"I want to wrestle like that guy" - Big E wanted to be like top WWE Superstar when he started wrestling

Big E, who recently won the WWE Championship from Bobby Lashley on WWE RAW, has heaped praise on The All Mighty. The New Day member thinks Lashley carried himself like a champion during his title reign and is an inspirational figure.

Big E, in an interview with Complex, revealed that he studied Bobby Lashley closely at the start of his pro wrestling career and that he aspired to wrestle like the former WWE Champion when he was starting out.

"First of all, I have to give hats off to Bobby. I think Bobby’s had an incredible run. He carries himself like a champion, and in many ways, he’s inspirational, because—and I’ve told him this before—when I got signed in 2009, I was studying some older film. I was looking at more contemporary guys that I wanted to be like. I was watching Bobby Lashley films. There was a lot of Bobby Lashley films [sic]. He was a guy that, 'Okay, that’s a guy in a similar vein that, if I work hard enough, one day I want to wrestle like that guy. I want to be like that guy,'" said Big E.

The new WWE Champion praised Lashley's physique and how he looks like he's in his 20s even though he's 45.

Big E's journey to becoming WWE Champion

Big E began his WWE career over a decade ago in 2009 when he signed with the company on a developmental deal. He had a stint in NXT where he became the second NXT Champion after defeating Seth Rollins.

He won the Intercontinental title after being called up to the main roster, but he truly became a popular figure in WWE after joining The New Day.

Big E was forced to split from Kofi Kingston and Xavier Woods during last year's WWE Draft. After separating from his stablemates, he won the men's Money in the Bank ladder match earlier this year and then the WWE Championship.