With The New Day giving their blessing for Big E to have a singles run, the question now becomes who does he test himself against first. It's been around six years since Big E has stood on his own in the ring, which saw him hold his first singles title, the Intercontinental Championship.
But since becoming a member of The New Day, Big E has had backup outside of the ring or on the apron. There are plenty of wrestlers on the SmackDown roster that Big E can test his singles run against. However, there are also plenty of people he should stay away from if he wants to move up the ladder and earn a shot at the Universal Championship.
10 SHOULDN'T FACE: Bray Wyatt
On paper, Bray Wyatt versus Big E would be a great contest between two powerhouses in WWE. Both can put on great performances on the microphone and in the ring. But, unless Big E is going to defeat The Fiend cleanly, there's no point in putting the two in the squared circle together. Wyatt is yet to build any new stars, and while he's lost to Strowman recently, it's unlikely that his losing streak will continue. Big E needs to win if he's going to get ahead.
9 SHOULD FACE: Sheamus
The Celtic Warrior has had plenty of hard-hitting battles with Big E when The New Day and The Bar feuded. With the exception of The Usos, Sheamus and Cesaro were one of their biggest adversaries. With Sheamus now returning to singles competition, a confrontation between the two could be on the cards. They're both familiar with each other's styles and know how to work together already, plus Sheamus is establishing himself as one of the best heels on the SmackDown roster, so the rivalry could help both men on their new journey.
8 SHOULDN'T FACE: Shorty G
There is no doubt that Shorty G is a fantastic athlete. However, since coming to the main roster and establishing himself as a singles competitor, he's yet to achieve the heights he deserves. Now that he's just turned heel, it's time for Shorty G to make a proper name for himself, and it doesn't need to come at the expense of Big E. Both men need victories over opponents to establish themselves as threats to the roster, which is why they should stay as far away from each other as possible.
7 SHOULD FACE: The Miz
The Miz has proclaimed that he wants to main event WrestleMania 37, and one way to achieve this goal could be by helping put over Big E. The Miz is established enough that it doesn't matter if he wins or loses, he just needs to be involved in high profile rivalries.
Big E's recent victory over The Miz was his first since October 2018, and if the two play it right, then this stat could help create sparks between the two that results in a memorable rivalry.
6 SHOULDN'T FACE: Matt Riddle
Matt Riddle is still relatively new to the main roster and is still figuring out where he fits on SmackDown. This is why he should stay away from Big E. The King Of The Bros has the potential to be a main event star and could even achieve his dream of a fight with Brock Lesnar. But after a loss to AJ Styles, he needs to focus on establishing himself with a new audience.
5 SHOULD FACE: Jeff Hardy
Jeff Hardy knows what it's like to break out of the tag team division and become a successful singles star. This knowledge and experience could be beneficial to Big E if the two were to meet in the ring. It's unknown whether The Charismatic Enigma is winding down his career or waiting out his contract so he can join his brother in AEW. But before he leaves the business, it would be beneficial if he helped make a new star or two on his way out.
4 SHOULDN'T FACE: Roman Reigns
Big E versus Roman Reigns is another contest that on paper could deliver some fantastic battles. However, given where The Big Dog is positioned on the roster, even though he's currently out of action, it's unlikely that Big E would ever pick up a win over Reigns.
Big E needs to step foot inside the squared circle with someone he can dominate or, at best, trade wins with. It's unlikely he would get that opportunity when Reigns returns considering that The Big Dog is expected to go after the Universal Championship immediately and save the blue brand's ratings.
3 SHOULD FACE: Daniel Bryan
If there's one person on the SmackDown roster who knows how to help wrestlers get over, it's Daniel Bryan. If the rumors are true and Bryan is working on the creative team, then he could get hands-on experience in creating a rivalry between himself and Big E. Bryan is capable of having classic contests with larger opponents and it could be an opportunity for Big E to showcase his strength by throwing the leader of the YES! Movement around the ring until he's had enough.
2 SHOULDN'T FACE: King Corbin
While there are few men on the SmackDown roster more hated than King Corbin, it's not because of his character or his in-ring work. It's because of some of the terrible rivalries he's been involved in. Fans didn't approve of Corbin's feud with Roman Reigns and don't seem excited about his upcoming story with Matt Riddle. If Corbin can't make it work with these opponents, then it's unlikely that he would be able to help establish Big E as one of the company's next stars.
1 SHOULD FACE: AJ Styles
The last singles title that Big E held before he became a member of The New Day was the Intercontinental Championship, which is currently on the shoulders of AJ Styles. While Styles was allegedly unable to elevate Ricochet and Cedric Alexander on RAW, he may have more success with an established star like Big E. The two are yet to meet in the ring together, so it'll both benefit Big E and Styles, giving the two stars a fresh rivalry to sink their teeth into.