Ric Flair is revisiting one of WWE’s most frightening in-ring moments, and he isn’t putting the blame on the wrestlers involved.
Discussing the topic with Booker T on the Hall of Fame podcast, Booker recalled repeatedly warning Big E about the risks of diving through the ropes given his size, only for Big E to end up seriously hurt on an entirely different move, an overhead belly-to-belly suplex to the floor.
And the one guy I always preached to was Big E. I said, ‘Big E, man, don’t — stop jumping through the ropes, bro. Stop doing that.’ And then he didn’t get hurt on that, but he got hurt on a belly-to-belly suplex to the floor.
Flair jumped in and placed responsibility on whoever approved the spot backstage, pointing out that Big E weighed roughly 300 pounds and that the move should never have been cleared for someone that size.
But you know what? You know what’s worse about that, though, Book? Number one, Big E’s 300 pounds. I just had this conversation the other day. The agent — they didn’t call that out there. The agent approved it.
Flair argued that throwing a wrestler of that size with a belly-to-belly on the floor should only be trusted to performers with serious experience executing it, naming Kurt Angle and Brock Lesnar as the rare few he’d trust with that specific move.
And a kid that has never done that is giving a guy a belly-to-belly on the floor. I’ll tell you who gives me a belly-to-belly on the floor. Kurt Angle, Brock Lesnar. That’s it.
The injury happened on the March 11, 2022 episode of SmackDown, when Ridge Holland delivered the suplex to Big E at ringside during a tag match, and Big E landed directly on his head.
He was stretchered out and later revealed he’d fractured his C1 and C6 vertebrae, narrowly avoiding spinal cord damage or surgery, though doctors told him the fall could have caused paralysis, a stroke, or worse.
Big E never publicly blamed Holland and has said he holds no grudge, but the injury ultimately ended his in-ring career, with doctors advising him never to wrestle again.
