Mini-Cinq 4. / The Big E Edition.
On Waking Up and Trying Again Tomorrow.
Hey, everybody.
I’ve been a WWE fan for life, starting with my closest-aged cousin basically doing elbow drops on each other in the 90s. The way the world of professional wrestling has evolved has been quite fascinating on so many fronts, but it’s also resulted on some incredible new role models for people young and old.
One of those is Mr. Ettore “Big E” Ewen.
I still remember the preview videos for The New Day like it was yesterday. The gospel lines. The booming voice of Big E. And the rollout…of an arrogant group that just turned into some incredible heels.
But this wrestling group comprised 3 Black wrestlers who in real life are kind, sweet, and incredibly brilliant people, but they were lost in a sea of show-stopping muscle-popping superstars, with their futures in question.
The New Day became one of the most popular groups - with Big E, Kofi Kingston, and Xavier Woods being beyond iconic. And it’s been a fascinating and fun 10 years to have watched as they now sunset as a stable.
The Players Tribune, a publication that gets its stories straight from the athletes themselves, gave Ewen the pen for his life story as he reflects on 10 years of New Day…and it’s a story of growing up in the shadow of doubt, self-hate, depression, and the battle against himself that Ewen fought for 30 years to become, well, someone else.
Big E’s story is a big - and oftentimes tough - read, and I hope you sit down and go through it, word for word.
It’s OK to get frustrated, or sad, or down on yourself —
or even wake up some mornings and not want to be yourself.
It’s OK to have bad days.
But just keep having days. Just keep going.
Just keep waking up and trying again.
Because every day won’t be like that, I promise.
And tomorrow is a new one.
"A man will run fast toward a pot of gold,
but he'll run faster with a tiger on his ass.
An artist's job is to move people."
- Patrick Fealey
~ C O L O P H O N ~
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