25 Worst Wrestling Moments Of 2022
9. Big E's Neck Break
March 11th, 2022 was one of the saddest days in modern wrestling history. The New Day are future Hall of Famers who make a serious case to be the greatest team in WWE history. The friendship between Xavier Woods, Kofi Kingston, and Big E is as real as it gets, and their bond is felt by wrestling fans around the world.
On this fateful day, Big E and Kofi took on Sheamus and Ridge Holland on SmackDown. Accidents can happen in a wrestling ring, and this is something that is hammered into fans and performers alike, but nothing prepares you for the impact of an injury like the one Big E suffered in this match.
Ridge Holland hit a belly-to-belly suplex on Big E outside the ring, with E landing on his head and breaking his neck. It is one of the nastiest injuries to ever occur on live TV and ended Big E's in-ring career in an instant. He suffered C1 and C6 fractures to his cervical vertebrae, and doctors told him he was fortunate to have avoided "a stroke, paralysis, or death".
Big E continues to be a loved presence on camera during WWE's pre- and post-show broadcasts, but his time as an in-ring performer ended in heartbreaking fashion.