WWE: Big E Neck Injury Update, Grizzled Young Vets Given New Ring Names, New Tryouts Announced

Big E Comments on His Neck Being Expected to Fully Recover

As noted before, Big E has been out of action for WWE since this past March due to him suffering a broken neck injury.

ESPN held a recent interview with Big E and one of the topics discussed included Big E revealing that he had been told by doctors that they currently expect him to make a full recovery from his injury.

Big E also stated that his doctors also told him that the bump he took on his neck could have led to him suffering a stroke, paralysis, or even death.

“It’s very sobering to hear that …. I think to be great at something like [pro wrestling] or at least to be competent, you can’t spend all your time worrying about possibly fatal injuries or breaking your neck. You have to go out there and be free and in the moment. I think a lot of us as performers don’t spend a lot of time thinking about that stuff. I never thought I would be.”

Big E also stated that he does not hold any ill will towards Ridge Holland over his overhead suplex spot that led to his broken neck injury. Big E also stated that Holland had given him a package of meats as an apology gift which he gave to a friend due to him not eating red meat.

“I have no issue whatsoever with Ridge. He’s reached out and said some very kind things. … What we do is dangerous, and there are inherent dangers. And to that degree, we all kind of know what we sign up for, and it was unfortunate that it went down that way. But I’m not dead. I’m alive. I’m doing well.”

In a separate interview with TMZ Sports, Big E stated that he would be content if he was unable to ever wrestle again due to his neck injury.

“Yeah, I think so. Honestly, my philosophy as a human being is learning to be content with whatever life brings you. I’m so grateful to not be in a wheelchair, but if I was, I would have to adjust to life in a wheelchair. That’s just how I am programmed. If I spend hours or days or weeks kind of mourning where I’m at in life, and not being what I wanted to be, that doesn’t serve me.”

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Grizzled Young Veterans Reportedly Given New Ring Names

NXT tag team The Grizzled Young Veterans reportedly were recently given new WWE ring names, according to PWInsider.

Mike Johnson reported that his sources stated that James Drake and Zack Gibson were recently given new ring names by WWE officials.

Drake reportedly will be going under the new ring name of Jagger Reid and Gibson will be going under the new ring name of Rip Fowler going forward in the company.

Drake and Gibson have been rumored to be the identities of the mystery masked members of Joe Gacy’s Dyad group, which Gacy stated he will be unmasking in a cleansing ceremony during next week’s episode of NXT.

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WWE Announces New Tryouts Scheduled for SummerSlam 2022 Weekend

WWE recently announced that they will be holding a new set of tryouts as part of their SummerSlam 2022 weekend festivities later this month in Nashville, Tennessee.

Official press release:

WWE^® to Host Talent Tryouts Ahead of SummerSlam^®

More Than 50 College Athletes to Participate, Tickets Go On Sale Friday, July 15

STAMFORD, Conn.–(BUSINESS WIRE)– WWE (NYSE: WWE) today announced that it will host a multi-day talent tryout, exclusively for current and recently graduated college athletes, as part of SummerSlam Week in Nashville.

The three-day event, presented by Pure Life Water, begins Wednesday, July 27, at the Wildhorse Saloon, a 60,000-square-foot live music and event venue and staple of downtown Nashville. WWE will host more than 50 male and female participants with collegiate athletic backgrounds across football, basketball, track and field, wrestling, volleyball, gymnastics, cheer and dance. Athletes will partake in performance evaluations, individual and group promo evaluations, in-ring technical sessions and sit-down interviews as part of the tryout process. The invite-only event features several athletes who attended 2022 NFL Rookie Mini Camps.

WWE hosted its first-ever talent tryout exclusively consisting of former college athletes ahead of WrestleMania 38 in April. That inaugural event led to WWE signing more than 20 athletes who will start their developmental process at WWE’s Performance Center in Orlando prior to SummerSlam.

On Friday, July 29, for the first time ever, WWE will host a SummerSlam Tryout Viewing Experience event at the Wildhorse Saloon which gives fans a behind-the-scenes look at the WWE Tryout process. Tickets start at $20 for general admission access and go on sale on this Friday, July 15 at 1 p.m. ET via Ticketmaster. VIP tickets are available for $100 and include a ring photograph with WWE Superstars and Legends.

SummerSlam takes place Saturday, July 30 live from Nissan Stadium in Nashville. Tickets are currently on sale via Ticketmaster and premium experience packages are available via On Location. SummerSlam will stream live exclusively on Peacock in the United States and on WWE Network everywhere else.

Learn more about the path to becoming a WWE Superstar at wwerecruit.com.