Tony Hinchcliffe’s guest appearance on WWE Raw this past Monday started innocently enough, with the Kill Tony comedian joking that the first match called by longtime announcer Michael Cole was David vs. Goliath. However, it quickly took a turn.
As the tag team championship match unfolded between the New Day and the War Raiders, Hinchcliffe expressed his enthusiasm for the former, now portraying heels (bad guys). He couldn’t help but mock Big E, the tag team’s former stablemate, who has been sidelined since suffering a broken neck in November 2022. “The only thing stiffer than Michael Cole is Big E’s neck,” Hinchcliffe quipped, provoking a strong backlash from the internet wrestling community, which fiercely defends Big E.
Big E himself responded during the Raw Recap show, noting that he wasn’t informed about the joke prior to it airing. “He was given a mic, he was given an opportunity,” the former WWE champion reflected. “People will feel however they want. There’s a lot of discourse; often, as a public figure, people will say things about you—whether jokes or not. I acknowledge that, as I’m on the show and need to provide my opinion when I’m mentioned. It’s just tiring to weigh in on everyone’s opinions.”
He continued, “Look—I’m not hurt. I’m good. I want the discourse to happen without my participation, honestly. I didn’t sign up for this or know about it. He did what he wanted, and people signed off on it—it’s truly not about me.”
Those seeking the original clip of Hinchcliffe’s comment will need to look elsewhere, as the replay of this past Monday’s WWE Raw episode has edited out his joke about Big E’s neck, replacing it with silence until Pat McAfee can be heard saying, ‘OK,’ followed by Cole commenting on his own status as a punching bag. Meanwhile, other more benign jokes about Big E remain intact.
As for who made the decision to edit Hinchcliffe’s remark, it’s unclear whether it was WWE or Netflix. Both entities, however, are collaborating with the roast comedian on separate projects—Netflix recently launched its first Kill Tony special, which Hinchcliffe was promoting on Raw, while he is set to host “The Roast of WrestleMania” after Night 2 of the event in Las Vegas next week. Already a polarizing figure due to his comments about Puerto Rico at a Donald Trump rally last fall, many WWE fans had voiced concerns prior about the collaboration with Hinchcliffe. Given the reaction to his Raw appearance, those fans may feel vindicated, anticipating what else may be said during next week’s roast.
