Big E Had Roughly Two Years Left on His WWE Deal When He Suffered His Career-Ending Neck Injury

Four years after a broken neck ended his in-ring career, Big E is still opening up about what that moment cost him — both physically and professionally. During a guest appearance on The A2theK Wrestling Show, the former WWE Champion revealed that when he suffered the injury that would ultimately lead to his retirement, he had approximately two more years remaining on his WWE contract.

The disclosure underscores just how much was left on the table when Big E went down. At the time of the injury, he was not a talent winding down a run — he was in the middle of a long-term deal, with years of earning potential and potential storyline opportunities ahead of him. A broken neck, of course, changed all of that in an instant.

Big E suffered the injury in March 2022 during a SmackDown tag team match, fracturing two vertebrae in his neck after being suplexed to the floor. The severity of the injury made a return to active competition unlikely from almost the moment it happened, and over the following years it became clear that his in-ring career was over. He has remained a visible presence in WWE in a non-wrestling capacity, but stepping back between the ropes has never been a realistic option.

Now four years removed from that night, Big E continues to reflect on the experience with candor. The revelation that he still had years left on his contract adds another layer to an already difficult story — a reminder of how quickly and completely a career can change in professional wrestling.