Big E has had his fair share of accolades during his WWE career, but a main roster world title has always escaped him. Now as Mr. Money in the Bank, it might just be a matter of time.
That said, the former Intercontinental Champion has no intentions of using the contract if either of his New Day stablemates are champion.
“We’re such a tight knit unit, honestly, I would never fathom going after Kofi or Woods,” Big E told ALT 104.5 Philadelphia. “For me, right now I’m on SmackDown, and Roman Reigns is on SmackDown, and he’s the very top of our industry. That doesn’t mean I don’t have my eye on Bobby Lashley, because man, I certainly do and he’s had an incredible run too. But for me, it would never be about taking something away from Kofi so that I could stand atop him, or same thing with Woods!”
Big E is currently in the middle of the biggest singles run of his career. The former NXT Champion had a brief tenure with the Intercontinental Title in 2013 before forming the New Day with Kingston and Woods in 2014. Big E primarily worked in the tag division for the past seven years, but returned to singles when he was separated from his stablemates at last year’s WWE Draft.
While difficult to move on, Big E emphasized he’s been determined to make the most of his solo opportunity.
“I didn’t want to be the guy that, you know, oh, here’s a singles run and it kind of peters out. Or I don’t really do anything with it. Or I’m just a guy, just hanging out and doing segments,” Big E said. “No, I took it seriously! I really wanted this run to still feel like me, to still have the levity that I love to bring to the ring and to what I do. But also this added layer of determination. Like, I am here because I have things that I want to accomplish!”
A world title victory would be the pinnacle of this singles run, but the highlight of it so far has been Big E’s Money in the Bank victory. Grabbing the briefcase was special, but Big E stressed that the match being as good as it was elevated the moment.
“What also made that moment so special for me was knowing that I was in the ring with seven other really incredible performers. That match, I thought, was excellent, it was really incredible, and all that really set the table for that moment,” Big E said. “You know, if we had a lackluster match, or people weren’t invested, it just wouldn’t mean as much, it just wouldn’t have. But because the match was so good, and the fans there were so behind me, it makes that moment truly special.”
Even though the New Day exists on different brands at the moment, E says the trio still pushes each other to get ahead.
“As appreciative as I am of all the years, the past seven or eight years as a collective, we still are adding to our resume and there’s still more work to do,” Big E said. “That’s what I love about those guys and their mentality, there’s never an ‘I made it’ moment, or it’s time to coast or rest on our laurels. It’s always about trying to get to that next step, trying to get over that hump, trying to accomplish something beautiful. We all have that mentality and I love them for it.”
One of the New Day’s most iconic elements is their entrance, highlighted by Big E’s energetic introduction. Because his voice is so recognizable from their singalong intro, the current Mr. Money in the Bank is often asked to replicate it in public by fans. Unfortunately, he is not always asked in the most appropriate places.
“It’s gotta be like, an airport bathroom,” Big E said. “Just having someone come in at 5 in the morning, when you’re headed home, that’s probably the weirdest spot that someone’s asked me to do my wrestling gimmick. When you’re groggy and you just got the urine out of you, it’s probably not the most appropriate time.”
