Original WWE Championship Plans for Big E Revealed

Former WWE Champion Big E recently disclosed that his 2021 world title reign was originally slated to culminate in a high-profile WrestleMania rematch against Seth Rollins. According to an interview on the [Notsam Wrestling podcast](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S-t750K59_w), the creative direction for the WWE Championship shifted significantly due to evolving roster availability and injury setbacks.

Initial Creative Direction for the WWE Championship

Big E captured his first WWE Championship on the September 13, 2021, episode of *Monday Night Raw* by cashing in his Money in the Bank contract on Bobby Lashley. The long-term creative trajectory established by WWE officials at the time aimed to position Big E and Seth Rollins as the primary focal point for the title heading into the 2022 calendar year.

“The plan we were moving toward initially was for me and Seth to have a singles match at Day 1,” Big E stated during the interview. “I was going to drop the title anyway. So I was supposed to drop the title to Seth. We’d come back at Mania, we’d do it again, and I’d regain the title.”

Factors Leading to Creative Shifts at WWE Day 1

The scheduled singles match at the *Day 1* premium live event on January 1, 2022, underwent multiple revisions as the card developed. Big E noted that the office sought a “filler program” to bridge the time before the event, leading to the inclusion of Kevin Owens. Following that addition, Bobby Lashley was inserted into the title picture, transforming the bout into a fatal four-way match.

The landscape of the event changed further when Roman Reigns, who was originally scheduled to defend the Universal Championship against Brock Lesnar, was pulled from the show after testing positive for COVID-19. Consequently, Brock Lesnar was added to the WWE Championship match, ultimately defeating Big E to win the title.

The Impact of Career-Ending Injury

The intended narrative arc of Big E regaining the championship at *WrestleMania 38* did not materialize due to a severe injury. During a tag team match on the March 11, 2022, episode of *SmackDown*, Big E suffered a broken neck after landing on his head during a belly-to-belly suplex from Ridge Holland.

This injury forced an immediate end to his active in-ring career. By the time *WrestleMania 38* took place in April 2022, the championship landscape had moved on, with Roman Reigns defeating Brock Lesnar to unify the WWE and Universal Championships.

Summary of WWE Championship Transitions (Late 2021–Early 2022)

| Event | Champion | Resulting Change |
| :— | :— | :— |
| WWE Day 1 (Jan 2022) | Brock Lesnar | Defeated Big E, Kevin Owens, Seth Rollins, and Bobby Lashley |
| Royal Rumble (Jan 2022) | Bobby Lashley | Defeated Brock Lesnar |
| Elimination Chamber (Feb 2022) | Brock Lesnar | Won the WWE Championship |
| WrestleMania 38 (Apr 2022) | Roman Reigns | Defeated Brock Lesnar to unify titles |