Ric Flair is looking back at the sickening spot that broke Big E’s neck, and The Nature Boy believes the blame shouldn’t stop with the wrestlers in the ring.
Flair went off on the decision-making behind the 2022 injury while talking with Booker T on the Hall of Fame podcast. Booker brought up how he used to warn Big E about taking unnecessary risks because of his size, especially diving through the ropes. Booker said Big E didn’t ultimately get hurt doing one of those dives — but the spot that did take him out was even worse.
“And the one guy I always preached to was Big E. I said, ‘Big E, man, don’t — stop jumping through the ropes, bro. Stop doing that.’ And then he didn’t get hurt on that, but he got hurt on a belly-to-belly suplex to the floor.”
Flair immediately jumped in and pointed the finger backstage, saying somebody approved the move before Big E ever took the bump.
“But you know what? You know what’s worse about that, though, Book? Number one, Big E’s 300 pounds. I just had this conversation the other day. The agent — they didn’t call that out there. The agent approved it.”
Booker agreed, and Flair made it clear he thought throwing a man Big E’s size with that move on the floor was something that should only be trusted to people with serious experience.
“And a kid that has never done that is giving a guy a belly-to-belly on the floor. I’ll tell you who gives me a belly-to-belly on the floor. Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar. That’s it.”
Flair doubled down by saying Angle and Lesnar are two guys he would trust because they know exactly how to execute the move.
“Two guys that have done it and can do it. Kurt Angle could give me a belly-to-belly off the balcony of my condo here.”
The injury happened during the March 11, 2022 episode of WWE SmackDown when Big E was teaming with Kofi Kingston against Sheamus and Ridge Holland. During the match, Holland delivered an overhead belly-to-belly suplex at ringside and Big E landed directly on the top of his head.
It was immediately obvious something had gone very wrong. Big E was stretchered out and taken to the hospital, where he revealed that he fractured his C1 and C6 vertebrae. He avoided spinal cord damage, ligament damage and surgery, but the injury completely changed the course of his career.
Big E later explained just how terrifying the situation really was, saying doctors told him the fall could have led to paralysis, a stroke or even death. His recovery also became complicated when the C1 fracture did not properly form new bone.
Despite how bad the injury was, Big E never publicly went after Holland. He made it clear that he held no personal grudge and understood that accidents can happen in professional wrestling. What never happened, however, was Big E getting back inside the ring.
Years of scans and medical evaluations followed, but the former WWE Champion never wrestled another match after that night. Big E eventually announced that his in-ring career was over after doctors strongly advised him against taking the risk of wrestling again.
That’s what makes Flair’s comments hit so hard. One move changed Big E’s entire career, and Flair clearly believes somebody backstage had the authority to look at that spot beforehand and say, “Nope, we’re not doing that.”
For Flair, this wasn’t just a wrestling move that went bad. He’s questioning why a dangerous ringside suplex involving a man Big E’s size ever got the green light in the first place — and considering it ended one of WWE’s biggest stars’ careers, that question isn’t going away anytime soon.
Do you agree with Ric Flair that the WWE agent should have stopped the spot before Big E ever took that suplex, or do you think it was simply a freak accident nobody could have predicted? Let us know what you think in the comments.
This transcript was produced exclusively for Ringside News from the original recording. Republishing the transcription in full is prohibited. When using excerpts, provide prominent credit and a link to this article.
