Big E’s doctor says he ‘narrowly escaped a stroke, paralysis or death’

We still don’t know a lot about Big E’s long-term prognosis after his neck was broken on a suplex spot during the Mar. 11 SmackDown. We do know that he was fortunate enough to never lose the ability to move his extremities, and avoid surgery for the non-displacement fractures of his C1 and C6 vertebrae.

After the tweet E sent following a visit to the doctor today (Mar. 22), we now also now how close it was to being much, much worse:

The C1, or atlas, vertebrae is at the top of your spine. It and the C2, or axis, have a unique shape and not only protect your spinal cord, but support the weight of your skull and allow you to move your head. Those are the vertebrae TJ “Tyson Kidd” Wilson had fused after his neck injury almost resulted in paralysis or death. Christopher Reeve’s C1 and C2 vertebrae were shattered when he was left with no motor or sensory function from the neck down.

Our guy Large Epsilon is up and walking around, but a slightly more severe break, or in a slightly different area, and the story might be very different. One of his co-workers said it best...