WWE started to begin COVID-19 testing on June 16 following reports of a second positive test in the company on June 15. After the round of testing, multiple people in WWE were reported positive for COVID-19.
Speaking to Jensen Karp of The Sports Bubble, Big E commented on the changes WWE has undergone over the past two weeks.
"It changed our shooting when we heard about the positive test with an NXT talent. We taped that day [Monday, June 15], found out that evening, and the next day we stopped the taping and we all got tested, we did the nasal swap for coronavirus. If you were negative, you were allowed to tape the next day. It definitely caused a shift in the way we do things and I think there may be more testing moving forward, which is honestly what we should be doing," he said.
During the pandemic, plenty of WWE superstars have decided to stay home for their health and the health of their families. Most notably, Roman Reigns has been absent since before WrestleMania 36 while others like Sami Zayn and Kevin Owens have also decided to remain at home at various points.
When discussing his decision to keep wrestling, Big E said, "You have to consider your individual case. For those guys with families, I understand completely. To decide to wrestle and that it could negatively affect your family's future, I don't think it's worth the risk. For me, I go home to no one. There's a certain risk with wrestling that I've accepted anyway and there's really no fear that I'm going to get anyone else sick. I have minimal contact with anyone outside of wrestling so it's something I've been more comfortable going back with, especially with more testing, but I accept that people are going to say, 'this is not right for me or my family' and I think it's smart that they decide not to step in the ring."
Later during the interview, when discussing the implementation of social distancing across all sports, Big E said, "We're a business where, there's a lot of contact with another human. We're used to touching each other. Even in the back, we're encouraged to wear masks and be socially distant, but it can be difficult. This could be, probably, several more months, at least, before we get back to a normal schedule. It's encouraged, but naturally, it's more difficult for us to maintain distance and continue to wear masks. It's something we need to be cognizant of, but I don't know how you will be able to enforce this in high schools or the NFL or NBA to make sure guys keep a respectable distance in a sport or in a culture where you're used to being around people and close physical contact."
Big E went on to say that everyone seemed more cognizant of distancing during the first month or so of the pandemic, but after a while people have become starved for physical contact.
Big E was present for the most recent episode of WWE SmackDown, competing in an eight-man tag team match.
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