany Stratton amid her unscripted personal jabs at Charlotte Flair on SmackDown