People say you're not that tall, it's not Tall E.
>> Yeah, it's Big E.
>> It's Big E, yeah yeah.
>> It is a matter of thickness and I got it.
[MUSIC]
>> I'm WWE superstar Samoa Joe, nowadays earning success and
longevity in this business as a WWE superstar, is harder than ever.
To truly become one of the greats, takes years of hard work and
the ability to turn heads of audiences all over the world.
I'll be spending a few minutes with WWE superstars and legends across multiple
generations, to talk about the personal journeys of grit and determination that
make each one of them stand out in the world of sports entertainment today.
Welcome to WWE Grit and Glory presented by Chevy Silverado.
[MUSIC]
Today we'll be speaking to WWE superstar Big E,
a member of the legendary trio known as the New Day.
A multiple time champion known to be funny, humble and
an extremely hard worker, all traits of a WWE superstar.
And, he also lives right here in Tampa, which is unfortunate for
me because I'd rather spend the day driving this truck.
But, let's go check on Big E and see how he's doing, call Big E.
[SOUND] >> What's up Joe?
>> Big E, how you doing man?
[MUSIC]
>> I'm good man, you?
>> I'm great I'll be with you shortly my friend.
>> Beautiful, I'll be with you shortly as well.
>> [LAUGH] Right on take care.
>> Yes sir.
>> Okay, [LAUGH] I see you bro.
>> The biggest of these.
>> Yes sir.
>> [LAUGH] Yes sir I like this, I like this alot.
>> How you doing?
Doing good, man.
>> Good, you're ready do this?
>> Let's do this.
>> All right. [LAUGH]
>> Hey bro.
>> Now every WWE superstar needs to have
grit, we must. And
you by far one of our most popular WWE superstars, but
that was no overnight success. So what did it take for you,
to kind of persevere and get to the level that you are at now?
>> For me,
it was a matter of finding my voice of finding what felt authentic for
me. I know for
the first seven years of my career, I thought I had to be this big,
tough guy but, in a world where you have guys who are taller and bigger,
that role was already filled. So for me it was a matter of finding what
feels authentic to you, what stands out. And
it was my time with The New Day that allowed me to be free and
to be uninhibited and I just learned to trust myself,
to trust my instincts and to be unafraid. And that's what allowed me to still
be here to have the career I have now. So
big a moniker that you carry proudly you put it at the front of your name,
some would say got rid of the rest of the letters and
the other name just to make room for it. >> Yeah.
>> Now being big I think that that that
carries a little bit of a reputation with it.
So when did you in your lifetime start to
notice that you were developing this this physical toughness that is a trademark,
of who you are today? >> Man,
I fell in love with the weight room at a young age, and I remember man I must
have been somewhere around like eight or nine, I would watch my Saturday
morning cartoons or whatever it was. And then during the commercial
I would sprint to the garage, do as many curls as I could before i got tired and
i go back in and watch my show and I try to do 100 curls for the day.
But then I got to middle school and
I was 12 years old, and I got introduced to weight room and I fell in love,
I was hooked from then on. So yeah man that's s what allowed me to be
big people say you're not that tall, it's not Tall E.
>> Yeah.
>> It's Big E.
>> Yeah. >> It's a matter of thickness and-
>> Yeah.
>> And I got it, I got it.
>> [NOISE] >> Whoa.
>> [NOISE] >> From out of nowhere.
>> One two three. [SOUND]
>> The new Intercontinetal Champion.
>> Now no superstars careers without its pitfalls.
And after the first time you would lost the Intercontinental Championship many
would say and some would say even you would admit,
that at the time not much was going on for you.
You were kind of at an impasse and trying to figure out where to go next.
And it's during these tough times that many say that, true grit and
toughness are when it's at its premium when it is most important.
Give us an insight mentally what it took for you to get through,
those times persevere and find success again.
>> It was hard and it was frustrating for sure because, I knew I had more to offer.
I had only been maybe a year, a year and a half into my run around SmackDown,
and I knew I just hadn't shown everything that I was capable of.
And the biggest thing for me was just staying in the game and
that's one of the things I learned in developmental is hey, you're gonna go
through ups and downs in your career, but don't take yourself out of the game.
I don't know what's gonna come for me next, I don't know what opportunity
is gonna come, I don't know what door is going to open, but stay in the game.
Keep working, keep training, keep being in the best shape you can be, and
create those opportunities for yourself and it worked out for me.
Now the same grit that propels you to success now in the WWE,
some would say that grit was was one that was common and
shared amongst your fellow members of The New Day.
Give us an insight and how The New Day had come together and
how even they had to persevere very,
very tough times in the beginning to reach the heights In the success and
the record breaking championship runs that they've had thus far.
>> Well, for anyone who ended up watching during our early years,
you know it was not easy at all, it was a rough start for sure.
So realized from an early period and our time together,
that we had a special chemistry and a special bond, but
a lot of that bond was really forged through the tough times,
of trying to get this group off the ground, of trying to get it on TV.
And we just had that mentality of, we gotta sink or swim on our own merits.
And I viewed it as this could be my final run here,
this could be my last opportunity, so I gotta give it my all.
And I didn't want my career to dissolve based on me passively accepting
anything I was given, if it didn't feel right.
So I knew this was it, I knew this was something special, and
man I remember we were in Philadelphia, we got met with loud New Day sucks chants.
>> New Day sucks, New Day sucks, New Day sucks.
>> We were supposed to be the guys, we were supposed to be the guys that
are cheered and beloved, but people weren't having it, and you know what?
All those tough times, I'm so grateful for it,
that's what brought us closer together.
The tough times, we didn't quit, we didn't say, enough of this,
we said you know what?
We're gonna get better, we're gonna work harder.
We're gonna give you more of ourselves, we'll put more of this and so if anything,
it stoked our fire, it got us more excited.
It got us more passionate about what we wanted to do and
what we wanted to accomplish, and
I don't know if we get this far without, the valleys without the tough times.
>> So grit is not without its rewards and
recently you have won your second Intercontinental championship.
>> [APPLAUSE] >> Big E cover now on the champion,
Big E wins the Intercontinental title.
>> And then a very rare occurrence the locker room emptied, and
hoisted you up on their shoulders in celebration, describe that moment for us.
>> It was beautiful, it was a big moment for
me because it kind of fulfilled the promise of when Kofi and
Woods gave me their blessing that our split as
bitter sweet as it was that is was worth it.
And that for me felt like not the moment that I made it and it's time to coast,
but the moment like hey, I'm here to prove that this run, is going to be meaningful.
So winning that meant a lot and obviously having the respect of your peers as you
know in this business, means everything man.
Having the adoration from the fans is what you want them to to work for.
But also when you have people that you respect to work 10 15,
20 years in this business, and they come out and they say, you killed it,
you did your thing, that's something that I'll always treasure.
And having that moment with the confetti pouring down on Christmas day nonetheless,
that's something you don't forget.
[MUSIC]
>> Well, that's true grit personified right there, Big E, thank you for
joining us.
>> Yes sir.
>> I'm Samoa Joe and my friends at Chevy and
I will see you next time on WWE Grit and Glory