In a recent interview with Shakiel Mahjouri of CBS Sports, former WWE Champion Big E discussed several topics, including a potential WWE in-ring return.

“I appreciate everyone still asking, the C1 is a tricky bone and I broke it in two places, something called a Jefferson fracture, so you know, I’m just trying to make the best decision for myself and my health, I wish I had a better answer, but unfortunately I don’t have any right now.

The great thing is, I think they put me in control of that, obviously I’m listening to the doctors, they know more than I do as far as my health and prognosis, it’s one of those things where my ability to live my life day-to-day and to be in the gym and whatnot is not compromised at all, but obviously getting back in the ring taking bumps, getting thrown on my back and on my neck, that’s a little bit different.

I didn’t get into this to end up in a wheelchair or worse, I started wrestling when I was 23, and at 23, the idea of being 38, which is the age I’m at now feels so far off, the idea of what life in your 40’s and 50’s looks like and feels like an eternity from now, but now those are real things and consequences that I think about.

It’s one of the things, I’ve been an athlete my whole life, was playing tackle football at seven, which I don’t know if I’d recommend, but doing that at seven, and amateur wrestling middle school and high school, so I’ve been doing physical things my entire life, and I never wanted to leave sports hobbled and crippled.

Now, at 38, those are considerations of mine and I just want to make sure that I’m making the best decision for myself and for my health moving forward, so it’s just one of those things I want to be smart about.”

The full interview is available at this link.