Big E Addresses Recent Outside WWE Project

Although he’s been away from a WWE ring since March 2022, Big E has seemingly had plenty to keep busy with outside the company.

In a recent appearance on the UnDrafted AllStarz Podcast Show, the former WWE Champion would discuss a short film project he’s been instrumental in the creation of titled ‘Bridges.’

Sharing the backstory of how the idea came about, E said:

“To give you the backstory — so George Floyd happens, and a lot of us are sitting with these emotions.

“I had so many of my friends I was reaching out to, and we would talk about run-ins with the police. We would talk about all the things we dealt with.”

E said that he wished to put his platform and status as a WWE star to good use, collaborating with artist Jonathan Davenport to create some ring gear in dedication to historical black figures.

The positive reaction to the ring gear served as a precursor to working with Davenport again for the short film, along with The Sporting News Senior Editor Andreas Hale.

E continued:

“I thought, ‘Let me use this opportunity to tell this story,’

“Eventually I sat down with Johnny Davenport, who wrote and directed our short film, and with Andreas Hale, and we made this — to me — a short film that I just really love.”

The film is based on the true story of Ruby Bridges, who was one of the first black students to attend a previously all-white school, however, E revealed that they would not focus on the trauma of Bridges’ story, instead putting a different spin on it.

“I think, for a lot of people, education — especially Black history — can be filled with pain and trauma,”

“So we wanted to make it fun and engaging and give you an entertaining story.

“We have this nine-foot robot and futuristic museum, but we want to tell this story of Ruby Bridges using hip-hop, using sci-fi, using animation.”

The goal of the film is not only to entertain, but importantly, to educate the future generations of the struggles of the past for African Americans.

E spoke of the importance of the film’s message:

“That’s the goal, is to teach our kids these stories, because they need to know about the Ruby Bridges of the world.

“They need to know about the James Baldwins of the world. Especially in Florida, you have too many people who are trying to erase our history.

“They’re trying to pretend like it never happened, and we want to make sure these stories are never forgotten.”

Bridges premiered at the Urban World Film Festival in New York on November 4.

To find out Big E’s latest comments on a potential in-ring return to WWE click here.

Transcript courtesy of WrestlingINC

Want to watch Survivor Series 2023 live with the WrestleTalk crew? Join Sullivan, Luke, Dan Layton, Pete and more at the WrestleTalk Survivor Series Watch Party at the Long Arm Sports Bar & Pub in London. Get your tickets here before they sell out!!