Ridge Holland on Big E’s injury: “Not a single day goes by that I don’t think about what happened”

Ridge Holland has become one of the main characters in the news lately following his recent release from WWE. The British wrestler has received unanimous support from fans and colleagues after it was revealed that he will not receive any salary for the next seven months due to an injury that will prevent him from working.

Fortunately, some fans and colleagues (both from WWE and All Elite Wrestling) have financially contributed with private donations to help Holland and his family (a wife and three children) during the challenging months ahead through a GoFundMe campaign.

However, there are still those who blame him as the one responsible for ending Big E's career, one of the most beloved talents by WWE fans. A stain on his record that he will never be able to erase and will regret for the rest of his life. This is how the British wrestler explained it in a recent video shared on his YouTube channel.

"What affected me the most above all was what happened with Big E. If I had a time machine, here and now, the first thing I would do is go back and not perform that sequence. Not a single day goes by without me thinking about what happened. There probably won't be a day when I don't think about it. What happened that day was that we were supposed to have a meeting with Vince (McMahon), but it kept getting postponed because other people had priority.

There were guys higher up on the card who wanted to talk to Vince, so our meeting kept getting pushed back. We finally went in and had a very good chat. When we came out, there were twelve minutes left before the bell rang. I think we were first or second on the show, so we had about 20 minutes to prepare for the match, and the sequence involved Big E doing a suicide dive, I moved at the last moment, he landed badly, and then I did the belly-to-belly to finish with emphasis. In hindsight, what should have happened was just a suicide dive, and move on.

Whether it was because I didn't push him enough or he didn't push me enough, things went wrong. Unfortunately, it happened and I will always regret that sequence. I am grateful that Big E, being the great person he is, has forgiven me and has been able to be so positive and move on with his life. He's doing great. He's an amazing human being and I wish him nothing but the best. For those who believe there might have been any ill intent, there wasn't. If I could change it, I would without hesitation. What happened really shook my confidence. I even considered quitting everything," he said.

That incident occurred on the March 11, 2022 episode of SmackDown, with Big E breaking his neck after landing on the ground. The wrestler fractured his C1 and C2 vertebrae, leading him to undergo surgery, with the possibility of never being able to return to action. Although his career has not officially ended, Big E seems comfortable in his new role as a commentator on the company's PLE.