Big E: I Need To Use My Long Leash In WWE To Do Something Important And Impactful
Big E and New Day have more freedom than a lot of WWE superstars as they are able to put together their own segments and bits on television.
Having that kind of freedom can used for good in-character, but also when it comes to real life matters. On the June 12 episode of SmackDown, Big E and Kofi Kingston took a knee and raised a fist in the middle of the ring, supporting Black Lives Matter following the murder of George Floyd.
“We are blessed to be in a position where, we have a pretty long leash as far as what we’re able to say, our style, our presentation. The fact that everybody is cool with me log-rolling down to the ring, there is no issue with that. So, we have a long leash. My perspective is that, if I’m afforded a long leash to be nonsensical, I need to use that same leash to do something important and meaningful. This is something that weighed on us so heavily,” said Big E on Late Nights with Cardigan and Karen. “For us, it felt like we had to say something and we had to make a statement of some sort. I don’t want my activism to be performative. I don’t want to set a few tweets or posts and say, ‘Hey, I did my job.’ I don’t know what impact we had raising a fist, but we want people to know that just because we’re on TV or have money, doesn’t mean I’m above feeling the pain that you feel. I’m sitting at home crying myself. We have a certain responsibility and if we don’t use our voice to say how we feel, to me, we’re wasting this opportunity. If I’m not doing something to show people that you can take a stand and do what’s right. If my career is only about the money I’ve made and the titles, then to me, it was a waste. Even I can help change a couple of minds or let people know it’s cool to say something in WWE, just because you have the perception that, if I say something that is perceived as controversial or I might get hear or lose my position. That’s been the idea, don’t rock the boat because you can lose your spot. I get that sentiment, but I want people to know that you can stand for something important. I didn’t want to regret this opportunity.”
He continued by saying, “One thing I love seeing is how many dope performers there are in wrestling, not just WWE, but around the industry. It’s important to say, ‘we’re here, we’re going to be respected and have a voice, we’re going to be more than how you perceive us or the stereotypes or the boxes you put us in as wrestlers and performers, we’re going to be more than that.'”
New Day did a very important podcast with Andreas Hale discussing racism and injustice in America. You can find a full recap of the podcast by clicking here.
Elsewhere during the interview with Malcolm Bivens and Karen Q, Big E discussed his singles run. You can find his full comments by clicking here.
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