‘If you’re going to break your neck, do it in Birmingham’: WWE star Big E recovers at UAB

Entertainment News / By /

Ettore “Big E” Yuen smiles through his pain.

The WWE wrestler says he broke his neck Friday night during a show in Birmingham. But Yuen reassured his fans with two videos from his hospital bed, telling them, “I’ll be fine.”

Yuen, 36, was on the roster for “WWE Friday Night SmackDown” at Legacy Arena in BJCC. He was injured during an overhead throw, referred to as a “belly-to-belly suplex”, outside the ring when he collided with opponent Ridge Holland.

Yuen left the arena on a stretcher and gave the crowd a thumbs up. He later confirmed his injury with a video on social media, asking fans not to worry and thanking them for their support and messages of concern.

“I can move all my fingers… that’s good, that’s always good,” said Yuen, who was wearing a neck brace. “With strength, I feel good, but unfortunately, right now they tell me that my neck is broken. … I’ll be fine. I will be good. Do not worry. Go to bed. … Actually, thank you. And I appreciate all of you.”

Ewan provided an update in Saturday’s video, detailing the extent of his injury and praising the care he received in Birmingham at UAB Hospital.

“I have really good news, all things considered,” Yuen said. “C1 and C6 (vertebrae) are really broken. However, no displacement, which is very good, and I have no spinal cord injuries, ligaments or surgeries, for which I am very grateful. And pro tip: if you’re going to break your neck, do it in Birmingham. They were great. Everyone here at UAB has been great. But it really meant a lot to me that so many of you were so kind and reached out, came in to see me, wrote to me. … I am very grateful. And I’ll be fine. So bless you.”

Yuen, a former University of Iowa football player and US powerlifting champion, has been wrestling with WWE since 2009. He is a former WWE Champion and multiple tag team champion, fighting Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods on the tag team known as The New Day.

In WWE, Yuen has played both “face” and “heel”, which is indicative of his status as a hero or villain in storylines. He is currently a face or a good guy and is popular with fans of the franchise.

Current and former stars of the world of wrestling have supported Yuen on social media, including Mick Foley and the Bella twins.