Big E doesn't know if he'll ever wrestle again after breaking his neck in March ... and that's perfectly okay with the WWE Superstar, who tells us he's "at peace" with the way his 13-year career played out.
The 36-year-old 8x tag team champ (WWE champ and 2x Intercontinental Champ, too) joined the TMZ Sports TV show (airs weeknights on FS1) ... where Mojo and Babcock asked the wrestler for a health update.
“I’m doing really well," E said.
"I can live my life pretty normally. But [my necks] not in a position where I should be ramming my head against other things, immovable objects. So wrestling doesn't make sense right now."
And, E says things could've turned out far different.
"I feel great. Don't have any nerve issues, don't have any weakness, don't have any atrophy. I got real lucky cause it could've been a lot worse."
E broke his neck in March when Ridge Holland attempted a belly-to-belly suplex. It wasn't just his career that was in doubt ... there was concern the injury could severely alter E's life.
oh god noo.... Big E dropped on his head. Please be okay #Smackdown pic.twitter.com/QgIgdvGnlW
— Deke Stokes ︎ (@2Sweet444Life) March 12, 2022
Months later, the former champ tells us doctors are taking a "wait and see approach" with his recovery and will reevaluate his progress after the 1 year anniversary of the injury. Meaning fans of the near 300-pounder shouldn't expect to see him competing in a WWE ring anytime soon.
"For me right now, March of next year is very far off. So, I don’t want to spend a lot of time worrying or stressing about that. I’m just kind of living my life," E said.
"I’ve been with this company for 13 years. That means a lot of Saturdays and Sundays in Poughkeepsie and Kalamazoo and most random towns. But, now I get to live my life a little bit and see some friends and I’m enjoying just being human.”
We asked E if he'd be content if he was never able to wrestle again ... and ultimately, he believes the answer is yes.
"Yeah, I think so. Honestly, my philosophy as a human being is learning to be content with whatever life brings you. I'm so grateful to not be in a wheelchair, but if I was, I would have to adjust to life in a wheelchair. That's just how I am programmed."
E continued ... "If I spend hours or days or weeks kind of mourning where I'm at in life, and not being what I wanted to be, that doesn't serve me."
Although Big E has been trying to make the most of his newfound "free time" ... the star wrestler admits he's tired of being in the house, which is why he was thrilled Triple H asked him to be a part of a WWE tryout for college athletes in the days before SummerSlam on July 30.
E -- who played college football at Iowa -- says he's interested to see if the athletes in attendance can make the transition to the WWE universe ... and hopes the tryout will yield the company's next generation of superstars.