Big E: If You Strip The Crowd Away, It Exposes People

WWE will welcome back fans for the first time in over a year on Saturday night as WrestleMania 37 heads to Raymond James Stadium.

WWE shows have taken place inside an empty Performance Center or the ThunderDome with virtual fans since March 2020, but for the first time since the pandemic started, wrestlers will be able to feel and experience a live crowd.

The Rock Gave Back A Gift Chody Rhodes Gave To Him On Raw After Mania

Speaking to Ariel Helwani on his MMA show, Big E discussed the adjustment of working without a crowd and how it may have exposed some guys.

"It's an adjustment. The crux of what we do is moving a crowd. That's the beauty of professional wrestling because it's what we do. To have that element removed is different. The interesting part to is we have guys who you may refer to as 'gimmicks' and they get over because they have great crowd reactions, but when you strip that away, you kind of...I don't want to say expose them, but there's an element to that. I want to make sure that, as much as I enjoy elements of being a gimmick and being entertaining and obnoxious if you take that crowd away and just look at my in-ring work and ability, I want to make sure I can still go because a lot of guys do get exposed. I always felt like I was good enough in the ring to not have that happen. I'm excited to have fans back," said Big E.

Big E is set to defend his WWE Intercontinental Championship against Apollo Crews at WrestleMania 37 in a Nigerian Drum Fight.

What's a Nigerian Drum Fight? Big E isn't so sure.

If you use any of the quotes above, please credit the original source with a h/t and link back to Fightful for the transcription.

Get exclusive pro wrestling content on Fightful Select, our premium news service! Click here to learn more.