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Big E has admitted that his WWE Intercontinental Championship rivalry with Apollo Crews did not go as well as he had hoped.
The two men faced each other in seven singles matches on WWE television between January and June. Their most high-profile match took place at WrestleMania 37, where Crews defeated Big E in a Nigerian Drum Fight to win the Intercontinental Championship.
Speaking on Ryan Satin’s Out of Character podcast, Big E opened up about working with Crews over the last six months.
“Erm, it [storyline with Crews] hasn’t been perfect,” Big E said. “I’ll say I think he’s extremely talented. He’s a guy who I have enjoyed seeing him step up. He’s a guy if you’re paying any attention, you always knew, man, he’s extremely talented, he can do a bunch of things.”
Big E defeated Crews in their most recent match on WWE SmackDown on June 25. As a result of the victory, the New Day member qualified for the 2021 Money in the Bank ladder match.
Big E on his in-ring chemistry with Apollo Crews
Apollo Crews and Big E have mostly performed as babyfaces over the last few years, meaning their paths have rarely crossed in WWE storylines.
Despite having doubts about the success of their recent rivalry, Big E is still pleased with both men's in-ring efforts during their series of matches.
“He’s a guy who I feel like we have great chemistry in the ring and we had never really done much of anything, maybe like a random six-man or a tag, until this past year,” Big E said. “Because he was always a babyface, I’d been a babyface for a long time, so it’s just been rewarding to see him step up and to kill it. He and I have done a good job in-ring. I’m pleased with what we brought to the table.”
Big E is set to compete in his first Money in the Bank ladder match on July 18. The match will also include Drew McIntyre, John Morrison, Ricochet, Riddle, Kevin Owens, King Nakamura and Seth Rollins.
Please credit Out of Character and give a H/T to Sportskeeda Wrestling for the transcription if you use quotes from this article.
