Those who grew up watching the WWE may remember the “Attitude Era,” a period in the late ’90s when the WWE was at its zenith. The freedom to be unapologetically Black isn’t a luxury wrestlers have had throughout history. “To think, ‘This is something that I can do and there won’t be obstacles in my way simply because I don’t look a certain way.’ Whether they want to wrestle or not, I just hope it allows people to say, ‘Hey, I’m not going to be put into a box, I’m not going to have to change who I am to get to where I want in life.’ If I can be that for people, I think that’s really beautiful and humbling.”

“Representation is essential to me … I really hope that my win allows everyone to be inspired, but specifically young Black men and women who enjoy wrestling,” Big E told The Undefeated. Related Story WWE superstar Big E on wrestling the past year: ‘This has been the most turbulent time of my life’ Read now

He’s a complex wrestler, a complex person - and he’s now a world champion because of it. In the ring, he can lift 300-pounders over his head with ease, but if a situation calls for a twerk session, he can do that too. The idea of changing his character to fit a stereotype didn’t sit well with Big E. I feel like I just wanted to lean into what makes me unique and that is being me.” It didn’t make a whole lot of sense for me to be dark and brooding like so many other people. I’m glad we had that opportunity to have that conversation. “It was one of the first times I had the opportunity to say it. “I think that opened some people’s eyes and I felt that way for a while,” Big E told The Undefeated. Their conversation started when Big E, who is seen as a lighthearted fan favorite, was challenged to be more serious if he wanted to be seen as a potential champion. Trust me that I know when to steer the ship left or right, I know when to get serious.”īig E (center) is a complex wrestler, a complex person - and he’s now a world champion because of it.

I’m not saying I’m going to clown around, week in and week out. “If I can’t trust my intuition and my gut, I don’t deserve to be here. “If I don’t understand what feels appropriate for me, I don’t deserve to be here,” Big E said during his back-and-forth with The Miz. He made that point a year ago during an interaction with The Miz on the television show WWE Talking Smack following SmackDown. Yet, Big E refused to be characterized by any stereotype or forced to remain in any one box. And with that, Big E has changed the landscape for Black WWE superstars.įor years, Black wrestlers have been pigeonholed into characters such as mechanics, dancers, jokers and far too often criminals. 13, Big E became just the fourth Black WWE champion in the company’s history, and unlike those who preceded him, Big E didn’t have to be the bad guy or the underdog to make his victory feel special.

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