WWE's Big E Provides Neck Injury Update from Hospital, Says He Won't Need Surgery

WWE Superstar Big E provided a further positive update Saturday on the neck injury he suffered Friday during SmackDown.

Big E tweeted a video from the hospital in which he noted that he suffered no damage to his spinal cord and will not need surgery:

The former WWE champion, who was wearing a neck brace in the video, did confirm that he broke his C1 and C6 vertebrae, however.

Big E landed awkwardly on his head and neck when taking an overhead belly-to-belly suplex from Ridge Holland during a tag team match pitting E and Kofi Kingston against Holland and Sheamus.

Medical personnel stabilized Big E and took him away from the ringside area on a stretcher, at which point Big E gave a thumbs up to indicate to the fans that he was OK.

Shortly after being transported to a hospital in Birmingham, Alabama, on Friday night, Big E tweeted a video in which he said he was told he had broken his neck, although he had use of all his extremities:

Fightful's Sean Ross Sapp reported Saturday that Holland and several other WWE Superstars visited Big E in the hospital Friday night to check on his well-being.

Along with Kingston and Xavier Woods, Big E is part of one of the most successful groups in WWE history in New Day.

Big E has shared the tag team championships with Kingston and Woods eight times, plus the 36-year-old veteran has enjoyed no shortage of individual success. 

He is a two-time intercontinental champion and also won the 2021 men's Money in the Bank ladder match, which led to him successfully cashing in on Bobby Lashley to become WWE champion for the first time in September.

Big E ultimately dropped the title to Brock Lesnar in a Fatal 5-Way match at Day 1 on Jan. 1, which led to Big E getting moved from Raw back to SmackDown to reunite with his New Day stablemates.

WWE seemed to be building toward a six-man tag team match at WrestleMania 38 with New Day facing Sheamus, Holland and Pete Dunne, who was called up to the main roster Friday and rechristened "Butch" as part of a triumvirate with Sheamus and Holland.

While the news regarding Big E is largely positive, it seems almost certain he will miss WrestleMania as a result of the injury.

One thing Big E can take comfort from, however, is that WWE legends such as "Stone Cold" Steve Austin, Edge and Lita all broke their necks during their careers only to return and perform at a high level.