Big E Originally Wanted To Retire From Pro Wrestling At 35

At WWE Day 1, Big E is set to defend his WWE Championship against three other men. He definitely has his hands full against the likes of Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins and the mighty Bobby Lashley, and although he’s at the top of his game right now, he never planned on still being in the game at his current age.

Big E got his start back in 2009, and since then he has become a pro wrestling legend for sure, in the eyes of many fans. He also claims that although he didn’t plan on staying in the business as along as he has, he still has a few years left. It was in an interview with The Sun, that ‘E’ made this revelation. He said:

“I’ve got a few more years left in me. I don’t really know when that time will be… but when you’re 23, 35 feels like it’s ages from now and that you’ll be an old man and beat up. So 35 felt like at the time a good time to get out and I don’t want to overstay my welcome. I was talking to one of our refs, Rod Zapata, and I’ve known him since I got to FCW – so I’ve known him for 12 years.

We’ve talked about how I’d spoken about getting out at 35 but I think, in many ways, a lot of wrestlers’ primes are like 35, 40… We’re seeing Bobby Lashley now having his best run in his mid-40s. We have so many guys now… Randy Orton, AJ Styles, Kofi Kingston, Bobby Roode, Dolph Ziggler – so many guys in their 40s performing at such a high level.

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They look great and are ageing well. So, I don’t know if I’m going to wrestle into my forties as I always told myself that I would make sure I was out before then, but my body feels great. In the ring, I feel leaner and my cardio is getting better. There’s so much about where I’m at physically that I’m really appreciating. So, if my body holds up, I’m feeling good and it makes sense, then we’ll keep going for a few more years.”

Amongst others, Big E is certainly one of the more physically impressive athletes within the WWE – strength and conditioning-wise – and he can still go, as the saying goes. We wonder only what he means by “I’ve still got a few more years left in me….” He keeps in epic shape with thrice weekly workouts according to a video from a few years back, but he does look leaner lately.

H/T Fightful