Booker T Recalls Giving Advice To Big E About Dangerous Move
Booker T had a discussion with Ric Flair on his podcast recently that led to Booker revealing some advice he gave to Big E about a dangerous move that he did in his matches.
It was on the March 11th, 2022 edition of Smackdown when Big E suffered a devastating tag team match. Big E was teaming up with Kofi Kingston against Sheamus and Ridge Holland. While out on the floor, the 300-pounder Big E took a belly-to-belly suplex by Holland, which saw Booker land on the top of his head. Big E suffered a broken neck and hasn’t wrestled since then.
Big E’s latest update on his injury status is that he’ll get evaluated by a doctor in March around the one-year anniversary of his injury. Big E has remained positive throughout the process and he’s hopeful he can wrestle again some day. The move was an accident and there is no blame, but it’s also an example of how risky pro wrestling can be sometimes.
Booker T works for the WWE NXT brand as an announcer while Big E’s New Day buddies Kofi Kingston & Xavier Woods are the current NXT Tag Team Champions. Booker is also a two-time WWE Hall of Famer that has his own wrestling school and has trained many wrestlers including NXT Women’s Champion Roxanne Perez.
On a recent edition of his Hall of Fame podcast, Booker was joined by another two-time WWE Hall of Famer Ric Flair as they talked about how wrestling shows don’t get stopped due to injuries. Booker went on to reveal that he gave Big E some advice on a dangerous move that Big E often did in his matches.
“The one guy I always preached to was Big E. I said, ‘Big E, stop jumping through the ropes. Stop doing that.’ He didn’t get hurt on that, but he got hurt on a belly-to-belly suplex to floor.”
The discussion continued from there with Flair revealing how dangerous that belly-to-belly on the floor spot was.
Flair: “You know what’s worse about that, Book? Number one, Big E is 300 pounds. I just had this conversation the other day. The agent, they didn’t call that out there, the agent approved it.”
Booker: “I feel that way too.”
Flair: “A kid, who 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 and Brock Lesnar. That’s it.”
Flair would go on to joke that he would let Angle suplex him off a balcony because he always thought Angle was a safe in-ring performer.