WWE News: Big E Responds to Controversial Tony Hinchcliffe Joke

By

Jeremy Hanna is a Newsweek contributor based in Los Angeles. His focus is on professional wrestling, sports, and entertainment. Jeremy has been with Newsweek since 2024 from LA Sports Report. He is a graduate of California Lutheran University. You can follow Jeremy on X (formerly Twitter) @JeremyHanna753 and on Bluesky @jeremyhanna753.bsky.social. You can contact Jeremy via email at j.*****@******ek.com. Languages: English.



Contributing Sports Writer

????️ Voice is AI-generated. Inconsistencies may occur.

WWE fans truly get behind their favorite Superstars, ready to defend these wrestlers at the drop of a hat.

This is especially true whenever something personal happens to a wrestler or when they get injured.

More Pro Wrestling: Saraya Gives WWE Return Update After AEW Exit

Such was the case after the most recent episode of Monday Night Raw when a joke took aim at beloved former WWE Champion Big E.

WWE Big E
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – JUNE 12: WWE’s Big E attends the Epic Games Hosts Fortnite Party Royale on June 12, 2018 in Los Angeles, California.

Greg Doherty/Getty Images

During Raw on April 7, comedian Tony Hinchcliffe joined the commentary team during The New Day’s tag team match and proceeded to tell a joke saying that Michael Cole is as stiff as Big E’s neck, making reference to the very serious injury that may have ended Big E’s in-ring career.

Naturally, this has gotten a major reaction from the WWE Universe, who already seemed unhappy that Hinchcliffe was on WWE television.

Now, Big E himself has responded to the joke on WWE Raw Recap, simply saying that he had no idea Hinchcliffe was going to say this and he just wanted to move on.

More Pro Wrestling: Ric Flair Breaks Silence On Tiffany Stratton’s Personal Shots At Charlotte Flair

“I guess at my big age of 39 years old, people will say what they want about you,” Big E said. “It has nothing to do with me. It’s not my business. Say what you want. He was given a mic. He was given an opportunity. People will feel how they want to.”

“It’s just, there’s a lot of discourse oftentimes as a public figure. People will say things about you, whether they’re jokes, whether they’re not and that is their right. I think the one thing is, and I get I’m on here.”

“It was said on the show, I’m supposed to talk, especially when things are mentioned about me, I should have an opinion on them. It’s just, it is tiring to have to weigh in on everyone’s opinion or whatever they say.”

“Look, I’m not hurt. I’m good,” Big E concluded. “I want the discourse to be had without me, honestly. I really have no desire to weigh in on this. I didn’t sign up for this. I wasn’t aware of this. He did what he wanted to. People signed off on it. It has nothing to do with me, truly.”

More Pro Wrestling: Wrestling Legend Booker T Fires Back At Swerve Strickland’s Controversial Remark

Kevin Owens Reveals WWE WrestleMania Idea That Vince McMahon Rejected

For more WWE and professional wrestling news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.

Read More

Latest

Angelina Jolie Says She Hasn’t Dated Since Her Divorce and Is Ready to “Live Again”

These days, Angelina Jolie is primarily interested in rediscovering what she feels she has lost along the way: parts of herself that, amid personal trials, motherhood, and transformations, have remained in the shadows for years. “Life has broken me a little,” said the Oscar winner in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment. “I have to live

EXCL: Sheryl Crow Is Selling a Piece of Her Nashville Estate for $1.8 Million

Music Country music legend Sheryl Crow is offloading a...

Newsletter

Don't miss

Angelina Jolie Says She Hasn’t Dated Since Her Divorce and Is Ready to “Live Again”

These days, Angelina Jolie is primarily interested in rediscovering what she feels she has lost along the way: parts of herself that, amid personal trials, motherhood, and transformations, have remained in the shadows for years. “Life has broken me a little,” said the Oscar winner in an interview with Yahoo Entertainment. “I have to live

EXCL: Sheryl Crow Is Selling a Piece of Her Nashville Estate for $1.8 Million

Music Country music legend Sheryl Crow is offloading a...

Business Insurance-AZ Achieves Record Response Times for 2026 Arizona Construction Bids

Business Insurance-AZ achieves milestone response speeds for commercial construction bids across Arizona, accelerating documentation delivery to keep local projects moving forward without delay. Phoenix, AZ, June 06-2026, ZEX PR WIRE — Business Insurance-AZ has achieved record-breaking processing speeds and response times for commercial construction bids throughout Arizona, directly supporting the state’s massive infrastructure and advanced manufacturing boom

Business delegation visits Kazakhstan to strengthen economic and trade cooperation

Astana, Kazakhstan, Jun 2, 2026 - (ACN Newswire) - A business delegation led by the Chief Executive of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region (HKSAR), John Lee, and organised by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), began its visit to Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan, on 1 June. During the visit, a total of 43

13 Real Business Trip Stories That Prove Work Travel Collects More Stories Than Miles

Real business trips almost never go the way the itinerary promised. They start with a confidently-packed suitcase and an eight-page agenda, and somewhere between the airport gate and the hotel breakfast they quietly turn into something nobody could have invented — equal parts comedy, chaos, and unscheduled adventure. These 13 real business trip moments are exactly that kind of work-trip plot