WWE Scrapped Big E-Royal Rumble Plans
Big E has not competed in WWE since his March 2022 injury.
Nonetheless, that did not stop him from making appearances. The former Universal Champion landed a role as a panelist on premium live events and is seen on television at these major shows.
E also made a surprise appearance on the December 2, 2024, edition of Raw, where The New Day’s Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods celebrated the group’s 10-year anniversary.
After making his way to the ring, Big E offered Kofi and Xavier his assistance as their manager. However, he was brutally turned down by the duo, who accused him of leaving them in a lurch, thus turning heel.
Fans often speculated why the storyline did not see any follow-up with E getting back at Woods and Kingston in some way.
With Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods no longer a part of the company, it will not see the light of day anytime soon.
Big E Reveals WWE Scrapped His Royal Rumble Payback Plans
Since being dumped by Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods, Big E has been critical of the duo multiple times. Conversely, he was also one of the wrestlers to speak highly of them when they left the company in May 2026.
During a recent interview on Chris Van Vliet’s Insight podcast, E revealed that WWE scrapped his payback plans on The New Day, which would take place on the subsequent Royal Rumble.
Big E said that he envisioned Kofi executing one of his near-impossible maneuvers during the Rumble match, which is when he would appear and cost him the match.
And, you know, there was the plan. I loved the idea of me sitting for the Rumble. Imagine Kofi does a save where he ends up on the barricade. There’s some dude with his hat low because they were taking shots at my fiancée at the time, too. So I loved the idea that maybe our hats are real low at the time. Kofi lands on the barricade, we tilt our heads up, take our hats off, and then maybe there’s a swipe with a foot, and we cost him the Rumble. He goes out, something like that.
The former champion claimed that the angle would have been received well, but WWE decided to go the other way. Big E also claimed that he was told that they could revisit the angle later.
But, you know, creative had other plans. I was told, ‘Hey, that’s something we can get to later.’ And I’m not a ‘save it’ guy. Oftentimes people are like, ‘Oh, let’s save that idea for later.’ But things with creative and direction move so much. If we have a great idea, I’m like, let’s capitalize on it now.
As a result, the focus was then put on the emotions of the breakup, which seemingly earned the desired reaction, although the story never got its closure.
So ultimately, I just thought, let’s try to make this breakup the best we can, and the rest is in their hands. So unfortunately, the follow-up of that turn didn’t go the way we wanted, but we were proud of the initial heel turn.
H/T: Ringside News