Big E Reveals Strange Fear He Can’t Get Over

WWE Champion Big E has risen to the top of the wrestling world. His character is one that is strong, smart, and fearless. As it turns out, the real-life Ettore Ewen isn’t totally indomitable. In fact, he’s got a little bit of a phobia when it comes to farm animals.

Big E recently spoke to Cultaholic Wrestling. In the interview, the champ expressed a very real fear of chickens. He says the avian apprehension comes from traumatic childhood memories of his father slaughtering the helpless animals for food. He also remembers his dad slaughtering larger animals but didn’t stick around to watch the whole thing.

“So I was gonna say, I don’t know, but I think I might know. So, my dad, I don’t know if this is a common thing when he was growing up in Jamaica, but when I was a kid, we lived in a very residential, picket fence, suburban neighborhood. But there’s one moment where instead of — He would go to a meat market oftentimes and buy meat, but every now and then he would buy live animals and he would put them in the backyard and then he would slaughter them in the backyard. I don’t remember how old I was, I was probably somewhere between five to eight and I saw him put a chicken on the block, and I apologize if this graphic, but he cuts the chicken’s head off. When you’re a young kid, seeing a headless chicken fly about right outside of your bedroom, I think that’s what did it, honestly. I think it’s what scarred me, is seeing this chicken in the last minutes of his life, or her life, flying around the yard before eventually giving up the ghost. I think that’s what did it, honestly. I also had to help him slaughter — I didn’t help him slaughter the goat, but he hung this goat on the picket fence and I guess he cut it down the seam. It was hanging from the fence and I had to hold a skin flap of this goat. Mind you, I’m a kid. I’m a little, soft kid. I didn’t grow up on a farm. I didn’t grow up living like this. This is not stuff that I’m accustomed to. So yeah, I think that’s why farm animals spook me still.”

A suburban kid unexpectedly being exposed to animal slaughter when they’re not accustomed to the practice certainly seems traumatic. Fortunately, Big E is an adult now. He doesn’t have to see anything he doesn’t want to. It’s a good thing he’s afraid of poultry and not Kevin Owens. E defeated KO this week on Raw, despite the best efforts of #1 contender Seth Rollins.

After winning the coveted Money in the Bank briefcase, Big E cashed in his title shot to defeat Bobby Lashley for the WWE championship on a September episode of Raw. His unexpected rise to the top was not without turmoil along the way.

Big E has faced racial biases and many other obstacles during his climb to the top. The New Day member was a defensive lineman for the Iowa Hawkeyes in college and a former high-level power lifter, he was a perfect fit for the world of wrestling. E’s natural charisma and impressive physique and athleticism made him a decorated champion in WWE. He’s had a combined 12 title reigns in WWE, including the NXT and WWE championships as a single wrestler.

Thanks to Fightful for the quote!

What do you think of Big E’s farm animal fears? Let us know in the comments!