Big E Ettore Ewen ( March 1 , 1986 ) better known by his former ring name Big E Langston and currently performing as Big E , is an American professional wrestler signed to WWE . He is a one - time Intercontinental Champion , and was also a former NXT Champion while at WWE ' s developmental brand , NXT . He is a two - time WWE Tag Team Champion with Xavier Woods and Kofi Kingston . He is also a national powerlifting champion who has set multiple national and state records in the raw division . Early years . Ewen was born in Tampa , Florida to Afro - Caribbean immigrant Eltore and Margaret Ewen . He attended Wharton High School , where he won a number of athletic honors , including being named Hillsborough County ' s " Ironman of the Year " . Upon graduating from Wharton , Ewen attended the University of Iowa , where he played football as a defensive lineman for the Iowa Hawkeyes . Ewen was redshirted in 2004 and missed the 2005 season due to an injury sustained in pre - season camp , playing a single season as a sophomore in 2006 . Ewen graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree . As a Florida high school wrestling state champion and a Division I college football letter winner , Ewen competed in a number of different athletic disciplines at an elite level before turning his attention to the sport of powerlifting . His debut was in 2009 . Powerlifting career . The 24 - year old Ewen competed in his first U . S . A . Powerlifting ( USAPL ) meet on July 11 at the fifth annual United States Open Championships 2010 at Nova Southeastern University in Davie , Florida . He became not only the top heavyweight lifter but also broke all four Florida state raw powerlifting records in the 275 - pound class and bested raw national records in the deadlift and total . His lifts included a 611 - pound squat , a 490 - pound bench press and a 749 - pound deadlift for a 1 , 851 pound raw total . Ewen also won the USAPL Raw Nationals 2011 in Scranton , Pennsylvania . This time he competed in the super heavyweight division ( + 275 ) and broke the raw American and national records in the deadlift ( 799 lbs ) and total ( 2 , 039 lbs ) in this weight class as well . Although all of his national and American raw records were broken in 2011 and 2012 by Michael Tuchscherer , Brad Gillingham and Randall Harris , Ewen still holds the USAPL Florida State Raw Records in deadlift and total in the SHW division as well as all four raw powerlifting records in the 275 - pound class . Professional wrestling career . World Wrestling Entertainment ( 2009 – present ) . Developmental territories ( 2009 – 2012 ) . In 2009 , Ewen signed a developmental contract with World Wrestling Entertainment ( WWE ) and was assigned to its developmental territory Florida Championship Wrestling ( FCW ) , where he adopted the ring name " Big E Langston " . On December 17 , 2009 he made his FCW debut teaming with Justin Gabriel , Skip Sheffield & Titus O ' Neil to defeat Dawson Alexander , Donny Marlow , Jimmy Uso & Lennox McEnroe . On May 12 , 2011 , Langston and Calvin Raines defeated Richie Steamboat and Seth Rollins to win the Florida Tag Team Championship . On July 21 , Langston and Raines lost the Florida Tag Team Title to C . J . Parker and Donny Marlow . He participated in Super Eight Tournament but was knocked out in the first round by Husky Harris . Langston would team up Nick Rogers to beat the debuting Jiro and Sakamoto , this would lead into a shot at the Florida Tag Team Champions Brad Maddox and Briley Pierce which the team lost . In February Langston participated in FCW Florida Heavyweight Championship number one contendership battle royal which was won by Seth Rollins . On February 11 , 2012 , Ewen defeated Heath Slater at a SmackDown house show . As part of WrestleMania Axxess he beat Antonio Cesaro . Alliance with AJ Lee and Dolph Ziggler ; NXT Champion ( 2012 – 2013 ) . In 2012 , Ewen , as Big E Langston , debuted on the August 1 episode of WWE NXT taped at Full Sail University , where he defeated Adam Mercer . This marked the start of a winning streak for Langston , who from September started repeatedly hitting his finishing maneuver on his opponents and demanding the referee to use a five count instead of a three count during his pins . After Langston rejected Vickie Guerrero ' s managerial services , Guerrero promised a $ 5 , 000 bounty to anyone who could put Langston " on the shelf " ; but attempts to claim the bounty by Chad Baxter and Camacho were firmly squashed by Langston , while the bounty was later declared void by commissioner Dusty Rhodes . On the December 6 tapings of " NXT " , which aired on January 9 , Langston faced the NXT Champion and Shield member Seth Rollins in a no disqualification title match ; Langston defeated Rollins to win the title . On December 17 , 2012 episode of " Raw " , Langston made his WWE main roster debut as a heel by assaulting John Cena at the behest of AJ Lee . As Dolph Ziggler became AJ ' s boyfriend , Langston also allied himself with Ziggler and he would frequently help Ziggler by interfering in his matches . Ziggler and Langston challenged Kane and Daniel Bryan of Team Hell No for the Tag Team Championships at Wrestlemania XXIX but failed . During the following weeks , Langston began having a stronger screen - push as he started wrestling more during the weekly showings . Leading towards the pay - per - view match at Extreme Rules , Langston wrestled in a unique triple - threat match pitting him against the managers of Ziggler ' s opponents for Extreme Rules : Ricardo Rodriguez ( for Alberto Del Rio ) and Zeb Colter ( for Jack Swagger ) . After Ziggler ' s concussion sustained during the May 10th edition of " Friday Night Smackdown " , the triple threat match for the World Heavyweight Championship was changed to an " " I Quit Match " " between Del Rio and Swagger . During the following weeks , Langston received stronger in - ring appearances while Ziggler was out recovering from his concussion . Langston continued the feud against Del Rio in a series of matches ranging in victories and losses between both men across the " Raw " , " Smackdown " and " Main Event " programs . On the June 10 episode of " Raw " Langston was revealed as then Diva ' s Champion Kaitlyn ' s secret admirer . This was in turn a ploy to humiliate Kaitlyn at the hands of Lee . Fallout with Ziggler / New Alliance with A . J . Lee ( 2013 ) . On the July 15 episode of " Raw " , the night after Money in the Bank , Big E . Langston would effectively side with A . J . after Ziggler dumped her backstage , declaring they were " done " as a power couple due to A . J . ' s actions that cost Ziggler his title match against Del Rio at Money in the Bank . After A . J . once again distracted Ziggler during his match that night against Del Rio on Raw , she went on to order Langston to attack and decimate the already - vulnerable Ziggler . On the July 19 edition of " Smackdown " , both Langston and A . J . watched Ziggler ' s match backstage against Jack Swagger . After winning the match , Ziggler commented on his break - up with Lee stating he was " sorry for not doing it sooner " . This sparked an initial breakdown by A . J . , hearing Ziggler ' s post - match comments . It was then that Langston , in a bizarre turn , kissed Lee ' s head and promptly exited the backstage . During the second hour of Monday Night Raw , Langston attempted to attack Ziggler again at the behest of A . J . , after Ziggler ' s match with Darren Young . Ziggler however , out - maneuvered Langston and escaped unscathed . During the opening half - hour of the August 9 , " Friday Night Smackdown " Langston and A . J . were guests on " Miz TV " . After enduring taunts by Kaitlyn and Ziggler who also joined the segment , it was announced by SummerSlam Host The Miz , that Langston and A . J . would face Kailtyn and Ziggler in a tag match . Singles Competition ( 2013 - 2014 ) . By the end of the 2013 summer , Langston had split from A . J . and began competing alone . He wrestled one of his successful singles match on the September 11 edition of WWE Main Event , defeating R - Truth . During the month of October , Langston began teaming with CM Punk after being disrespected by Paul Heyman and his stable of " Paul Heyman Guys " . Langston first aided CM Punk during an attack by Heyman ' s clients Ryback and Curtis Axel . This alliance with CM Punk , who was already feuding with Heyman , Ryback and Axel , signaled a face - turn for Langston . On the October 21st edition of Monday Night Raw , Langston crossed paths with Axel and Ryback backstage during an interview with Paul Heyman . Langston and Axel went on to have a match that night and it was later announced that the two would face each other at Hell in a Cell for Axel ' s Intercontinental Championship during the Hell in the Cell Kick - off show . Feud with The Shield ( 2013 ) . Beginning in late October 2013 , Langston engaged in a feud with The Shield . Langston challenged for Dean Ambrose ' s United States Championship resulting in defeat and a minor injury to both men including a noticeable cut under Langston ' s eye and a cut under Ambrose ' s chin . Both men had between seven to eight stitches . In the following weeks , Langston began teaming with The Uso Brothers , joining in their storied rivalry with the Shield . On the October 28 episode of Monday Night Raw , Langston faced Ambrose in a rematch for the US Title , resulting in disqualification after the rest of the Shield interfered and attacked Langston . This drew out The Uso Brothers who came and defended Langston . On the November 1 episode of Smackdown , Langston joined The Usos at ringside during their tag match against Dean Ambrose and Seth Rollins . The Usos defeated The Shield after pinning Ambrose . Afterwards Langston and The Usos confronted Roman Reigns who was ushered away by his retreating teammates . Throughout the following weeks in December , Langston would join forces with high profile " faces " including CM Punk and John Cena , as again Langston would come to the ring to save Punk and / or Cena from assaults by The Shield . On a singles - level , Langston continued his feud with Dean Ambrose . However , there were other occasions where a potential confrontation between Roman Reigns and Langston was hinted at . On the December 27 episode of Smackdown , Langston and his new tag team partner Mark Henry , joined Cena in repelling an ambush by The Shield during the start of the show . It was announced by Director of Operations Kane that all six men would face each other in singles competition as part of the night ' s main event . Langston went on to defeat Dean Ambrose in their matchup . He and partner Mark Henry later that night aided Cena in his match against Seth Rollins allowing for Cena to pick up the win . Intercontinental Championship ( 2013 - 2014 ) . During the November 18th episode of " Monday Night Raw " on the Raw Country special held in Nashville , Tennessee , Langston defeated Curtis Axel for the Intercontinental Championship . This would mark Langston ' s first title reign . Langston would once again defeat Axel in his return match at Survivor Series . Langston then started a feud with Damien Sandow after Sandow became the number one contender for his title . This would set a match between the two at the pay - per - view , which Langston was able to win . He successfully went on to defend his championship during the week before WrestleMania XXX , against former ally / rival Dolph Ziggler . Both men had been announced as participants of the first - ever " Andre the Giant Memorial Battle Royal " at WrestleMania XXX that was eventually won by Antonio Cesaro . The following night on the April 7 , RAW show , Big E teamed with John Cena and Sheamus in a losing effort against the The Wyatt Family after Big E was pinned by Bray Wyatt . Big E lost the Intercontinental Championship at Extreme Rules to Bad News Barrett . Big E then started feuding with Rusev and lost to Rusev at Payback and lost to Rusev again at Money in The Bank . Big E failed to win the Intercontinental Championship battle royal at Battleground . A New Day ( 2014 - Present ) . On the July 21 episode of " Raw " , after Big E and Kofi Kingston suffered another loss as a team , Xavier Woods confronted them , declaring that they could not " get ahead by kissing babies and shaking hands " . Instead , it would be " their time " to " take " . The duo accepted Woods ' offer , and on the next day ' s " Main Event " , Woods managed Big E and Kingston to a decisive victory over Heath Slater and Titus O ' Neil . However , Woods ' group quickly and quietly disbanded , as on the August 8 episode of " SmackDown " and on the August 12 episode of " Main Event " , both Big E and then Kingston reverted to wrestling singles matches with no sign or mention of the other two members of the group . Despite being disbanded on WWE television , Big E , Kingston and Woods maintained their alliance at live events . From the November 3 episode of " Raw " , WWE began airing vignettes for Big E , Kingston and Woods , with the stable now being billed as " A New Day " . On the Kickoff show for , The New Day put on an impressive performance when Big E & Kingston defeated the former WWE Tag Team Champions Gold & Stardust . The duo was defeated , however , by the team of Cesaro & Tyson Kidd on the Royal Rumble Kickoff .