WWE SmackDown Tag Team Champion Big E recently spoke with App.com and said he’s using the success of WWE Champion Kofi Kingston to help motivate him to get better.
“I want to feel like I continue to bring value to this team,” Big E said of The New Day. “So I guess seeing Kofi take charge — he’s our World Champion right now, he’s the guy on our brand, on SmackDown Live — so right now, I guess, for me, I feel that, you know what? I want to be able to keep up. (Kingston) is kind of like the pace car right now, and I want to be able to keep up as well. So I guess that’s kind of one thing and I’m always looking. I’ll use anything as motivation to continue to get better and display how good I am and what I want to bring to the trio.”
Big E was also asked about WWE’s push toward greater inclusion and representation for everyone else, and said it’s reflective of what we see in other industries.
“I think that it’s incredible, and I think it’s also reflective of what you see in media as a whole now, more representation across lines, not just in our industry but elsewhere,” he said. “And I think the problem is a lot of times people bristle at the mere mention of race or representation or feminism or whatever minority group there is that’s trying to have a voice in media, people don’t even want to have that discussion. But I think for Kofi to be the first African-born champion I think is such an incredible feat. And also Becky Lynch and Ronda and Charlotte being able to close WrestleMania, to have the women close the biggest show of the year, is also pretty incredible.
“So I think it’s a discussion that we just need to be open to. And I guess I don’t really consider myself one for politics but I just think having this discourse and being able to talk about these things and being open to these things I think is big, so I’m glad we’re doing a better job with that in our industry and I hope we continue to grow.”
Regarding the upcoming SmackDown move to Fox, Big E said talents see it as an opportnity to be a part of something big.
“Honestly I think it’s an incredible move,” Big E said. “We’re going to have so many more eyes on what we’re doing, on our product, because it’s Fox, it’s big Fox. … It’s a great opportunity and we’re all excited about the move. It means a lot of opportunity, I think, for more people to see what we do.
“People want to stand out and they want to do something that really resonates, not only with our hardcore fans but with with casuals as well. And so it’s kind of a moment for a lot of us to — I don’t know if reset is the right word — but a lot of us see it as an opportunity to do something new, to make an impression and to be a part of something big.”
