Big E Opens Up About WWE Title Reign: ‘Wasn’t The One I Wanted, But I’m Grateful For It’

Big E is reflecting on his time as WWE Champion — and while he carries pride in that accomplishment, he’s also candid about the ways it fell short of what he envisioned.

Appearing on Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast, the former WWE Champion addressed his 2021 title run with a mix of honesty and appreciation. In his own words, Big E acknowledged that it “wasn’t the one I wanted, but I’m grateful for it.”

The run itself is well-documented. Big E cashed in his Money in the Bank briefcase in September 2021, pinning Bobby Lashley to capture the WWE Championship in a moment that felt like the culmination of years of fan support and personal perseverance. The celebration, however, was short-lived. His 110-day reign came to an abrupt end at WWE Day One in January 2022, when Brock Lesnar — originally scheduled in a different match — was added to a four-way bout and walked out as champion.

For many fans, that finish felt like a detour rather than a proper conclusion to Big E’s title story. The Day One loss denied him a marquee singles program with a top-tier opponent and a clean, definitive ending to a reign that had carried so much emotional weight behind it. That the title changed hands almost by accident, due to Lesnar’s last-minute insertion into the match, only added to the sense of missed opportunity.

Big E has been away from WWE programming since suffering a broken neck in March 2022. His willingness to look back at his championship run with both gratitude and clear-eyed reflection speaks to a maturity forged through one of the toughest stretches any performer can endure. Where his story goes from here remains one of wrestling’s most compelling open questions.