Backstage Update On Ridge Holland Following Big E Injury On WWE SmackDown

A belly-to-belly suplex resulted in Big E fracturing his C1 and C6 vertebrae.

Mar 14, 2022 March 14th, 2022

After Big E suffered a horror neck injury on SmackDown this past Friday following a belly-to-belly suplex from Ridge Holland, it's believed that there is zero heat on Holland for this unfortunate incident.

For those who missed it, Ridge hit the suplex on Big E on the outside of the ring as Holland and Sheamus took on E and Kofi Kingston. In wince-inducing fashion, Big E landed directly on top of his head and had to be carried backstage on a stretcher. Since then, the former WWE Champion has taken to social media to explain how he thankfully does not require surgery, that his spinal cord is not damaged, and that he has fractured his C1 and C6 vertebrae. While Big E will clearly be having a spell on the sidelines, things could have been a whole lot worse for the powerhouse of the New Day.

In terms of Ridge Holland, Wade Keller reports that there is no heat on him for this accident, and that the Englishman handled himself well backstage after E's injury.

Speaking on his PWTorch VIP audio show (as per WrestlingNews.co), Keller detailed:

"First of all, I will say I heard that Ridge Holland was very apologetic and very sorry about what happened backstage. He handled himself well. There doesn't appear to be any heat on him. This was not a reckless move or something that Big E wasn't ready for, or that seemed like in any way Ridge Holland did anything wrong."

Wade continued on:

"In terms of the spot, it's just 'accidents happen' is what I was told. That said, WWE probably shouldn't be doing moves like that at ringside with a mat over a cement floor. One wrestler said that it looked like Holland hooked him lower than is wise, in terms of getting the move with the right leverage to kind of fling him so he doesn't end up landing on his head."

As has been said time and time again, Keller reiterated just how beloved Big E is by those backstage in WWE, with him viewed as "one of the best humans in the world" by his peers.

It's not currently known exactly how long E will be out of action for right now, but here's hoping for a full, as swift as possible recovery for one of the industry's most popular stars.

Andrew Pollard

Senior Writer

Once described as the Swiss Army Knife of WhatCulture, Andrew can usually be found writing, editing, or presenting on a wide range of topics. As a lifelong wrestling fan, horror obsessive, and comic book nerd, he's been covering those topics professionally as far back as 2010. In addition to his current WhatCulture role of Senior Content Producer, Andrew previously spent nearly a decade as Online Editor and Lead Writer for the world's longest-running genre publication, Starburst Magazine, and his work has also been featured on BBC, TechRadar, Tom's Guide, WhatToWatch, Sportkskeeda, and various other outlets, in addition to being a Rotten Tomatoes-approved film critic. Between his main day job, his role as the lead panel host of Wales Comic Con, and his gig as a pre-match host for Wrexham AFC games, Andrew has also carried out a hugely varied amount of interviews, from the likes of Robert Englund, Kane Hodder, Adrienne Barbeau, Rob Zombie, Katharine Isabelle, Leigh Whannell, Bruce Campbell, and Tony Todd, to Kevin Smith, Ron Perlman, Elijah Wood, Giancarlo Esposito, Simon Pegg, Charlie Cox, the Russo Brothers, and Brian Blessed, to Kevin Conroy, Paul Dini, Tara Strong, Will Friedle, Burt Ward, Andrea Romano, Frank Miller, and Rob Liefeld, to Bret Hart, Sting, Mick Foley, Ricky Starks, Jamie Hayer, Britt Baker, Eric Bischoff, and William Regal, to Mickey Thomas, Joey Jones, Phil Parkinson, Brian Flynn, Denis Smith, Gary Bennett, Karl Connolly, and Bryan Robson - and that's just the tip of an ever-expanding iceberg. Where his beloved Wrexham AFC is concerned, Andrew is co-host of the Fearless in Devotion podcast, which won the Club Podcast of the Year gong at the 2024 FSA Awards.

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