Q&A: WWE 'Big E' set to powerslam Show Me Center with positivity

World Wrestling Entertainment SmackDown tag team champion "Big E" is one of several superstars who will be part of the WWE LIVE: Summerslam Heatwave Tour on Sunday at the Show Me Center in Cape Girardeau. He and his The New Day counterparts -- Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods -- are six-time tag team champions and hold the record as the longest-reigning team in WWE history.

Big E talked with the Southeast Missourian about titles, the importance of in-the-ring energy and why he loves entertaining. Comments have been edited for length and clarity.

Southeast Missourian: What are your thoughts on having six tag team championships?

Big E: I think a lot of times you can lose sight of where you come from, and I often think about guys who are struggling just to get on TV. And the fact that we have been able to do as much as we have after being booed out of the building several times, just kind of the run we've been on, it's incredible. I never like to think that we're coasting. That's my immediate thing. I always go back to how hard it was five years ago, just to even get on TV. And the fact that we've been able to still stay relevant, still do interesting things, I think that is really kind of what that six-title-run is really attesting to.

SM: Live events versus pay-per-view, what's the energy level you experience?

BE: With the live events, it's about the experience. And I think more of the focus, for us, as performers, is to engage the kids you see, and the adults. It's entertainment, man. That's the thing. You want to create moments people won't forget. We just want people to have fun. But as an act, I want people at a live event to think, "Man, those guys are incredibly fun; they look like they love what they're doing." That's the big takeaway for me.

SM: Who comes up with different ideas for you guys -- you've got the unicorn horn, Booty-O's, pancakes -- and where does all that come from?

BE: Yeah, a lot of that stuff is real random, like the pancakes happened only because we had a lumberjack match a few years ago against Sammy and Kevin. And of course lumberjacks eat pancakes. The unicorn horns, because Woods got the idea we were the unicorns of WWE because we brought magic back to WWE. There's a lot of stuff that's just kind of happenstance. We try to make it as organic as we can. And that's one of the things that I think is a regular challenge; trying to constantly find new stuff. But, it's also a bit of a marathon, too, where you want to squeeze as many of the juices you can out of an idea that's still working. It's a clever balancing act.

SM: Joining with Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods to form The New Day, how do you think that changed your career?

BE: Oh, it changed it dramatically. I was a very serious performer in (WWE) NXT when I first came up on the road as well. Being with Kofi and Woods has really allowed me to demonstrate my personality, to have some fun, to loosen up, to be a much broader performer. There's so few restrictions we seem to have as a trio, as far as our characters are concerned. That's one of the things I'm really grateful for. It's really opened my eyes to how much I love entertaining and putting a smile on someone's face.

SM: How are you using this SumerSlam HeatWave tour to get prepared for SummerSlam in August?

BE: We have so many events on a weekly basis. I think for us, it helps us stay sharp. Being in Cape Girardeau, I think will allow us to sharpen our craft and our skills.

SM: What are you able to reveal about the show on Sunday?

BE: I think people will be invested. One of the great things is our fans. The New Day fans have really done a great job of supporting us. And that energy, man, is so critical through our performance, and it really just buoys you when you have people that invested. That's always big for us.

SM: We talked about how The New Day changed your career, but what would you say is your career high so far?

BE: I would definitely say setting the record for the longest tag-title run in WWE history, a record that has stood for over two decades -- that's a big one. And we've done a lot of other cool things as well, like the promo segment with The Rock was pretty memorable, too. It's hard to top breaking a record that's stood for over 20 years.

SM: How will you be incorporating the power of positivity Sunday?

BE: In our interaction with our fans. That's the thing; we want people to have a smile on their face. We want them to laugh, we want them to enjoy what we do in the ring. That's positive energy. When people can see how much fun we're having, that breeds more positivity. It's a beautiful cycle, too, because when we see people having fun, we have more fun.

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Timestamps

• Beloved and well-known actor Robin Williams would have turned 68 this week.
• "The Muppets Movie" had its 40th anniversary Thursday.
• The original "Wonder Woman" -- Lynda Carter -- celebrated her 68th birthday Tuesday.
• Iconic TV personality Alex Trebek from "Jeopoardy!" turned 79 Monday.

What's new

• The band Disciple has been a staple in Christian rock music for nearly 25 years. And soon, the four-member group is set to release its 12th full-length studio album, "Long Live the Rebels" on Oct. 14.
• "A Beautiful Day in the Neighborhood" trailer dropped Monday. The film, featuring Tom Hanks as the lovable Fred Rogers, is set to debut Nov. 22.

Marvel's next films will bring diversity

LOS ANGELES -- Marvel's push for more women and people of color in its cinematic universe is extending to behind the camera for its next slate of films.

Of the five films Marvel Studios announced at Comic-Con on Saturday, only one is set to be directed by a white man.

In addition to a slew of women and people of color at the helm of upcoming Marvel films, the weekend's announcements promised more diversity on screen, including the female-led "Black Widow" and "Thor: Love and Thunder." Also in the works are films starring Marvel's first Asian American superhero -- Simu Liu's Shang-Chi -- and its first LGBTQ character -- Tessa Thompson's Valkyrie.

Marvel veteran Scarlett Johansson said the increase in diversity made her proud to be a part of the franchise.