Big E: ‘There’s life outside of wrestling, and it ain’t that bad’
Since being forced to retire from the ring in 2022, Big E has realized just how much he enjoys not having to be on the road all the time.
Big E appeared on The A2theK Wrestling Show to discuss the memoir that he’ll be releasing in early 2027. During the interview, the former WWE Champion reiterated that — though he’s grateful that Michael Cole has mentioned the possibility to him multiple times — a weekly WWE commentary role does not interest him right now. He’s enjoying life too much to get back into that travel grind.
“Frankly, I just don’t want to be on the road like that every single week. It’s a lot, man. It’s a lot of time away from home,” Big E said before noting that commentating for either SmackDown or Raw would require him to be away for portions of every single weekend.
“I love my lazy weekends. You know, I’m still working, I’m still doing a lot of other things, juggling other projects. But my lazy weekends with my lady, with Kristen. That time together or the time I now get — here’s the problem is: I realize there’s life outside of wrestling, and it ain’t that bad. It’s kind of nice. It’s nice to be able to do stuff with friends or to go on a vacation. Like, I want to live, man. Tip of the cap to Cole and to so many of these commentators that have been doing this for decades. I am so blown away. Like, that sacrifice to have been on the road for that long and do so much of that.”
Big E and his fiancee Kristen (the sister of WWE wrestler Mia Yim/Michin) are set to be married this year. With his current role as a panelist on PLE pre-shows and post-shows, Big E still gets to be involved with WWE while having enough time to spend at home. The company could have moved on from him after his broken neck, but they’ve found this new spot for him that he’s enjoying.
“I am so grateful to be in a position where I don’t have to work. I am so, so grateful for that,” Big E said. “I work because I enjoy working.”
Big E told The A2theK Wrestling Show that he would be interested in picking up some more WWE hosting opportunities like what he does at PLEs. He really enjoyed being part of the Raw Classics compilation show on Netflix. Outside of wrestling, he did some hosting work when he partnered with data analytics firm SumerSports for a YouTube series focused on the 2026 NFL Draft.
Big E’s memoir —
Slated to be released on February 2, 2027, Big E’s upcoming memoir is titled “How I Got Over: Healing from Depression and Psychosis to Find Joy In and Out of the Ring.” It chronicles the mental health battles he began fighting early in life and how he’s been able to find self-acceptance.
Joseph Currier is the lead editor of F4WOnline.com, directing daily news coverage and writing articles on professional wrestling. He is a graduate of the University of Massachusetts, obtaining a journalism degree in 2016. Joseph joined F4W during his time at UMass and has now been writing about the industry for nearly a decade.
In addition to his work with F4W, Joseph has previously contributed to Sports Illustrated's wrestling coverage. He lives in Massachusetts and is a diehard fan of the Boston sports teams and Liverpool Football Club.