New WWE Champion Big E recently spoke to Ringer Wrestling Podcast. The New Day member discussed several topics during the interview, including the representation of black Champions in professional wrestling.
“I’m glad it’s becoming more commonplace,” Big E began. “For me, I love having these conversations, I think they’re important, but I think of its like the black quarterback discussion in the NFL that I feel like you don’t hear much of anymore because there are so many.
“That’s what I hope. I hope it becomes so common and we get so used to it that, ‘oh, of course, it’s just a dope wrestler who is black who has the World Championship'” Big E continued.
“I love having these conversations and it’s still worth having because I think representation does matter and knowing the thought of black kids who want to be pro wrestlers and don’t look at WWE programming and think, ‘Oh, there are no black people doing this at a high level so maybe I’ll do something else.’
“Knowing like, ‘there are a lot of people who look like me who do this.’ I think that’s awesome. It’s really cool. The thing that I do love is when I look around, I don’t see black wrestlers who are put in positions merely because a quota needs to be filled.
Sasha Banks, Bobby Lashley, Kofi Kingston, Keith Lee and Xaiver Woods
“I look at the Sashas, Biancas, Bobby Lashleys, Kofis, Woods’, Keith Lees, and look around and say, ‘No, we’re all just really dope and bring a lot to the table'” Big E continued.
“We’re all our own men, women, and we’re unique. Same thing as Street Profits when people wanted to compare them. No, they are not New Day.
“They are their own men and they are incredible at what they do. That’s what I love seeing. It’s a really good time, even outside the company, all the super talent black men and women who professional wrestling pays their bills” Big E concluded.
Big E on Black Champions in WWE
RAW is broadcast each and every Monday night, and fans in the United Kingdom can watch the show with a monthly BT Sport subscription.
SmackDown is also available on BT Sport every Friday, again for fans who are subscribed to the monthly service that can sometimes be bundled with BT Broadband.
NXT 2.0 and WWE NXT UK are available to watch on Tuesdays and Thursdays respectively on WWE Network in the United Kingdom and Peacock in the United States.
